Received the same invoice twice? Don't worry – Apron automatically spots duplicates and helps you deal with them efficiently.
How duplicate detection works
We flag documents as duplicates when they match existing ones on key details: contact name, reference number, issue date, and total amount. You'll see a red warning icon in the Status column when this happens.
When duplicates are detected:
Documents won't auto-publish to your accounting software
They'll stay in your Inbox until you review them
You get a warning if you try to publish manually
Automatic duplicate archiving
To keep your Inbox tidy, we run an overnight process that automatically archives identical duplicates.
The overnight bot:
Runs once per night
Moves identical duplicates to your Archive section
Leaves one active version in your Inbox
Keeps archived versions accessible if you need them later
This means you don't need to manually delete every duplicate – we handle the obvious ones for you.
Reviewing duplicates side-by-side
Sometimes duplicates aren't identical, so we provide a side-by-side comparison tool to help you decide what to do.
To access review mode:
Click the duplicate icon in your document list (Bill Pay or Bookkeeping sections)
Or click Review duplicates from the document details screen
What you can do:
Compare all duplicate versions side-by-side
Check contact details, dates, references, and amounts
Choose to Archive, Delete, or Unmark as duplicate
Best practices:
Review flagged duplicates promptly to keep your workflow running smoothly
Check the Archive section if you need to restore a document
Contact us if duplicate detection isn't working as expected
The duplicate detection system helps maintain clean records whilst giving you full control over which documents to keep.