A Google Scholar profile is an essential tool for tracking your academic output and citation impact. However, you may discover that your work is split across multiple duplicate profiles, or that your main profile is cluttered with duplicate article entries.

This is a serious problem. It splits your citation counts, artificially lowers your h-index, and creates confusion for colleagues and promotion committees.

Fortunately, you can fix this. This guide provides clear, step-by-step instructions for merging duplicate articles and consolidating duplicate author profiles.

Why Do Duplicates Happen?

Duplicates occur for a few common reasons:

• Name Variations: "J. Smith," "John Smith," and "John A. Smith" might be treated as different people by the algorithm.

• Auto-Generated Profiles: Google Scholar may automatically create a "ghost" profile based on co-author lists, which then competes with your official, curated profile.

• Article Duplicates: A single paper's "pre-print" (e.g., from arXiv) and its final "publisher version" may be indexed as two separate items.

Solution 1: How to Merge Duplicate Articles (Inside Your Profile)

This is the most common and easiest fix. Your profile is correct, but it lists the same paper (e.g., a pre-print and a journal version) twice.

1. Log in to your Google Scholar profile.

2. In your list of articles, find the duplicate entries you want to merge.

3. Check the boxes next to each of the duplicate articles.

4. Once you select two or more, a "MERGE" button will appear in the action bar at the top.

5. Click MERGE.

6. A new window will ask you to select the "primary" version of the paper. Choose the one you prefer (usually the official publisher's version).

7. Click "Merge." Google Scholar will now combine the citation counts for both entries into the single, primary article.

Solution 2: How to "Merge" Duplicate Author Profiles (The Best Method)

This is the most critical task. You have one main profile, but a second "ghost" profile exists with some of your other papers.

Important: Google Scholar does not have a "Merge Two Profiles" button. The actual method is to absorb the articles from the "ghost" profile onto your main profile. This is the safest and most effective way.

1. Log in to your main Google Scholar profile (the one you want to keep).

2. Click the plus icon (+) above your article list.

3. From the drop-down menu, select "Add articles."

4. A new search window will open. In the search box at the top, search for your own name (try all variations, e.g., "J. Smith," "John A. Smith").

5. Google Scholar will display a list of all articles associated with your name that are not currently on your profile. You will almost certainly see the articles from the "ghost" profile here.

6. Check the boxes next to all the articles that belong to you.

7. Click the "ADD TO PROFILE" button at the top.

By doing this, you have "claimed" those articles, effectively moving them from the "ghost" profile (or the "unclaimed" pool) to your official profile. The "ghost" profile, now empty, will typically disappear from public search over time.

Solution 3: How to Merge Two Profiles You Own (The Risky Method)

Warning: Only use this method if you accidentally created two separate Google accounts and set up a profile on both. This process involves deleting one profile and is irreversible.

1. Decide which profile to keep (Profile A) and which to delete (Profile B).

2. Log in to the Google account for the profile you want to delete (Profile B).

3. Click the three-dot menu (More) and go to Settings.

4. Click "Delete profile." This only deletes the profile; it does not delete the articles from Google's index. They are now "unclaimed."

5. Log out of the Profile B account.

6. Log in to the Google account for the profile you want to keep (Profile A).

7. Follow all the steps from Solution 2 ("Add articles").

8. Search for your name. You should now be able to find and claim all the articles that were just released from the deleted Profile B.

Conclusion

Maintaining a single, clean, and comprehensive Google Scholar profile is essential for your academic credibility. By regularly using the "Merge" and "Add articles" features, you can consolidate your entire body of work, ensuring your h-index and citation counts accurately reflect your full scholarly impact.