Control winner re-election after origin contributor detachment
Learn how Reltio reassigns the winner when the origin contributor is unmerged, and how to enable this behavior in your tenant configuration.
When a composite profile contains three or more contributors, and the origin contributor — the entity whose ID defines the profile — is detached, Reltio determines the new winner based on:
- The unmerge method (manual or automatic)
- The status of the
NEW_WINNER_ELECTED_ON_ORIGIN_DETACHMENTfeature flag
Manual unmerge
When you manually detach the origin contributor:
- Reltio always creates a shell composite for the remaining contributors.
- This shell doesn't represent a real source record and can't exist outside the merge context.
Automatic unmerge
By default, Reltio prevents automatic detachment of the origin. But if the feature flag is enabled:
- The origin can be automatically unmerged.
- Reltio elects a new winner from the remaining contributors (not a shell).
Outcomes by unmerge method and flag status
The following table shows the outcomes of manual and automatic unmerge operations for the origin contributor (E1), depending on the feature flag status.
| Feature | Operation | Resulting Objects | Winner after Unmerge |
|---|---|---|---|
| Disabled
(default) | Manual Unmerge of E1 (always allowed) | Standalone E1 E_shell (E2, E3, ...) | E_shell is the winner (contains only former losers) |
| Automatic Unmerge of E1 | Not allowed |
— | |
| Enabled | Manual Unmerge of E1 | Standalone E1 Composite (E2, E3, ...) | E2 is the new winner |
| Automatic Unmerge of E1 | Standalone E1 Composite (E2, E3, ...) |
Winner selection logic
When the feature is
enabled:- Only the origin is detached.
- The remaining contributors stay merged.
- The new winner is the one with the oldest
reltioLoadDate. - If there's a tie, the contributor with the lexicographically smallest ID wins.
- All others are marked as losers under the new winner.
By electing a real contributor as the new winner — instead of creating a shell — Reltio improves survivorship consistency, ensures data continuity, and increases reliability when unmerging profiles with complex contributor histories.
Enable this feature in your tenant configuration
To enable this feature, Contact a support person.