---
title: "Customize the Duplicate-Registration Message"
slug: "customize-the-duplicate-registration-message"
updated: 2026-08-11T22:09:28Z
published: 2026-08-11T22:09:28Z
canonical: "docs.blackthorn.io/customize-the-duplicate-registration-message"
---

> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://docs.blackthorn.io/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# Customize the Duplicate-Registration Message

When you block duplicate registrations, the message an attendee sees when they're stopped is now yours to write — and to translate. Instead of a generic "checkout failed" notice, you can show a clear, on-brand explanation in the attendee's language, so they understand *why* they were stopped and are less likely to try again.

## What changed

If **Block Duplicate Registrations** is on for an event and someone who already has a registration tries to register again, checkout shows a dedicated message. Out of the box it reads:

> Duplicate event registration submission is not allowed.

That text is now a customizable, translatable **Data Dictionary** term, so you can replace it with wording that fits your event — for example, "You're already registered for this event. Check your email for your confirmation and AttendeeLink."

## When it applies

This message only appears when **Block Duplicate Registrations** is enabled on **Event Settings**. If you don't block duplicates, attendees never hit it.

> **Note:** this is specifically the *duplicate-registration* block. It's separate from the "one unique email per event" and per-attendee duplicate checks, which have their own messages — customizing this one doesn't change those.

## How to customize the message

The wording lives in a **Data Dictionary** entry linked to your event:

1. On the event's **Event Settings** (or the **Event Group**), open the **Data Dictionary Group** in the lookup field. (If there isn't one yet, create a Data Dictionary Group and link it here.)
2. In that group, edit the **Data Dictionary Entry** for the language you want, and set the term **`MSG_ERR_DUPLICATE_ERS_FAILED`** to your custom text.
3. Save. That event now shows your wording in place of the default.

Use the packaged Data Dictionary editor to make the change rather than editing raw values by hand.

## Translating it

The Data Dictionary is per-language: each entry covers one **Language / Locale**. To show your custom wording in more than one language, add an entry for each locale and set `MSG_ERR_DUPLICATE_ERS_FAILED` in each. At checkout, attendees see the version matching their selected language. Languages you don't override keep Blackthorn's built-in translation of the default message.

## Good to know

- **Leaving the override blank doesn't hide the message.** An empty value is treated as "not customized," and checkout falls back to the built-in text — you can't suppress the message by clearing the term.
- **It applies to the standard hosted checkout.** The custom wording is shown in the normal Blackthorn registration/checkout experience.

---

## For Salesforce admins — technical reference

- **Data Dictionary term key:** `MSG_ERR_DUPLICATE_ERS_FAILED`
- **Default text:** "Duplicate event registration submission is not allowed."
- **Gating setting:** `Event_Settings__c.Block_Duplicate_Registrations__c` must be enabled for the message to appear.
- **Where the override lives:**
  - `Event_Settings__c.Data_Dictionary_Group__c` (or `Event_Group__c.Data_Dictionary_Group__c`) — lookup to a **Data Dictionary Group** (`bt_stripe__Data_Dictionary_Group__c`). Both lookups are on their page layouts.
  - **Data Dictionary Entry** (`bt_stripe__Data_Dictionary_Entry__c`) records hang off the group — one per **Language / Locale** (`Locale__c`), with the term set in the entry's values (`Data_Dictionary_Values__c`, a key→text map keyed by `MSG_ERR_DUPLICATE_ERS_FAILED`).
- **Resolution order:** custom override for the active locale → built-in default text → generic checkout-failed message. A blank/whitespace override is skipped (falls through to the default).
- **Don't confuse with:** `MSG_ERR_DUPLICATE_EMAIL_FAILED` (one unique email per event) and `MSG_ERR_DUPLICATE_ATTENDEE_FAILED` (per-attendee duplicates) — different checks, different terms.