Slaesforce FAQ

what are data extensions in salesforce matketing

by Dr. Virginia Corwin Jr. Published 2 years ago Updated 1 year ago
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A data extension refers to a table in the Salesforce Marketing Cloud containing information about your subscribers such as name, address, age, gender, email, city. It allows you to track and update your customer's data via, for instance, a form of data submitted through a home page or through Salesforce object records.Nov 29, 2020

Full Answer

What is a data extension in Salesforce?

A data extension is simply a table/relational database that contains all of your company information, for example, customer data like; Name, Address, Age, Gender, Email, City, etc. In practice, you can put anything in a data extension and keep track of that information, just like you can in an Excel Spreadsheet.

How to create Salesforce Marketing Cloud Data Extensions?

The second place where you can create Salesforce Marketing Cloud Data Extensions is in the Contact Builder. Step 1: While you’re in Email Studio, hover over Email in the top left corner. Step 2: A drop down comes up. You should hover over Audience Builder and click on Contact Builder.

How to clear data from a dataextension in Salesforce?

To clear data from a DataExtension using the perform method, you need the Email | Subscribers | Data Extension | Clear Data permission. Also, your AccountType must be E2.0 or BU, or you need the role based access control business rule. If you don't own the data extension, you can't clear its data. Properties Name Data Type Description CategoryID

Should you add Data Extensions to your marketing automation tool?

If you’re coming from a marketing automation tool where you have one single database, like Pardot or similar, then data extensions will feel like unchartered waters. In tools that have single databases, all the individual’s data is stored on their record or neatly packaged into related objects (eg.

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What is Salesforce data extensions?

A data extension is a table that contains your data. With Marketing Cloud Connect, push tracking data from the Marketing Cloud back to your Sales or Service Cloud orgs using Salesforce data extensions (SFDEs).

What's a data extension?

A data extension is simply a table with fields of data about your contacts. Data extensions can be standalone or related to other data extensions. You can use the data to run queries, pull information, and send to a subset of subscribers.

What is difference between list and data extension?

A List is recommended if you want a simple list of names and email addresses or want to use welcome messages or double opt-ins. A Data Extension is recommended if you want to store additional information about your subscribers and is required if you want to use Publication Lists to manage unsubscribes.

Where is data extension in Marketing Cloud?

View Marketing Cloud Data Extension RecordsClick Subscribers.Click Data Extension.Select the data extension name.Click Records. From here you can review records, export records, import records, and clear data.

What are the types of data extensions?

There are three types of data extensions we have in Salesforce Marketing Cloud: Standard Data Extension. Filtered Data Extension. Random Data Extension.

How do I create a data extension in Salesforce Marketing Cloud?

Follow these steps to create a data extension in Marketing Cloud Email Studio.Click Subscribers.Click Data Extensions.Click Create and choose an option: ... Enter information in the Properties section: ... Complete the information in the Type section: ... Complete the information in the Fields section for each field. ... Click Save.

How do I share a data extension in Marketing Cloud?

By checking the box next to a permission, you can enable or disable that permission.Click Subscribers.Click Shared Data Extension.Select the data extension name.Click Permissions.Select the checkbox next to the names of the business unit to set or change permissions for. ... Click Edit.More items...

Where are shared data extensions stored?

Shared data extensions must exist in the main Shared Data Extensions folder or a subfolder under Subscribers. From Shared Data Extensions, create and set permissions similar to other shared items.

What is Salesforce Marketing Cloud Connect?

Marketing Cloud Connect combines the digital marketing capabilities of Marketing Cloud with the data management, segmentation, and campaign management tools in Salesforce. Create unitary customer relationships with more data-driven, personalized conversations and the ability to automate the customer journey.

How do I search for data extensions in Salesforce Marketing Cloud?

Find the CustomObjectID of a Data ExtensionIn your Marketing Cloud instance, go to Audience Builder | Contact Builder | Data Extensions.Right-Click the Data Extension name.Click Copy Link Address.Open Notepad (or any other word processor) and paste the link.

How do you create a record for data extension?

Add a Record to a Data ExtensionClick Data Extensions.Click the applicable data extension.Click the Records tab.Click Add Records.Enter information for the available fields.Save your work.

What is primary key in Salesforce Marketing Cloud?

The Primary Key lets Salesforce CDP identify uniquely a record. As records are loaded into the data source object (DSO), it can either update or create a record. Because the primary key is the basis for inserting versus updating, you must define the primary key correctly. SKU is the primary key in this product catalog.

Prerequisites

Before you get started with Salesforce data extensions (SFDEs), check the subscriber key, Email field, and field names.

Importing Salesforce Data Extensions

Import Salesforce data extensions into the Marketing Cloud through Interactions. Create import activities with accessible Sales or Service Cloud reports. For example, if you can’t access a report in Marketing Cloud, you can’t access it in the Marketing Cloud Admin folder of Sales or Service Cloud.

What is data extension?

A data extension is simply a table with fields of data about your contacts. Data extensions can be standalone or related to other data extensions. You can use the data to run queries, pull information, and send to a subset of subscribers.

What is nonsendable extension?

Nonsendable data extensions are reference data, such as the weather, airport codes, orders, product tables, etc.—things you want to use to personalize emails, but not a person you are sending an email to.

What is segmentation in marketing?

Segmentation allows you to take your larger audience and then send targeted and relevant messages to a segment of that audience to ensure that you’re sending the right message to the right subscriber at the right time. When segmenting data, random segments, as well as filtered segments, can be created.

Can you import data extensions in Marketing Cloud?

You can manually import data extensions, or you can automate the import through Automation Studio or the Marketing Cloud API. Data extensions can be used in both Contact Builder and in Email Studio, but data extension permissions, sharing, and other functionality live in Email Studio. There are three types of data extensions in Marketing Cloud.

The Data Extension Grid

The data extension grid in the Contact Builder app displays all data extensions contained within an account. To review information specific to a data extension, select an individual data extension. Display columns are configurable in the grid by clicking the icon in the upper right corner.

Data Retention

You can determine the length of time you keep data in a data extension using a data retention policy. Data extensions with a data retention policy automatically delete information older than a given date from the data extension. Each account uses a default period of six months for data retention, and you can modify that value as necessary.

Marketing Cloud Data Extensions – In a Nutshell

Data extensions exist in Marketing Cloud to “satisfy the need for flexible data storage”. They are flexible, indeed, enabling you to essentially build a table within the app database that contains your data, exactly how you need to structure it.

When to Use Marketing Cloud Data Extensions

There are two main use cases that immediately signal you need to use a data extension over a list:

Marketing Cloud Lists vs. Data Extensions

For the Marketing Cloud Email Specialist exam, you need to compare data extensions and lists and know when to use each. Here are the facts in one table. The rows in the first table are absolutely essential for you to learn! (a second table goes into more detail afterwards).

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Learning Objectives

Data Extensions

  • Information about contacts is stored in a data extension. A data extension is simply a table with fields of data about your contacts. Data extensions can be standalone or related to other data extensions. You can use the data to run queries, pull information, and send to a subset of subscribers. You can manually import data extensions, or you can a...
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Shared Data Extensions

  • You can share data extensions with other business units by storing them in shared data extension folders. You can configure the data retention policy settings, select who can see what actions are available, set the sharing window, and decide which business units have access to a shared data extension.
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Segmentation

  • Segmentation allows you to create specific criteria or rules and apply the rules to a data extension. Segmentation allows you to take your larger audience and then send targeted and relevant messages to a segment of that audience to ensure that you’re sending the right message to the right subscriber at the right time. When segmenting data, random segments, as well as filt…
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Attribute Groups and Data Extensions

  • When you create an attribute group, you give it a name, and you have the ability to link data in Data Designer. Each attribute group includes a data model consisting of data extensions linked to either the contact record or to other data extensions. You can create attribute groups including all relevant data extensions at the same time to ensure that all the necessary data resides in the co…
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Best Practices

  1. Create data extensions only if you need them and just bring in the data that you need. Views can get messy when you create a lot of data extensions that you don't need.
  2. Ensure the data types that you choose match the data you are bringing in. If you have a date field and store it as a text field, that can cause issues with segmentation.
  3. Make sure that a sendable data extension only has one email address field.
  1. Create data extensions only if you need them and just bring in the data that you need. Views can get messy when you create a lot of data extensions that you don't need.
  2. Ensure the data types that you choose match the data you are bringing in. If you have a date field and store it as a text field, that can cause issues with segmentation.
  3. Make sure that a sendable data extension only has one email address field.
  4. Filtered data extensions are typically sendable data extensions that have been filtered based off of some sort of criteria.

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