--- schema_version: "1" id: 7b349380875d78025d33d88106765c546921927740ffd32d216089d8461e858e title: Identity Resolution Terminology collection: admin version: current locale: en-us portal_url: https://docs.salesforce.com/admin/current/en-us/data/264-0-0/c360_a_identity_resolution_terms.md canonical_url: https://help.salesforce.com/s/articleView?id=data.c360_a_identity_resolution_terms.htm&release=264.0.0&type=5 source_site: help.salesforce.com content_type: documentation content_hash: ae83a4e37f4c204b5f55275754704a7b02268babecda75541d0d3a3812afc362 description: Understand what terms like rulesets and unified objects mean when used in the context of identity resolution. products: - Data 360 release: "264" --- # Identity Resolution Terminology Understand what terms like rulesets and unified objects mean when used in the context of identity resolution. Rulesets Identity resolution rulesets contain match and reconciliation rules that specify how to link multiple sources of data into a unified profile. Match rules specify how to compare field values to identify matching records. Reconciliation rules specify how to select values from among multiple data sources to use as summary data in the unified profile. To learn about match rules, see [Identity Resolution Match Rule Terminology](https://help.salesforce.com/s/articleView?id=data.c360_a_identity_resolution_match_rule_terms.htm&release=264.0.0&type=5 "Understand the roles that match rules, match criteria, and match methods play in identity resolution rulesets. Adding, adjusting, and removing match rules, match criteria, and match methods can change the consolidation rate of the overall ruleset."). To learn about reconciliation rules, see [Identity Resolution Reconciliation Rules](https://help.salesforce.com/s/articleView?id=data.c360_a_reconciliation_rules.htm&release=264.0.0&type=5 "A reconciliation rule specifies how to select a single value to save to a unified field that can’t have multiple values, such as an individual’s name, during the identity resolution process. Reconciliation rules are set at the object level and can be overridden by field-specific reconciliation rules. The reconciliation process doesn’t delete or change any source profile data, update your connected source systems, or tell you which source data to use when working with your customers."). Ruleset Job The ruleset job processes source profiles according to how your source data is mapped and the match, and reconciliation rules you configure. The job runs at least one time a day for each ruleset, unless it detects no changes in source data or ruleset configuration. If nothing has changed, the ruleset job is skipped. Unified Profile Objects Identity resolution links source profiles info unified profiles that can be used in processes such as segmentation and activation, calculated insights, reporting, and more. Unification is determined based on the data mappings you create and on match and reconciliation rules specified in the ruleset. When a ruleset is based on the Individual DMO, information such as first name and last name from multiple data sources is consolidated into unified individual objects. When a ruleset is based on the Account DMO, information such as business name, location, and type is consolidated into unified account objects. Each unified profile object contains summary information about the profile selected using reconciliation rules and IDs that point to source data, allowing you to decide which is the best data source for a given use case. Unified Contact Point Objects An individual or account can have multiple valid contact points that must be preserved for each unified individual or unified account. For example, an individual can have both a home phone number and a mobile phone number. Data 360 creates unified contact point objects to aggregate contact points from different data sources, based on mappings and rules in each ruleset. Unified contact point objects retain all unique contact points for a unified profile. During reconciliation, only the attributes that describe contact points are reconciled if there’s a conflict between sources. For example, if a phone number is listed as personal number in some sources, and a business number in other sources, reconciliation rules determine if the phone number is listed as personal or business. Unified Link Objects Unified link objects serve as the link between the source data and unified objects. Unified link objects allow you to view source data of each unified profile and are required for creating calculated insights for unified profiles. - **[Unified Link Objects and Relationships to Unified Objects](https://help.salesforce.com/s/articleView?id=data.c360_a_identity_resolution_data_modeling_unified_and_link_objects.htm&release=264.0.0&type=5)** Identity resolution creates the following link tables as a bridge between source objects and unified profile objects. #### See Also - [_Salesforce Help_: Identity Resolution Match Rule Terminology](https://help.salesforce.com/s/articleView?id=data.c360_a_identity_resolution_match_rule_terms.htm&release=264.0.0&type=5 "Understand the roles that match rules, match criteria, and match methods play in identity resolution rulesets. Adding, adjusting, and removing match rules, match criteria, and match methods can change the consolidation rate of the overall ruleset.") - [_Salesforce Help_: Identity Resolution Reconciliation Rules](https://help.salesforce.com/s/articleView?id=data.c360_a_reconciliation_rules.htm&release=264.0.0&type=5 "A reconciliation rule specifies how to select a single value to save to a unified field that can’t have multiple values, such as an individual’s name, during the identity resolution process. Reconciliation rules are set at the object level and can be overridden by field-specific reconciliation rules. The reconciliation process doesn’t delete or change any source profile data, update your connected source systems, or tell you which source data to use when working with your customers.")