---
schema_version: "1"
id: 3902581a0afeb88f467bcdf31b5a1ecbc81b87cf474c5703a20b7a47d3fd7214
title: Attribute to Attribute Comparison
collection: admin
version: current
locale: en-us
portal_url: https://docs.salesforce.com/admin/current/en-us/mktg/264-0-0/mc_jb_attribute_comparison.md
canonical_url: https://help.salesforce.com/s/articleView?id=mktg.mc_jb_attribute_comparison.htm&release=264.0.0&type=5
source_site: help.salesforce.com
content_type: documentation
content_hash: b72e04baca9481fdab7f2dcce0c274a2cc03c748fe7c804eb60c875e1f624f33
description: Compare an attribute value to another attribute in entry events and decision splits in Journey Builder.
products:
  - Marketing
  - Marketing Cloud Engagement
release: "264"
---
# Attribute to Attribute Comparison

Compare an attribute value to another attribute in entry events and decision splits in Journey Builder.

Use filters to ensure that the intended contacts enter their journeys, follow the intended branch after a decision split, or reach the journey's goal. Many journeys use a simple filter to admit any contact with the specified value in a data field on its contact record. Use attribute to attribute comparison to compare the contact’s values in two data fields to determine whether to admit the contact.

![Note](https://sf-zdocs-cdn-prod.zoominsoftware.com/tdta-mktg-mc_journeys_and_automations-264-0-0-production-enus/e08cdd71-c1c1-4ae5-a5e9-8a6dad583ad4/images/icon_note.png)

Note Attribute to Attribute Comparison can only be applied to the WhoID or the Primary Object ID from the Salesforce Data Entry Event.

Attribute to attribute comparison is useful when a single contact can enter a journey more than once. Or, you can compare a journey data attribute to a contact data attribute to determine if a change occurred between time of entry and current time. To perform the comparison, drag the contact data attribute into the filter.

For example, in a Multiple Entry journey, customers enter the journey each time they make a purchase. The journey includes multiple paths that are each setup for purchasers of a different product. Each customer has a fixed contactID and is assigned a unique purchaseID for each purchase. The same contactID exists in the journey multiple times, each time with a unique purchaseID.

To confirm that the customer sees messaging for the right purchase, set the purchaseID from Contact Data to equal the purchaseID from Journey Data. This expression confirms that journey sends messaging for the correct purchase by confirming that the purchaseID values are the same.

## Considerations

- Compare only attributes of the same data type.
- Attributes that allow null values cannot be used in attribute-to-attribute comparison.
- Encrypted fields are not supported.

#### See Also

- [Linked Data Extensions in Journey Builder](https://help.salesforce.com/s/articleView?id=mktg.mc_jb_data_relationships.htm&release=264.0.0&type=5 "Your data setup affects how Marketing Cloud Engagement evaluates the contact attributes used in journey entry source filters, wait activities, or decision splits. Review what happens when a data extension is linked to one or more other data extensions.")