---
schema_version: "1"
id: e3cc78929ae94585c740489999b2cfdb4fd339154caf35e28a27fa095895f89d
title: Journey and Contact Data
collection: admin
version: current
locale: en-us
portal_url: https://docs.salesforce.com/admin/current/en-us/mktg/264-0-0/mc_jb_journey_contact_data.md
canonical_url: https://help.salesforce.com/s/articleView?id=mktg.mc_jb_journey_contact_data.htm&release=264.0.0&type=5
source_site: help.salesforce.com
content_type: documentation
content_hash: d2afdf24409076d416e2c6c42178a01084439c79c39a051bc02e75161d4335a7
description: Journey data preserves the state of a contact's data at the moment an entry event fires, facilitating the use of that data throughout a journey. Contact data captures the data values in the event source data extension at the time when Journey Builder evaluates it. Both are uniquely useful in journey creation.
products:
  - Marketing
  - Marketing Cloud Engagement
release: "264"
---
# Journey and Contact Data

Journey data preserves the state of a contact's data at the moment an entry event fires, facilitating the use of that data throughout a journey. Contact data captures the data values in the event source data extension at the time when Journey Builder evaluates it. Both are uniquely useful in journey creation.

<table class="slds-table slds-table_bordered slds-max-medium-table_stacked slds-m-bottom_small "><colgroup><col style="width:50%"> <col style="width:50%"></colgroup><tbody><tr class=""><td class="slds-cell-wrap" style="vertical-align:top;">Journey Data</td><td class="slds-cell-wrap" style="vertical-align:top;">Contact Data</td></tr><tr class=""><td class="slds-cell-wrap" style="vertical-align:top;">Initial data value about a customer.</td><td class="slds-cell-wrap" style="vertical-align:top;">Current data value about a customer.</td></tr><tr class=""><td class="slds-cell-wrap" style="vertical-align:top;">Provides attributes in the state they were in when the contact entered the journey.</td><td class="slds-cell-wrap" style="vertical-align:top;">Provides attributes in the state they are in when evaluation occurs after the entry event has fired.</td></tr><tr class=""><td class="slds-cell-wrap" style="vertical-align:top;">Comprised of event data and activity data.</td><td class="slds-cell-wrap" style="vertical-align:top;"></td></tr><tr class=""><td class="slds-cell-wrap" style="vertical-align:top;">Use when a contact is likely to exist in a journey more than once simultaneously.</td><td class="slds-cell-wrap" style="vertical-align:top;"></td></tr><tr class=""><td class="slds-cell-wrap" style="vertical-align:top;">Use for comparison when a data value is expected to change.</td><td class="slds-cell-wrap" style="vertical-align:top;"></td></tr></tbody></table>

For some customer journeys, it's useful to filter against the initial data about a customer. That data value often qualifies the customer to enter the journey, even if it later changes. For example, the journey data about a customer shows that the first purchase was decaffeinated coffee. Even if the customer doesn’t purchase that coffee again, you can use that data as a filter in a journey to market a new coffee.

For other journeys, it’s necessary to filter against the most recent customer data. For example, the contact data about a customer shows a purchase of a new regular coffee flavor. This information is useful to filter against in a journey to market a sale on that flavor.

Journey data is the information about a contact that is brought in when the contact enters a journey. It’s like a snapshot of the contact’s attribute data at the moment the contact is added to the journey. Contact data is updated as the journey goes on, but journey data is not. Use the different types of data to present before- and after-data points in personalization strings or to detect changes in an attribute. You can use Contact Data in Entry Filters, Decisions Splits, Goals, Exits, and message personalization. Journey Data can be used in all of these activities, except for Entry Filters on a Data Extensions. Events can either be journey-specific or shared. Create a shared event in Entry Source Administration and use it in one or more journeys. The journey-specific event must be used in the journey within which it’s configured.

#### See Also

- [Link Data Extensions in Contact Builder](https://help.salesforce.com/s/articleView?id=mktg.mc_cab_link_data_extensions.htm&language=en_US)
- [Attribute Group Creation in Contact Builder](https://help.salesforce.com/s/articleView?id=mktg.mc_cab_create_attribute_group.htm&language=en_US)
- [Configure a Decision Split](https://help.salesforce.com/s/articleView?id=mktg.mc_jb_use_decision_splits.htm&release=264.0.0&type=5 "The Decision Split activity in Journey Builder evaluates contact journey data, then sends each contact down a path based on the filter criteria you set. The paths in a decision split are evaluated in succession from top to bottom. Contacts who meet more than one set of criteria for a path follow the path they qualify for first. Contacts that don’t meet conditions to follow one of the paths you configure follow the Remainder path.")
- [Connect a Data Extension for Decision Splits](https://help.salesforce.com/s/articleView?id=mktg.mc_jb_connect_data_extensions_for_decision_split_use.htm&release=264.0.0&type=5 "To use data that isn’t in the entry source or that changes in a Decision Split in Journey Builder, follow these steps to link a data extension in Contact Builder.")
- [Configure a Wait Until API Event Activity](https://help.salesforce.com/s/articleView?id=mktg.mc_jb_wait_until_api_event.htm&release=264.0.0&type=5 "Follow these steps to configure a Wait Until API Event activity in Journey Builder. This feature uses the same API events configured for journey entry events.")