User Profile Object ETL Data Feed

Use the User Profile Object ETL data feed to update the user profile objects you create.

About Ingesting User Profile Object Data

When merging user profiles, Personalization appends all user profile objects to the new, combined user profile. If the resulting number of user profile objects for an object type exceeds the limit of 100, Personalization retains the 100 most recent based on their creation date.

A shared object ID doesn’t cause user profiles to merge. When Personalization merges user profiles that share an object ID, it retains the most recently created user profile object and its metadata.

Requirements

ETL files must be in a CSV file format that adheres to the schema for the data feed. Files that don’t follow the file naming conventions or the appropriate schema result in errors and fail to process.
Before uploading a user profile object ETL data feed, confirm that the user profile object is configured and enabled on the Catalog and Profile Objects page. Also, be sure to add any applicable related catalog objects and attributes to the user profile object.

Note If the ETL file includes data for a user profile object, related catalog object, or attribute that isn’t configured, Personalization doesn’t apply that data. Configure user profile objects, related catalog objects, and attributes before uploading the ETL file.
Review the User Profile Object Limits before uploading any user profile object data.
If an ETL data feed causes a user profile to exceed 100 user profile objects of a certain type, Personalization keeps the 100 most recent objects.
The user profile object ETL file has a unique column header format for identity attributes. Instead of using attribute: as in other ETL files, you use identityAttribute:.
User profile object ETL files must be sorted by identity before uploading them so that all objects associated with a user are grouped. If you’re not using the multiple identities system, sort the file by userId. If you’re using the multiple identities system:
- Sort the file so that all objects for each user are grouped.
- If multiple identity attribute columns are present in the file and a user appears on multiple rows, the same identity values must be present for each of those rows. For example, If you’re uploading a lease profile object file and a single user has multiple lease objects, each row must contain the same identity attribute values for that user. So, if there are four identity attribute columns in the file, and the user has values for three of them, those three values must be present in each row for that user. If the identity values aren’t consistent across rows for a user, data can be overwritten, misapplied, or ignored.
Each user profile object ETL file can only reference a single object type. The object type is defined in the filename and must map to the user profile object name on the Catalog and Profile Objects page. So, if you have four user profile objects configured on the Catalog and Profile Objects page, and you want to upload data for each, you need one file for each object type.
Include information in all columns for a user profile object, even if the data isn’t changing. If you leave a column empty, Personalization clears the existing value for the user profile object. To retain an existing value, you must include it in the file.
The object type ID and file mode are critical to how Personalization processes the information in the file.
The file number at the end of the filename helps you track user profile object updates. It doesn’t impact how the file runs or processes.
Field names that begin with attribute: must match the custom attribute names in the Attributes section of the Catalog and Profile Objects page for that user profile object. Field names that begin with identityAttribute: must match the custom attribute names on the Settings > Identity Types page.

Delta and Replace Modes

The user profile object ETL file has two modes: delta and replace. The file mode is defined in the filename.

Mode	Description
Delta mode	Personalization only updates the user profile objects in the file. If a user profile object isn’t included in the file, it remains unchanged. The delta mode is the only mode that supports the "remove" column header. Remove deletes the specified user profile object for the user.
Replace mode	Personalization replaces all user profile objects for the object type for that user. If an object ID for an existing user profile object isn’t included in the file, Personalization deletes it from the user profile.

Filename format

user-profile-objects-<objectTypeId>-<delta/replace>-<file number>.csv

Schema

Field Name	Description	Example Values	Maximum Length	Data Type
`userId` or an identity attribute	Required. Only unique identities can be included and updated through an ETL feed. This field has a four-character minimum requirement. If you aren’t using Personalization's multiple identities system, a user ID must be included. This ID must be one that is tracked within the system so that the events can be tied to the specific user profile. If you're using Personalization's multiple identities system, `userId` isn’t referenced in ETL files. At least one identity attribute is required. Multiple identity attributes can be included for a single user by including multiple columns in the file. There is a limit of five identity attributes for the User Profile Object ETL. The correct header format for identity attributes is `identityAttribute:` followed by the name of the identity attribute name as it appears in Personalization.	jdoe john.doe@example.com C2e384084c8ac233 identityAttribute:emailAddress identityAttribute:sfmcContactKey identityAttribute:customerId identityAttribute:sfcrmContactId identityAttribute:sfcrmLeadId	120	String
`objectId`	Each object for a user requires an object ID, which Personalization uses for updates and replacements. The `objectId` is different from the ObjectTypeId that appears in the filename. The ObjectTypeId maps to the name of an object type configured on the Catalog and Profile Objects page. This object ID is the unique identifier for a user profile object stored on a user profile. An object ID must be alphanumeric and contain only letters, numbers, dashes, and underscores. An object ID can exist across multiple users.	mortgage1 lease1 case123	30	String
`attribute:<attribute name>`	The custom attributes for the user profile object. The attribute must be preconfigured on the Catalog and Profile Objects page. The ETL data feed can’t create an attribute for a user profile object. Column headers begin with `attribute:` and are followed by the attribute name as it appears in the Attributes section of the Catalog and Profile Objects page for the user profile object. The header value must match the attribute name in the system, and the values must conform to the configured data type. If you leave an attribute column empty, Personalization clears the existing value for the object. To retain an existing value, you must include it in the file, even if it isn’t changing.	String: `attribute:loyaltyTier` `attribute:subscriberEmail` Integer/Decimal: `attribute:APR` `attribute:caseTier` Boolean: `attribute:caseOpen` `attribute:active` Date: `attribute:leaseStart` `attribute:endDate` The format is an ISO 8601 date/time string. Timezone offsets aren’t supported.	Dependent upon data type	String, decimal, Boolean, integer, date
`relatedCatalogObject:<catalog object name>`	The related catalog objects configured for the user profile object. The related catalog object must be assigned to the user profile object on the Catalog and Profile Objects page. If a related catalog object in the file isn’t assigned to the user profile object, Personalization ignores it. Column headers begin with “relatedCatalogObject:” and are followed by the catalog object name. If the cardinality of the related catalog object is “many per item,” separate the values using the pipe (\|) symbol.	Mortgage Example: Product: creditCard\|debitCard MortgageType: fixedRateMortgage Car Lease Example: CarMake: carMake1 CarModel: carModel1	255	String
`remove`	To delete a user profile object from a user profile, include the column header "remove" and set the value as true. If the "remove" header is present and it’s blank, the default value is false. You can’t recover a user profile object after it’s deleted.	TRUE true	1023	String

Sample File Structure: Not using the multiple identities system

user-profile-objects-Lease-delta-1.csv

userId	objectId	attribute:startDate	attribute:endDate	attribute:Mileage	attribute:active	relatedCatalogObject:Make	relatedCatalogObject:Model	relatedCatalogObject:Year	remove
jdoe123	lease1	2022-01-01T00:00:00.000Z	2024-01-01T00:00:00.000Z	30000	TRUE	Jeep	Wrangler	2022
jdoe123	lease2	2022-01-01T00:00:00.000Z	2024-01-01T00:00:00.000Z	50000	TRUE	Jeep	Grand Cherokee	2022
user103925	lease3	2022-01-01T00:00:00.000Z	2026-01-01T00:00:00.000Z	75000	TRUE	Chrysler	Pacifica	2022
a30bkcqfo941afc	lease4	2022-01-01T00:00:00.000Z	2026-01-01T00:00:00.000Z	50000	TRUE	Ford	Ranger	2022
personalizationuser	lease5								TRUE

Sample File Structure: Using the multiple identities system

user-profile-objects-Mortgage-delta-1.csv

userId	objectId	attribute:startDate	attribute:endDate	attribute:APR	attribute:active	relatedCatalogObject:Mortgage	relatedCatalogObject:Product	remove
jdoe123	mortgage1	2022-01-01T00:00:00.000Z	2024-01-01T00:00:00.000Z	0.4	TRUE	fixedRateMortgage	debitCard
jdoe123	mortgage2	2022-01-01T00:00:00.000Z	2024-01-01T00:00:00.000Z	0.25	TRUE	adjustableRateMortgage	creditCard
user103925	mortgage3	2022-01-01T00:00:00.000Z	2026-01-01T00:00:00.000Z	0.3	TRUE	conventionalLoan	creditCard
a30bkcqfo941afc	mortgage4	2022-01-01T00:00:00.000Z	2026-01-01T00:00:00.000Z	0.35	TRUE	fixedRateMortgage	debitCard
personalizationuser	mortgage5							TRUE