Unifying Customer Data with Salesforce Data...

banner

What is Salesforce Data Cloud?

Salesforce Data Cloud unifies customer data in four steps: stream data in with a Data Stream, merge duplicate records into unified profiles with an Identity Resolution ruleset, enrich those profiles with Calculated Insights, and group them into Segments you can activate. Data Cloud itself is a platform that unifies data from multiple sources to give you a 360-degree view of your customers, whether you're in retail, finance, healthcare, or any data-driven industry. This guide walks through each of those steps hands-on.

How Do You Create a Data Stream in Data Cloud?

In salesforce org, Click on App Launcher and Search for Data
Select Data cloud from the list

Click on Data streams tab then New button
Choose Salesforce CRM from the screen

Click on Next button
Choose Sales under Standard Bundles

Click on Next
Leave values as is, Click on Next
Data Space automatically populate with default
Click on Deploy
Wait until the deployment is complete.
After deployment complete, You will see these records in Data stream tab

Create a Formula Field

From the Data Stream tab, locate and click the Lead_Home data stream that you created.
click the New Formula Field button

For Field Label, name your field Is US Based
For Formula Return Type, select Text
Enter this formula in the Transformation Formula field: IF(sourceField['Country'] == "USA" || sourceField['Country'] == "United States", "TRUE" , "FALSE")

Validate the formula
- Type India into the country field and then click Test
- Output should = FALSE
- Type USA and then click Test
- Output should = TRUE

Click on Save button

You are successfully created Data Stream in Data Cloud.

How Do You Create an Identity Resolution Ruleset?

Unifying customer data through Identity Resolution is a crucial step in transforming scattered data points into meaningful insights. By setting up rulesets in Salesforce Data Cloud, you control how unification happens, ensuring that the most accurate and relevant information makes it into each customer’s unified profile.

Search for and select Data Cloud in the App Launcher
Select the Identity Resolutions tab and click New
Select Create New Ruleset and click Next.

Choose Individual from the Primary Data Model Object dropdown. Individual is also preselected in the next field
Leave the Ruleset Id blank and click Next
In the RuleSet type Individual Match
Run jobs Automatically should be Enabled
Also Link records should be Enabled

Click Save

Configure

Open the Identity Resolution record
Click on Configure button under Ruleset Properties

Click Next
Click on Configure button to select your first match rule.

Select the Fuzzy Name and Normalized Email and click Next
Keep the default settings as is, and click Next
To add more rules, click Add Match Rule
Repeat the steps to add these other two rules
1. Fuzzy Name and Normalized Phone
2. Fuzzy Name and Normalized Address
Click Save

Reconciliation Rule

Click the Warnings tab on the right side of the page to address the warning about the reconciliation rule for Individual.Individual Id.

Click Individual.Individual Id to modify the Reconciliation Rules

Select the checkbox next to Individual ID and then click Update Selected

Disable the Default Reconciliation Rule and then set the Field Reconciliation Rule to Source Priority

Use the up arrows to ensure that the Contact_Home object is first in priority, followed by the Lead_Home object
Click Save

How Do You Create Calculated Insights?

Once you’ve connected, mapped, and unified your data in Salesforce Data Cloud, the next step is to turn that data into actionable intelligence. This is where Insights come in. By querying your unified data, you can generate powerful metrics and analytics that align with your business goals.

Go to the Calculated Insights tab and click New
select Create with Visual Builder and click Next

Select Create a Calculated Insight and click Next
Search for and then select Unified Individual as your first object in the insight

Click Next

Add a Join

In the Visual Insights Builder, click the + next to Unified Individual and select Join

Select Case and then click Next
Notice that this automatically adds and joins multiple objects to create a proper join from Unified Individual to Case.
Click Apply (1) to verify your selection.

Add an Aggregate

Click the + on the last Join and select Aggregate
For Measures, click + (1). From the Count section, select Case Id (2)
Tip: Use the search field to locate Case Id easily
Click Next (3)

For Metric Name enter Count Case ID. Notice Metric API Name automatically populates with Count_Case_ID
Click Apply

Add Dimensions

For Dimensions, click + (under the Measures +) and add Unified Individual Id from the source, Unified Individual.
Click Next
For Dimension Name enter Unified Individual
Click Apply
Follow these steps to add Case Status named Case Status as a dimension
Click Apply for the Aggregate selections

Save Your Work

Select Save and Run
Name your calculated insight Unified Individual Case Counts and click Next
Leave the schedule to the default, Not Scheduled, and click Enable
On the Calculated Insights tab, click Publish Now from the dropdown menu

If you don’t see Publish Now, refresh your browser and try again.

How Do You Create a Segment in Data Cloud?

Before diving in, it’s important to understand why Segmentation and Activation are so valuable. When you have access to a large amount of customer data, the challenge is figuring out how to focus on the right group. This project walks you through creating a segment filter in Data Cloud, helping you identify, target, and connect with the customers that matter most, quickly and effectively.

From your Developer org, search for Data Cloud in the App Launcher
From Data Cloud, go to the Segments tab and click New
Leave Use a Visual Builder and Standard Segment selected and click Next

The default Data Space should be auto-selected. Then from the Segment On dropdown, select Unified Individual.
Next, name your segment No Zip Code. Add an optional description to describe your segment
Click Next

Select Standard Publish
From the Publish Schedule dropdown, select Don’t refresh and click Save

Add Filters

The goal of this segment is to narrow down the list of US Based leads who haven’t provided their zip code. Follow these steps to add filters to obtain this result.

With the Attributes pane selected, expand Related Attributes
Search for Is US Based under Lead

Select the first option and then drag the Is US Based attribute to the canvas
Within the Lead container
- From the Measurement dropdown, select Count
- From the Operator dropdown, select At Least
- For Value, type 1
For the Is US Based attribute:
- From the Operator dropdown, select Is Equal To
- For Value, type true (and select from available options)
Click Done

Next, search for Postal Code under the Related Attribute Lead and then drag the Postal Code attribute to the canvas
For the Postal Code attribute:
- From the Measurement dropdown, select Count
- From the Operator dropdown, select At Least
- For Value, type 1
From the next Operator dropdown, select Has No Value
Click Done
Click Save
When the number is refreshed, click Done

How Do You Activate a Segment?

Once you’ve built a segment in Data Cloud, the next step is to put it to work, that’s where Activation comes in. Activation is the process of sending your segment to the platforms where you’ll actually use it, like marketing tools or advertising channels.

To make this happen, you connect your segment to an activation target. Think of it as the bridge that securely stores the authentication and authorization details for each platform. These targets can include Marketing Cloud, Data Cloud, B2C Commerce, Amazon Ads, Google Audience Insights, and many more.

Create a New Activation Target

Navigate Activation Targets tab.
Click New
Select Data Cloud and click Next

Name your Activation Target Data Cloud Segments. Add an optional description
Select default for your Data Space
Click Save

Activate Your Segment

Navigate to the Activations tab
Click New
For Segment, select the newly created No Zip Code segment
Select Data Cloud Segments as your Activation Target
For Activation Membership, select Unified Individual
Click Continue
Next to Email, click + Select and then Next
Click Add Attributes
From Direct Attributes under Unified Individual, drag Last Name under the Unified Individual section on the right, next to the existing Unified Individual Id.

Click Save
Review the summary and then click Next

Name the activation No Zip Code
Confirm the Incremental Refresh is selected and then click Save

Conclusion:

By creating Data Streams, Identity Resolution rules, Calculated Insights, and Segments in Data Cloud, you have successfully established a complete data foundation, from ingesting and unifying data to deriving insights and targeting specific audiences. This end-to-end setup enables smarter decision-making, personalized engagement, and more effective business strategies.

Frequently Asked Questions

What order should you follow to unify customer data in Data Cloud?

Start by creating a Data Stream to ingest data (for example, the Salesforce CRM Sales bundle), then set up an Identity Resolution ruleset to merge records into unified profiles. From there, build Calculated Insights to derive metrics, create a Segment to target the right group, and finally activate the segment to an activation target.

How does Identity Resolution match records into a unified profile?

You configure match rules on the Individual object, such as Fuzzy Name with Normalized Email, Normalized Phone, or Normalized Address. Reconciliation rules then decide which value wins when sources conflict, for example using Source Priority to rank the Contact_Home object above Lead_Home.

What is a formula field in a Data Stream?

A formula field transforms data as it is ingested. In this guide, an Is US Based field returns TRUE when the source Country field is USA or United States, and that field is later used as a segment filter.

What is segment activation in Data Cloud?

Activation sends your segment to the platforms where you will actually use it, like marketing tools or advertising channels. You connect the segment to an activation target, which stores the authentication details for destinations such as Marketing Cloud, B2C Commerce, Amazon Ads, or Google Audience Insights.

Ready to implement? Learn more about our Salesforce Data Cloud & Integration.