Hello,
I'm currently working on integrating Adobe Experience Platform (AEP) with Salesforce and am facing a challenge with reliably linking profiles between the two systems. I hope you can help me find a solution. (There is a simple diagram that might help explaining the problem I am trying to solve).
The Problem:
- Changing Identifiers: In AEP, individual pieces of information (like email or phone number) can change or be removed over time, making it difficult to select a key that always points to the same unique profile.
- Experience Cloud ID (ECID) Limitations: While ECID is commonly used, it’s not ideal for my needs because:
- The same profile can have multiple ECIDs if users change devices or clear their browser caches.
- I'm concerned about the long-term reliability of ECID as the profile evolves and old data might be purged.
- Multiple ECIDs Issue: Using the first available ECID to link a Salesforce record can make it difficult to identify which ECID was originally used, causing reliability issues in the long term.
The Goal:
I need a stable, unique identifier that:
- Will not change over time, regardless of changes to the underlying profile data in AEP.
- Can reliably link and sync profiles between AEP and Salesforce.
- Allows easy updates to the corresponding record in Salesforce when the profile changes in AEP.
Process:
- Lead Creation and Updates: All leads (creation and updates to their contact information) will always happen in AEP first to ensure deduplication and data quality.
- Updating Salesforce: Only after AEP processes the data will Salesforce be updated with either:
- A new Lead record.
- Changes to an existing Lead (referenced by the unique profile ID information I am looking for).
- A merge of two or more profiles.
Consideration:
I understand that over time, two profiles might need to be merged inside AEP (using its rules for profile stitching). If this happens, I can handle it in Salesforce as long as there is an I/O event in AEP that notifies me of the merge, specifying that the winning profile ID is "X", and that the profiles to be merged are X and Y (again, X is the winning).
The Question:
Is there an identifier within AEP that uniquely represents the unified profile and remains constant over time? Something like a Person ID that serves as a consistent reference key?
I would greatly appreciate any guidance or solutions you can provide.
Thank you so much for your assistance!