Some integrations with Adobe Audience Manager (AAM) require pushing audiences into the AAM platform. Each of these audiences is represented as an AAM Trait - more specifically an "Onboarded" Trait (yes, there are different types of Traits). The Trait must be created within the AAM account before all of the user data for the audience can be transferred.
This article will show you one method of creating an Onboarded Trait using the AAM user interface. Other methods will be covered in separate articles, including using the AAM REST API and the Bulk Management Tool.
Prerequisites
- User Permissions - you must be able to sign in to the AAM user interface with a user that has adequate permissions to create Data Sources and Traits.
- Data Source - all Traits must be linked to a Data Source, so create one to hold your Trait(s) if you haven't already.
Step 1 - Create the Trait folder
All Traits must live inside of a Trait folder. Trait folders exist to keep Traits organized within a taxonomy.
To see the Trait folders you must first navigate to the Traits UI (Audience Data > Traits).
These folders can be seen in the Trait Storage view.
You create a new Trait folder by mousing over the folder that will become the parent to the new folder. You will see a + (plus) icon appear.
You will then type the new folder name and click "Save".
Your new folder has been created.
Note, if you are a Marketplace partner, a Trait folder will automatically be created for you under the "3rd-Party Data" folder each time you create a new Data Source. The Trait folder will be named the same as your Data Source name. Use the steps above to add new sub folders as needed within those auto created folders.
It is also important to keep the following in mind with Trait folders -
- There is a limit on the total number of Trait folders that can exist for your account. That limit is 2,000 at the time this article was created. Look under Admin > Limits within the UI to see how you are tracking for this limit.
- Once you create a folder under the folder structure for one Data Source, do NOT move that folder to exist within the folder structure of a different Data Source. Doing so will result in visibility and access issues for customers that later subscribe to your data offering.
- You can create up to 3 levels of sub-folders beneath your data source folder. Trying to create additional levels will result in an error.
Step 2 - Create the Trait
Now that a folder exists, let's create a Trait within that folder.
First, click the "Add New" button and click Onboarded.
In the form, provide the following in the Basic Information panel.
- Name of the Trait. This should describe the audience and include the data provider's brand in most cases.
- Description of the Trait. Provide some additional information about the audience if needed.
- Data Source the Trait belongs to. You can only select one.
- Event Type will almost always be User Trait.
- Integration Code and Comments are not required.
- Store In panel let's you click on the Trait folder where this Trait should exist.
Move to the Advanced Option panel and set the appropriate "Expire after" setting. Upon recognizing a user into this audience, this is the number of days the user will belong to the audience before AAM will expire the user qualification.
Next, move to the Trait Expression and provide the appropriate expression (a.k.a. Trait rule) for this Trait. This expression is how AAM will recognize which users will qualify for this Trait (belong to this audience) when the data files are processed.
In most cases an "ic" rule should be used as shown above. An "ic" rule has "ic" as the Key, "==" as the Operator and the external segment ID as the Value.
In the example above, "12345" will be used within the Inbound data files to link users to this Trait.
Finally, click Save. You have created an Onboarded Trait. Now make some more!
