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Key definitions in Customer Profiles object type mappings - Amazon Connect Customer
How keys are usedKey names are global to a domainMultiple definitions for one key nameDefault search keysKey naming and structural rules

Key definitions in Customer Profiles object type mappings

A key contains one or more fields that together form an identifier you can use to search for objects (or the profiles they belong to) with the SearchProfiles API. A key can also be defined to uniquely identify a profile or the object itself. For field definitions, see Field definitions in Customer Profiles object type mappings.

"Keys": {
    "{keyName}": [{
        "StandardIdentifiers": [...],
        "FieldNames": [ "{fieldName}", ...]
    }], ...
}, ...

How keys are used

Key definitions are used in two ways:

Key names are global to a domain

If you have two keys with the same name in two different object type mappings:

  • They share the same namespace.

  • They can link profiles together across object types. If they match between objects, Customer Profiles places the two objects in the same profile.

The rule for naming keys: use the same key name across object types only when matching values mean the objects belong to the same profile. Use different key names when matching values are coincidental.

Two examples:

  • Same name. A phone number on a Salesforce contact and the same phone number on a ServiceNow user identify the same person, so name both keys _phone. Customer Profiles places both objects on the same profile.

  • Different names. A Salesforce internal record ID and a Marketo internal record ID happen to be numbers, but a match is coincidental—the records aren't related. Give them different key names (for example, salesforceId and marketoId) so Customer Profiles doesn't merge unrelated profiles.

Multiple definitions for one key name

The value of a key is an array of definitions, so the same key name can have more than one entry, each with its own FieldNames and StandardIdentifiers. Multiple definitions are useful when you want the same logical key to be populated from different field combinations or behave differently in different scenarios.

Note

Each entry in a key's array counts toward your account's per-object-type key limit. For more information, see Quotas and data limits in Customer Profiles.

Default search keys

Default search keys, such as _phone and _email, are predefined by the Standard Profile, Standard Asset, Standard Order, and Standard Case object templates. You can use them as a key name with the SearchProfiles API to find a profile.

Key naming and structural rules

  • Key names must start with a letter (same character set as field names) or start with an underscore for predefined system keys.

  • Underscore-prefixed key names must already be defined as a domain key (for example, _phone, _email).

  • Tags and tags can't be used as key names.

  • Each key must reference at least one field, and every referenced field must be defined in the same object type.

  • If a key name already exists in the domain, the new definition's field content types must match the existing definition.

  • Each object type must have exactly one key with a UNIQUE identifier and at least one key with a PROFILE identifier. For more information, see Standard identifiers in Customer Profiles.