Derived fields

Last update: February 28, 2025

CREATED FOR:

  • Admin

Derived fields are an important aspect of the real-time reporting functionality in Adobe Customer Journey Analytics. A derived field allows you to define (often complex) data manipulations on the fly, through a customizable rule builder. You can then use that derived field as a component (metric or dimension) in Workspace or even further define the derived field as a component in Data view.

Derived fields can save a significant amount of time and effort, compared to transforming or manipulating your data in other locations outside of Customer Journey Analytics. Such as Data Prep, Data Distiller, or within your own Extract Transform Load (ETL) / Extract Load Transform (ELT) processes.

Derived fields are defined within Data views, are based on a set of functions defined as rules, and applied to available standard and/or schema fields.

Example use cases are:

  • Define a derived Page Name field that corrects improper collected page name values to correct page name values.

  • Define a derived Marketing Channel field that determines the proper marketing channel based on one or more conditions (for example URL parameter, page URL, page name).

Derived field interface

When you create or edit a derived field, you use the derived field interface.

Screenshot of the Derived field dialog

NameDescription
1SelectorYou use the selector area to select and drag and drop your function, function template, schema field, or standard field on to the rule builder.
Use the drop-down to select between:
Function Functions - lists available functions,
Function template icon Function templates - lists available function templates,
Schema field icon Schema fields - lists fields available from dataset categories (event, profile, lookup) and previously defined derived fields, and
Standard field icon Standard fields - standard available fields (like Platform Dataset ID). Only string and numeric standard fields are displayed in the selector. If the function supports other data types, standard fields with these other data types can be selected for values or fields within the rule interface.
You can search for function, function templates, schema, and standard fields using the Search icon Search box.
You can filter the selected object list by selecting Filter icon Filter and specify filters in the Filter fields by dialog. You can easily remove filters using Close icon for each filter.
2Rule builderYou build your derived field sequentially using one or more rules. A rule is a specific implementation of a function and is therefore always associated with only one function. You create a rule by dragging and dropping a function into the rule builder. The function type determines the interface of the rule.
See the Rule interface for more information.
You can insert a function at the start, end, or in between rules already available in the rule builder. The last rule in the rule builder determines the final output of the derived field.
3Field SettingsYou can name and describe your derived field and inspect its field type.
4Final OutputThis area shows an on-the-fly updated preview of output values, based on data over the last 30 days and the changes you make to the derived field in the rule builder.

Field template wizard

When you access the derived field interface for the first time, the Start with a field template wizard is shown.

  1. Select the template that best describes the type of field you are trying to create.
  2. Select the Select button to continue.

Your derived field dialog is populated with rules (and functions) required or useful for the type of field that you selected. See Function templates for more information on the available templates.

Rule interface

When you define a rule in the rule builder, you use the rule interface.

Screenshot of the Derived Field Rule Interface

NameDescription
ARule NameBy default the rule name is Rule X (X referring to a sequence number). To edit the name of a rule, select its name and type in the new name, for example Query Parameter.
BFunction NameThe selected function name for the rule, for example URL PARSE. When the function is the last in the sequence of functions and determines the final output values, the function name is followed by - FINAL OUTPUT, for example URL PARSE - FINAL OUTPUT.
To show a popup with more information on the function, select Help icon .
CRule DescriptionYou can optionally add a description to a rule.
Select More icon , then select Add Description to add a description or Edit Description to edit an existing description.
Use the editor to enter a description. You can use the toolbar to format the text (using style selector, bold, italic, underline, right, left, centered, color, number list, bullet list) and adding links to external information.
To finish editing the description, click outside of the editor.
DFunction AreaDefines the logic of the function. The interface depends on the type of function. The dropdown for Field or Value shows all categories of fields (rules, standard fields, fields) available, based on the type of input the function expects. Alternatively, you can drag and drop a field from the Schema and Standard fields selector on to a Field or Value. When that dragged field is originating from a Lookup dataset, a Lookup function is automatically inserted before the function you define.
See Function reference on detailed information for each of the functions supported.

Create a derived field

  1. Select an existing Data view or create a Data view. See Data views for more information.

  2. Select the Components tab of the Data view.

  3. Select Create derived field from the left rail.

  4. To define your derived field, use the Create derived field interface. See Derived field interface.

    To save your new derived field, select Save.

  5. Your new derived field is added to the Derived fields > container, as part of Schema fields in the left rail of your Data view.

Edit a derived field

  1. Select an existing Data view. See Data views for more information.

  2. Select the Components tab of the Data view.

  3. Select Schema fields tab in the Connection pane on the left.

  4. Select Derived fields > container.

  5. Hover over the derived field that you want to edit, and select Edit icon .

  6. To edit your derived field, use the Edit derived field interface. See Derived field interface.

    • Select Save to save your updated derived field.

    • Select Cancel to cancel any changes you made to the derived field.

    • Select Save As to save the derived field as a new derived field. The new derived field has the same name as the original edited derived field with (copy) added to it.

Alternatively, if you have used a derived field as a component for dimensions or metrics in your data view:

  1. Select the component. Note that the component might have a different name than your derived field.

  2. In the Component panel, select the Edit icon next to your derived field, underneath Schema field name.

  3. To edit your derived field, use the Edit derived field interface. See Derived field interface.

    • Select Save to save your updated derived field.

    • Select Cancel to cancel any changes you made to the derived field.

    • Select Save As to save the derived field as a new derived field. The new derived field has the same name as the original edited derived field with (copy) added to it.