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Profile Merge Rules and Device Graph FAQ

Last update: August 31, 2022

Topics:
Profile Merge

Answers to common Profile Merge Rule and device graph questions.

Device Graph Basics

What is a device graph?

A device graph is a set of ID mappings that defines groups of anonymous devices. It associates these devices to a person or household based on common elements in the signals collected from each device. These signals help identify devices at the individual or household level.

What is an external device graph?

An external device graph is any device graph in Audience Manager that has not been created exclusively from your own cross-device data sources. For example, when you create a Profile Merge Rule and choose the third-party device graph options, you’re working with an external device graph. See Device Options.

What are some common use cases for using an external device graph in a Profile Merge Rule?

The main objective of using a device graph in a Profile Merge Rule is to evaluate and qualify multiple devices belonging to a single person or household for a specific segment. The segment itself may have multiple uses for example, targeting an audience of prospects with an ad served by a DSP or personalizing a customer’s on-site experience via an on-site personalization platform. See External Device Graph Use Cases.

Does Audience Manager provide global support for external device graphs?

No. External device graphs are available in the United States and Canada only.

How often does Audience Manager update external device graph data?

Once a week.

Device Graphs and Profile Merge Rules

How does Audience Manager use a device graph?

In Audience Manager, device graphs appear as configuration options when you create a Profile Merge Rule. Through your Profile Merge Rules, these device graphs help Audience Manager:

Merge multiple device profiles together. This creates a single superset of traits.
Evaluate the trait superset for segment qualification (rather than evaluating each device profile individually).
Add qualified devices to available segments.

How many Profile Merge Rules can I create?

Currently, you can create a maximum of 4 Profile Merge Rules. The fourth Profile Merge Rule (All Cross-Device Profiles) is only available to customers who purchase the People-Based Destinations add-on.

How many device profiles does Audience Manager merge and read when using a device graph in a Profile Merge Rule?

When qualifying a device for a segment using a Profile Merge Rule, Audience Manager merges and reads the current device profile and a maximum of 99 other additional device profiles linked by your selected device graph option.

Which devices qualify for a segment when using a device graph in a Profile Merge Rule?

The devices Audience Manager merges and reads are the same devices that are qualified for a segment.

Where can Audience Manager send segments that have been qualified by a Profile Merge Rule that uses a device graph?

Audience Manager can send segments to a destination in batch files or in real-time.

Segments, Device Graphs, and Profile Merge Rules

How does Audience Manager un-segment a device when it is no longer qualified for a segment with a Profile Merge Rule that uses a device graph?

Audience Manager merges up to 100 devices when evaluating segments with a Profile Merge Rule that uses a device graph. If the unsegment signal is issued, the current device and up to 99 additional devices will be removed from the segment in the destination. For more information about un-segmentation, see Profile Merge Rules and Device Un-Segmentation Processes.

If a destination can un-segment devices, will devices be removed from segments by Profile Merge Rules that use a device graph?

Yes. See the explanation above.

If I build a segment with a Profile Merge Rule that uses a device graph and the segment is using both real-time and on-boarded data, will my segment be updated as the on-boarded data changes?

Yes.

Do segment size estimates include devices that qualify for a segment based on connections provided by a Profile Merge Rule that uses a device graph option?

No. See the definitions for the Estimated Real-Time Population and Estimated Total Population in Trait and Segment Population Data in Segment Builder.

Does Addressable Audiences include devices that qualify for a segment based on connections provided by a Profile Merge Rule that uses a device graph option?

Yes.

If a segment uses a Profile Merge Rule with No Cross-Device Profile and the traits which qualify devices for the segment are only stored on the cross-device profile, will the total population of the segment be 0?

Yes. Audience Manager will not count the traits stored on the cross-device profile in the segment evaluation when the Profile Merge Rule is set to No Cross-Device Profile.

Trait Frequency, Device Graphs, and Profile Merge Rules

How does Audience Manager calculate trait frequency with a Profile Merge Rule that uses a device graph?

The trait frequency is defined by the sum of the number of qualifications for a specific trait across multiple devices. To help you understand this, take a look at the following use case.

Use Case	Description
Conditions	Device A and Device B are linked by a device graph. You have a Profile Merge Rule that uses a device graph option. A single segment (Segment 1) composed of a single trait (Trait 1), where Trait 1 has a frequency of 8.
Actions	Audience Manager reads and merges the device profiles for Device A and Device B. From this, we see the following: Device A has qualified for Trait 1 three times. It has a frequency of 3 for Trait 1. Device B has qualified for Trait 1 five times. It has a frequence of 5 for Trait 1.
Results	Audience Manager sums the frequency for Trait 1 and uses 8 (3 + 5 = 8) to decide segment qualification. Device A and Device B qualify for Segment 1 because it has a frequency of 8.

Use Case

Description

Conditions

Device A and Device B are linked by a device graph.
You have a Profile Merge Rule that uses a device graph option.
A single segment (Segment 1) composed of a single trait (Trait 1), where Trait 1 has a frequency of 8.

Actions

Audience Manager reads and merges the device profiles for Device A and Device B. From this, we see the following:

Device A has qualified for Trait 1 three times. It has a frequency of 3 for Trait 1.
Device B has qualified for Trait 1 five times. It has a frequence of 5 for Trait 1.

Results

Audience Manager sums the frequency for Trait 1 and uses 8 (3 + 5 = 8) to decide segment qualification. Device A and Device B qualify for Segment 1 because it has a frequency of 8.

Reports, Device Graphs, and Profile Merge Rules

Can I see the number of devices that can be reached by a Profile Merge Rule that uses a device graph?

Yes. Reports return data at the Profile Merge Rule level. Report data is updated daily. Data is based on the devices seen in your account, not those linked by a device graph. See Report Metrics for Profile Merge Rules.

Can I see the number of devices qualified for a specific segment in real-time with Profile Merge Rules that use a device graph?

Yes. The real-time population metric captures segment qualifications for the current device (the device seen in real-time) using the profiles from all of the devices linked by a device graph.

Use Case Element	Description
Conditions	Suppose we have: Segment 1 built on these traits and qualification logic: Segment 1 = Trait A and Trait B and Trait C. 3 device profiles: Device 1 (current device), Device 2 (device graph), Device 3 (device graph).
Actions	Each available trait is associated with a device: Device 1 : Trait A Device 2 : Trait B Device 3 : Trait C
Results	Given the previous elements, the total population for Segment 1 is one. In this case, the Profile Merge Rule uses all the devices and their traits to decide segment qualification. This means Devices 1, 2, and 3 qualify for Segment 1, but, as noted above, only Device 1 is included in the real-time segment population. This is because: Device 1 is the current device interacting with the Audience Manager Data Collection Servers ( DCS) in real-time. Devices 2 and 3 are associated to Device 1 by a device graph but they are not interacting with the DCS at the same time as Device 1. As a result, Devices 2 and 3 are not included in the real-time segment population metric.

Use Case Element

Description

Conditions

Suppose we have:

Segment 1 built on these traits and qualification logic: Segment 1 = Trait A and Trait B and Trait C.
3 device profiles: Device 1 (current device), Device 2 (device graph), Device 3 (device graph).

Actions

Each available trait is associated with a device:

Device 1 : Trait A
Device 2 : Trait B
Device 3 : Trait C

Results

Given the previous elements, the total population for Segment 1 is one.

In this case, the Profile Merge Rule uses all the devices and their traits to decide segment qualification. This means Devices 1, 2, and 3 qualify for Segment 1, but, as noted above, only Device 1 is included in the real-time segment population. This is because:

Device 1 is the current device interacting with the Audience Manager Data Collection Servers ( DCS) in real-time.
Devices 2 and 3 are associated to Device 1 by a device graph but they are not interacting with the DCS at the same time as Device 1.

As a result, Devices 2 and 3 are not included in the real-time segment population metric.

Can I see the total number of devices qualified for a specific segment with a Profile Merge Rule that uses a device graph?

Yes. The total segment population metric includes the additional devices that have qualified for a segment based on the connections from a device graph.

Use Case Element	Description
Conditions	Suppose we have: Segment 1 built on these traits and qualification logic: Segment 1 = Trait A and Trait B and Trait C. 3 device profiles: Device 1 (current device), Device 2 (device graph), Device 3 (device graph).
Associations	Each available trait is associated with a device: Device 1 : Trait A Device 2 : Trait B Device 3 : Trait C
Results	Given the previous elements, the total population for Segment 1 is three (3). In this case, the Profile Merge Rule uses all the devices and their traits to decide segment qualification. This means Devices 1, 2, and 3 qualify for Segment 1 and all three are included in the total population.

Use Case Element

Description

Conditions

Suppose we have:

Segment 1 built on these traits and qualification logic: Segment 1 = Trait A and Trait B and Trait C.
3 device profiles: Device 1 (current device), Device 2 (device graph), Device 3 (device graph).

Associations

Each available trait is associated with a device:

Device 1 : Trait A
Device 2 : Trait B
Device 3 : Trait C

Results

Given the previous elements, the total population for Segment 1 is three (3).

In this case, the Profile Merge Rule uses all the devices and their traits to decide segment qualification. This means Devices 1, 2, and 3 qualify for Segment 1 and all three are included in the total population.

Are devices that qualify for a segment with a Profile Merge Rule that uses a device graph included in the Interactive reports, Overlap reports and Audience Optimization reports?

No.

Why do I see zero segment population for segment exports to Adobe Campaign after March 16, 2020?

In late 2019, we have release a series of Profile Merge Rules enhancements to improve the accuracy of batch files generated using cross-device IDs. These enhancements will be strictly honored in your Audience Manager instance starting from Monday, March 16, 2020. Consquently, segments mapped to a destination using a cross-device IDs will stop producing exports in some Profile Merge Rules configurations.

To ensure the correct integration between your Audience Manager instance and destinations using cross-device IDs, such as Adobe Campaign, make sure you meet the following requirements:

Review the Profile Merge Rule used by the segments mapped to your Adobe Campaign Declared ID destination. The Profile Merge Rule must use the Last Authenticated Profile option, so all authenticated profiles could be included in the exports. If your Profile Merge Rule is using a different option, switch it to Last Authenticated Profile.
Select the Adobe Campaign Declared ID data source in the Profile Merge Rule settings.

NOTE

We have increased the Profile Merge Rule limit by 1 for customers facing this situation, so that you can create a dedicated Profile Merge Rule for the segments mapped to the Adobe Campaign Declared ID destination, without changing the Profile Merge Rules for other use cases.

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