Documentation Experience Platform Real-Time Customer Profile Guide

Computed attributes UI guide

Last update: July 24, 2024

Topics:
Profiles

CREATED FOR:

User

NOTE

To get access to computed attributes, you’ll need to have the appropriate permissions (View Computed attributes and Manage Computed attributes). For more information on the permissions required, please read the access control documentation. To learn how to apply these permissions, please read the managing permissions guide.

In Adobe Experience Platform, computed attributes are functions used to aggregate event-level data into profile-level attributes. These functions are automatically computed so that they can be used across segmentation, activation, and personalization.

This document provides a guide on how to create and update computed attributes using the Adobe Experience Platform UI.

Getting started

This UI guide requires an understanding of the various Experience Platform services involved with managing Real-Time Customer Profiles. Before reading this guide, or working in the UI, please review the documentation for the following services:

Real-Time Customer Profile: Provides a unified, real-time consumer profile based on aggregated data from multiple sources.
Experience Data Model (XDM) System: The standardized framework by which Experience Platform organizes customer experience data.

View computed attributes

In the Experience Platform UI, select Profiles in the left navigation, followed by Computed attributes to see a list of the computed attributes available for your organization. This includes information about the computed attribute’s name, description, last evaluation date, and last evaluation status.

The Profile section and the Computed attributes tabs are highlighted, showing users how to access the computed attributes browse page.

To select which fields are visible, you can select to add or remove which fields you want to be displayed.

Field	Description
Name	The display name of the computed attribute.
Description	The description for the computed attribute.
Evaluation method	The evaluation method for the computed attribute. At this time, only batch is supported.
Last evaluated	This timestamp represents the last successful evaluation run. Only events that ocurred before this timestamp are considered in the last successful evaluation.
Last evaluation status	The status that states whether or not the computed attribute was successfully calculated in the last evaluation run. Possible values include Success or Failed.
Refresh frequency	An indication on how frequently the computed attribute is expected to be refreshed. Possible values include hourly, daily, weekly, or monthly.
Fast refresh	A value that shows whether or not fast refresh is enabled for this compute attribute. If fast refresh is enabled, this lets the computed attribute be refreshed on a daily basis, rather than on a weekly, bi-weekly, or monthly basis. This value is only applicable for computed attributes with a lookback period greater than a weekly basis.
Lifecycle status	The current status of the computed attribute. There are three possible statuses: Draft: The computed attribute does not have a field created on the schema yet. In this state, the computed attribute can be edited. Published: The computed attribute has a field created on the schema and is ready to be used. In this state, the computed attribute cannot be edited. Inactive: The computed attribute is disabled. For more information about the inactive status, please read the FAQ page.
Created	A timestamp showing the date and time the computed attribute was created.
Last modified	A timestamp showing the date and time the computed attribute was last modified.

You can also filter the displayed computed attributes based on the lifecycle status. Select the icon.

The filter icon is highlighted.

You can now choose to filter the computed attributes by status (Draft, Published, and Inactive).

The options tht you can filter the computed attributes by are highlighted. These options include Draft, Published, and Inactive.

Additionally, you can select a computed attribute to see more detailed information about it. For more information on the computed attributes details page, please read the view a computed attribute’s details section.

Create a computed attribute

To create a new computed attribute, select Create computed attribute to enter the new computed attribute workflow.

The Create computed attributes button is highlighted, showing users how to reach the create a computed attribute page.

The Create computed attribute page appears. On this page, you can add the basic information for the computed attribute you want to create.

Field	Description
Display name	The name which the computed attribute will be known by. You should keep this display name unique for each computed attribute. As a best practice, this display name should contain identifiers related to the computed attribute. So, for example, “Sum of purchases for shoes in the last 7 days”.
Field name	A name which is used to refer to the computed attribute in other downstream services. This name is automatically derived from the display name and is written in camelCase.
Description	A description of the computed attribute you’re trying to create.

The Basic information section of the Create computed attribute page is highlighted.

After adding the computed attribute details, you can start defining your rules.

Specify event filtering conditions

To create a rule, first select attributes from the Events section to filter down events that you want to aggregate on. Currently, only non-array type event attributes are supported.

The Events section is highlighted.

After selecting the attribute to use in the computed attribute definition, you can choose what this value will be compared to.

The available comparison types are displayed.

Apply aggregation function

Now, you can apply a function to the field from the conditional output. First, select the aggregation function type. Available options include Sum, Min, Max, Count, and Most Recent. More information about these functions can be found in the functions section of the computed attributes overview.

The computed attribute functions are displayed.

After choosing a function, you can choose the field to aggregate on. The eligible fields to choose are dependent on the function selected.

The highlighted field shows the attribute that you are choosing to aggregate the function on.

Lookback duration

After applying the aggregation function, you’ll need to define the lookback period of the computed attribute. This lookback period specifies the length of time that you want to aggregate events on. This lookback duration can be specified in terms of hours, days, weeks, or months.

The lookback duration is highlighted.

Fast refresh

While applying the aggregation function, you can enable fast refresh if the lookback period is greater than one week.

The Fast Refresh checkbox is highlighted.

Fast refresh allows you to keep your attributes up-to-date. Enabling this option lets you refresh your computed attributes on a daily basis, even for longer lookback periods, allowing you to rapidly react to user activities.

For more information on fast refresh, please read the fast refresh section of the computed attributes overview.

With these steps completed, you can now either choose to save this computed attribute as a draft or to immediately publish it.

The Save as draft and Publish buttons are highlighted.

View a computed attribute’s details

To view the details of a computed attribute, select the computed attribute you want to see details about on the Browse page.

A computed attribute is highlighted.

The content of the page differs, depending if the computed attribute is Published or in Draft.

Published computed attribute

When selecting a published computed attribute, the computed attributes detail page appears.

The details page of the computed attribute is displayed.

This page displays a summary of the computed attribute’s details, as well as a graph showing the value distribution as well as sample profiles that qualify for the computed attribute.

NOTE

The value distribution reflects the distribution of attribute values for profiles at the time of the sampling job. The computed attribute value in the sample profile reflects the latest merged profile value for a few sample profiles.

Draft computed attribute

When selecting a draft computed attribute, the Edit computed attributes page appears. This page, similarly to the Create computed attributes page, lets you edit your computed attribute’s basic information, as well as its definition, before letting you update the draft or publish it.

The Edit computed attributes page is displayed.

Using computed attributes

IMPORTANT

If you are using a computed attribute with the Most recent function in a segment definition, you must include both the value and the timestamp value in the computed attribute object.

For example, if you’re creating a segment definition that is looking for “All profiles that have a valid email address” where the email address field is populated by a computed attribute with the most recent function, you must include both the email address’ value exists and the email address’ timestamp exists.

After creating a computed attribute, you can use published computed attributes in other downstream services. Since computed attributes are profile attribute fields created on your profile union schema, you can look up computed attribute values for a Real-Time Customer Profile, use them in an audience, activate them to a destination, or use them for personalization in journeys in Adobe Journey Optimizer.

NOTE

Computed attributes cannot be used in audience compositions.

The Segment Builder is displayed, showing a computed attribute as part of the segment definition composition.

Next steps

To learn more about computed attributes, please read the computed attributes overview. For information on creating and configuring computed attributes using the API, please read the computed attributes developer guide.

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