Data Collaboration Platform (DCP)—Build and activate audiences

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At a glance: Create and activate audiences using the audience builder tools. Depending on the necessary permissions, the audience can be based on combined datasets from both parties or solely from one party.

 About DCP

The Data Collaboration Platform (DCP) functions as the central point for data collaboration, including audience creation and activation. DCP relies on the advanced technology of the Data Clean Room (DCR) to ensure data privacy and security for the collaboration and audience management processes.

Overview

The process of building audiences from a vast dataset involves combining datasets to generate enriched data, which can be leveraged to target the desired audience. The audience can be created using combined datasets from both parties or provided just by one party. In both cases, the collaborator providing the data grants permissions and access rights according to their agreed-upon terms. After building the audience, you can send it to your media partners for activation or to your cloud service.

Audience builder tools

The following tools are available for building your audiences:

  • Visual audience builder: A visualization of intersecting circles displaying overlapping and distinct data.
  • SQL audience builder: An SQL query that allows querying the data without restrictions. Requires SQL expertise.

Key features

Visual audience builder SQL audience builder

Supports using either one source from each collaborating party or multiple sources from one collaborator

 Supports multiple sources from both parties

For one source for each collaborator, supports using overlapping data only

Supports querying all the data 

Supports retrieving values within the selected attribute range.

Supports querying values beyond the attribute range

Build your audience

The steps to build your audience vary according to the audience builder tool. So first, decide which audience builder tool to use:

Visual audience builder

Follow the steps below to build your audiences using the Visual Audience Builder.

 Note

Make sure you have the Build audiences permission to create an audience.

To build your audiences using the Visual audience builder:

  1. In AppsFlyer, from the side menu, select Collaborate > Data Clean Room.
  2. Go to the Audience activation tab.
  3. Click New collaboration project > Visual audience builder.
  4. Proceed with the Audience builder walkthrough steps:

Step 1: Details and sources

The audience can be created using data from a single collaborator or merging one source from each collaborator to enable a combined data source.

  1. Name the audience collaboration.
  2. Select a source from the dropdown list:
    • For a one-sided collaboration: select a source that was shared with you by the collaborator.
    • For a two-sided collaboration: select one of your custom sources and one source that was shared with you.
      Note: When both sources share overlapping users, the right pane shows a summary of the source intersection, providing an estimated count of users common to both sources.
  3. Click Next.

Step 2: Define the audience

After the data sources are selected, this step involves choosing which attributes and values to include in your audience.

  1. Click Consumer attribute to see the list of attributes from the sources.
  2. Select an attribute, then click Select value and select the attribute values.
    Note:
    • If an attribute isn't selected, all the attributes are included by default.
    • Once attribute values are selected, the audience size is adjusted.
  3. [Optional] Click + Consumer attribute to add another attribute, and select its values.
    Repeat as needed.
  4. Click Next.
  5. Continue with the next step Send the audience to activate the audience.

define-the-audience.jpg

SQL audience builder

Follow the steps below to build your audience using the SQL audience builder. 

 Note

Make sure you have the Build audiences permission to create an audience.

  1. In AppsFlyer, from the side menu, select Collaborate > Data Clean Room.
  2. Go to the Audience activation tab.
  3. Click New collaboration project > SQL audience builder.
  4. Proceed with the Audience builder walkthrough steps:

Set details

Name the audience, and click Next.

Build query

  1. Name the audience.
  2. Click the editor to open the SQL builder.
  3. Write your SQL query to build your audience. You can use joined or one-sided sources.
  4. Click Test and review the query results (audience sample) shown beneath the query statement.
  5. Click Continue and then Next to proceed with the next step of the Audience builder walkthrough, or Save as draft and resume later.
  6. Continue to Send the audience.

The SQL audience builder

Use the SQL builder to query the data and create an audience. The following table outlines the sections in the builder:

Section Description
Left pane

Presents all available sources for creating your audience. This may include your sources and those shared with you. You'll only be able to view sources to which you have the Build audience permission.

Selecting a source expands it to reveal corresponding columns.
Top-middle section (query editor) The query editor for writing your SQL statements.
Bottom-middle section (context panel)

This section dynamically shows details based on the selected object from the left pane:

  • When selecting a source: Shows the column names ("Field name") and their corresponding types ("Type").
  • When a column is selected: Shows the column values ("Distinct values") and the row count for each value ("Count").
  • Following query execution: Shows a sample of the query results.
    Note: As a privacy measure, the results table doesn’t display hashed values, such as emails and IDs. These values are shown as “Restricted”.
Right pane

This section dynamically shows details based on the selected object:

  • When selecting a source: Shows the permissions granted for the source.
  • While writing the SQL query: 
    • Shows the query validity status on the top right of the page. This may include any of the following statuses:
      • Ready to run: No issues found. You can test the query and proceed to the next step.
      • Syntax error: An error in syntax was detected along with guidance on resolving it.
      • Permission error: Indicates a lack of required permissions, with a tooltip detailing which access rights are provided for the source.
    • Shows a Test button on the top right of the page. Once you’ve completed writing your query, you must test it to confirm the accuracy of the intended audience.
      Click Test to test your query and examine the results.

Send audience for activation

After creating your audience in steps 1 and 2, the next step is to send it for activation. Choose the destination for activation, considering the required permissions. You can connect the audience directly to your media partners (such as Meta ads and Google Ads) or export it to your cloud service.

 Note

  • With every update to the source data, the audience is automatically forwarded to the selected destinations.
  • The data being sent for activation is a list of user IDs.

Send the audience

Enable any of the following options for audience activation destinations:

  • Connect the audience with your media partner
  • Direct the audience to your cloud services

Connect audience to media partners

Send the audience for activation directly in your preferred media partner platforms, such as Meta ads and Google Ads.

 Note

When you don’t have permission to activate the audience, the audience is sent to your collaborator for activation on their side.

To connect the audience to media partners:

  1. Turn on Connect audiences to media partners.
  2. Click + Partner connection.
  3. If no partner connections were established, create a new partner connection:
    1. Click + Add connections.
    2. Select the media partner to send the audience.
    3. Enter a name for the connection. 
    4. Click Login with [partner name]. You'll be directed to the partner login page. Choose the account to receive the audience. Then, you'll be directed back to the dialog window.
    5. Click Select account ID and select the relevant account ID.
    6. Click Save.
  4. Click Save & send.

activating-meta-ads.jpg

Export audience to cloud services

Send the audience to your cloud services, where you can also download it as a CSV file. The audience is exported to the selected cloud service using your AppsFlyer Data Locker connections.

  • Note: Receiving DCR audiences using the AppsFlyer Data Locker doesn't require a premium subscription to Data Locker. However, if you're interested in receiving other AppsFlyer reports via Data Locker, contact your CSM or send an email to hello@appsflyer.com.

To send the audience to your cloud service:

  1. Turn on Export audiences to cloud.
  2. Click Select connection to choose an existing cloud connection from the list for sending the audience, or click + New Connection to create a new connection in Data Locker. See here how it’s done.
  3. Click Save and send. Your audience is being sent to the selected cloud service. This process may take up to 15 minutes to complete.

Manage audiences

The Audience activation tab presents your audiences and relevant details, allowing you to perform some actions.

What you can do from this page:

  • Search for an audience: Search by either the source name or the audience name.
  • Filter audiences: Select to filter by your audiences or those shared with you. 
  • View audience details: See details, such as the collaborator's name, statistics on overlapping users, audience status, and activation location.
  • More actions: Clicking the 3-dot menu icon of an audience card opens additional available actions: 
    • Edit: Modify the audience activation destination.
    • View audience history: See all instances of the audience activation, with details such as the connection and activation status.
    • Download CSV: Download the audience as a CSV file.
    • Delete: Delete the audience.

Edit the audience activation destination

While building an audience, you can save it as a draft and then return to it and edit the activation destination (depending on your permissions).

To edit the audience activation destination:

  1. From the Audience activation tab, find the audience you want to update.
  2. Click the 3-dot menu icon > Edit.
  3. Under Connect and export (at the bottom of the audience page), turn on the relevant toggle:

Delete an audience

You can delete an audience created in your account. Doing so removes it permanently from your account.

To delete an audience:

  1. From the Audience activation tab, find the audience you want to delete.
  2. Click the 3-dot menu icon > Delete. 
  3. Confirm deletion. 

Audience statuses

There are various statuses an audience can have:

  • Connected: Successfully sent for activation with a media partner
  • Exported: Successfully exported to your cloud service
  • Delivered: Successfully activated and exported to your cloud service
  • Draft: Saved as a draft without being connected, exported, or delivered.
  • Not connected: Audience received from a collaborator for my activation, but not yet connected
  • Pending delivery: Audience was sent to the collaborator for activation and pending its activation
  • Expired: The audience includes a source that has expired