Enhance your ability to analyze and optimize customer data in CJA, Adobe Customer Journey Analytics

Adobe Customer Journey Analytics (CJA) is a robust tool that enables businesses to analyze customer behavior across multiple touchpoints. This platform provides sophisticated features for data analysis, including Calculated Metrics, Data View Manager, Profile Attribute Mapper, and Campaign Tracker. Below is an in-depth technical guide on these features and how they can be utilized effectively.

A. Calculated Metrics

Introduction to Calculated Metrics

Calculated metrics in Adobe CJA are custom metrics that you create based on the existing data within your reports. These metrics are derived using mathematical or logical functions applied to existing dimensions or metrics. With calculated metrics, you can generate new insights tailored to specific business requirements without altering the underlying data model.

Creating Calculated Metrics

  1. Navigate to Calculated Metrics Section:

    • In CJA, go to the “Components” tab and select “Calculated Metrics.”
    • This will take you to the interface where you can create new custom metrics.

  2. Select Existing Metrics or Dimensions:

    • Choose from a list of existing metrics or dimensions, such as "Page Views," "Revenue," or "Visit Duration," which will be used to define the new calculated metric.

  3. Apply Mathematical Functions:

    • CJA supports a wide range of mathematical, logical, and date/time functions. These include basic arithmetic (addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division), aggregation functions (SUM, AVG, MIN, MAX), and logical functions (IF, AND, OR).
    • Example: To calculate the average revenue per visit, you can use the formula:
      Calculated Metric = Revenue / Visit Count

  4. Data Validation and Testing:

    • Once the metric is defined, ensure that it works as expected by using historical data for testing. Validate the calculated metric against pre-existing reports to ensure its correctness.

  5. Use Cases:

    • Revenue Per User: Divide the total revenue by the number of users to measure the average revenue each user generates.
    • Conversion Rate: Calculate the conversion rate by dividing the number of completed actions (e.g., form submissions, purchases) by the total number of visitors.
Key Considerations
  • Performance Impact: Complex calculated metrics can have performance implications on large data sets. It is crucial to optimize them for large-scale reporting.
  • Granularity of Data: The level of granularity in the calculated metric will affect the accuracy. For example, creating metrics on a per-visit basis can produce more granular insights, but may result in noise in larger datasets.

B. Data View Manager

Introduction to Data View Manager

The Data View Manager in CJA is responsible for organizing and managing data views. A data view is a predefined set of metrics, dimensions, and attributes that represent a specific segment of your overall data. Data View Manager allows you to configure, manage, and combine data views to simplify your reporting processes.

Setting Up Data Views

  1. Creating Data Views:

    • In CJA, navigate to the “Admin” tab and select "Data Views."
    • Define the scope of your data view by specifying which data sources, metrics, and dimensions to include.
    • Data views allow you to filter data based on attributes like geography, device type, or campaign.

  2. Combining Multiple Data Sources:

    • Data View Manager enables you to combine data from multiple sources into a single data view. This is particularly useful for organizations that collect data from multiple platforms or channels.
    • You can integrate data from Adobe Analytics, third-party marketing platforms, or CRM systems into a single, unified data view.

  3. Managing Data View Permissions:

    • Set permissions for data views to control who can access them. You can restrict access to specific teams, ensuring data privacy and security.
    • Permissions are configurable at the user level, allowing for different access levels based on roles.

  4. Data View Configuration:

    • Define which dimensions and metrics should be included in the data view. You can choose to include only key business metrics like “Revenue,” “Page Views,” and “Time on Site.”
    • Apply filters and conditions to limit the scope of the data view. For instance, you could only include data from users who performed a specific action or users from a particular region.
Best Practices
  • Optimize for Reporting: Ensure that the data view includes only the necessary data to avoid unnecessary complexity in reports.
  • Use Naming Conventions: Establish a consistent naming convention to organize data views for easy retrieval and management.

C. Profile Attribute Mapper

Introduction to Profile Attribute Mapper

The Profile Attribute Mapper is an essential tool for linking and mapping customer profile attributes across different data sets within CJA. By using the Profile Attribute Mapper, businesses can unify customer profiles from disparate sources, ensuring that customer data is consistent and actionable across all touchpoints.

Setting Up the Profile Attribute Mapper

  1. Navigate to Profile Attribute Mapping:

    • In CJA, go to the “Profiles” section and select “Profile Attribute Mapper.”
    • You can choose from pre-configured customer attributes or define new ones based on your business needs.

  2. Define Source and Target Attributes:

    • Select the source data (e.g., Adobe Analytics, CRM systems) and the corresponding target attribute within CJA profiles.
    • Example: Mapping "Email Address" from your CRM system to the "Email" field in CJA profiles.

  3. Data Mapping Rules:

    • Define rules for transforming and cleaning the data during the mapping process. For example, you might want to normalize email addresses to lowercase to ensure uniformity.
    • The Profile Attribute Mapper allows for conditional logic, such as mapping a customer ID to a profile only if certain criteria are met.

  4. Sync Data Across Channels:

    • Once the attributes are mapped, the data is synchronized across all your digital channels. This ensures that each customer’s profile is enriched and up to date, allowing for personalized marketing strategies.
Key Considerations
  • Data Quality: Ensure that the attributes you are mapping are accurate and standardized across all systems to avoid data discrepancies.
  • Custom Attributes: If you are using custom data attributes (such as loyalty points or membership status), ensure these are properly mapped to the corresponding CJA profile fields.

D. Campaign Tracker

Introduction to Campaign Tracker

Campaign Tracker is an integral feature in Adobe CJA, allowing marketers to track the effectiveness of their campaigns across multiple touchpoints. It provides detailed insights into how users interact with campaigns, from initial exposure to final conversion.

Setting Up Campaign Tracker

  1. Defining Campaign Parameters:

    • In the Campaign Tracker settings, define the campaign parameters such as campaign name, source, medium, and term. These parameters are used to track the user’s journey across different touchpoints.
    • Example: A campaign for a holiday sale could include parameters like utm_campaign=holiday_sale&utm_medium=email&utm_source=newsletter.

  2. Integrating Campaign Tracking with Other Tools:

    • Campaign Tracker can be integrated with Adobe Analytics, Google Analytics, and other third-party tracking tools to provide a complete view of campaign performance.
    • Set up UTM parameters in the URLs to automatically capture campaign data in CJA.

  3. Tracking Campaign Performance:

    • Use CJA to monitor campaign performance across various metrics such as clicks, conversions, engagement rates, and revenue generated. These metrics are updated in real-time for accurate decision-making.

  4. Attribution Models:

    • Leverage CJA’s attribution models to understand the impact of each campaign touchpoint on conversions. You can use models like first-touch, last-touch, or linear attribution to analyze the effectiveness of your campaigns.
Best Practices
  • Consistency in Campaign Naming: Maintain a consistent naming structure for your campaigns to ensure accurate reporting and tracking.
  • Use Multiple Campaign Parameters: Combine multiple UTM parameters for more granular tracking, which will help in analyzing user behavior more effectively.
  • Real-Time Reporting: Take advantage of CJA’s real-time reporting capabilities to monitor the performance of active campaigns and make adjustments on the fly.


Understanding and effectively using features such as Calculated Metrics, Data View Manager, Profile Attribute Mapper, and Campaign Tracker in Adobe CJA can significantly enhance your ability to analyze and optimize customer data. By leveraging these tools, businesses can gain deeper insights into customer behavior, improve their marketing strategies, and ensure data consistency across various touchpoints. It’s crucial to implement these features thoughtfully to maximize their value in delivering personalized customer experiences.

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