Identity Resolution and Profile Management
Namespaces and identity graphs
Identity resolution links records that share identifiers into a single identity graph, producing a merged Real-Time Customer Profile. Each identifier belongs to an identity namespace (Email, ECID, CRM ID, phone, custom). The identity graph is the set of all identifiers connected to a person. Questions test whether you understand that the graph is built from identity descriptors on schemas - no descriptor, no edge.
Graph rules and stitching
Identity settings on the schema define which namespaces participate and which is the primary identity. The private graph vs. shared graph distinction matters: private graphs are per-sandbox; shared graphs can link across sandboxes when enabled. A common trap is assuming merging is immediate - graph updates are near-real-time but not instantaneous, so freshly ingested data may lag in the profile.
Profile management concepts
Understand merge policies (default vs. custom, timestamp-ordered vs. dataset precedence) and how they resolve conflicting attribute values across sources. Profile Viewer and Profile API expose a merged profile and its linked identities. Computed attributes and edge profiles extend the profile but have their own constraints.
Traps to watch
- Confusing namespace with identity field - a field must be marked as identity.
- Assuming two records with different emails but the same CRM ID won't merge - they will, via the shared CRM ID.
- Believing merge policies affect segmentation membership - they affect attribute values, not identity stitching.
Rule of thumb
Trace every profile question back to: which namespaces are enabled, which is primary, and which merge policy applies. If identities aren't linking, the descriptor or namespace is missing.
Worked example: A customer has ECID on web and CRM ID in the call center. Both are identity fields with namespaces on profile-enabled schemas, so the graph links them. If the call-center schema lacks an identity descriptor on CRM ID, the two remain separate profiles.