Third-Party Attribute Data Append
Third-Party Attribute Data Append in the Data Marketplace allows certain Data Marketplace data attributes (such as demographics and psychographic data) from LiveRamp data sellers to be appended to a client’s U.S.-based first-party data. These data are then returned to the client in a file with the original, unchanged identifiers (either PII or AbiliTec IDs) still present.
Note
Third-Party Attribute Data Append was formerly known as "Offline Data Marketplace".
Appended file example for PII-based files
Note
The PII shown in the example files is fictitious. No actual consumer data is shown.
This helps clients better understand their first-party data in order to better connect with their existing customers. The enriched data can then be used to reveal patterns, trends in historical data, and insights into which factors have the most influence on customer engagement.
Note
Third-Party Attribute Data Append is currently in closed beta and accepting customers with U.S.-based first-party data who meet certain criteria. Contact your LiveRamp representative for more information.
Third-Party Attribute Data Append does not support filling in, adding to, or correcting the client’s PII.
Overview of the Process
LiveRamp provides the SFTP location and credentials for you to upload your data files (you also have the option of using your own SFTP for uploads and deliveries, if desired).
You format your PII-based or AbiliTec ID-based data files according to the file formatting requirements for Third-Party Attribute Data Append listed below.
You upload your formatted files to LiveRamp’s SFTP at the location given to you by LiveRamp.
LiveRamp runs a Match Test Report on your files that shows a fill rate report for all of the currently-available data seller attributes and shares that with you.
You decide which data seller attributes you’re interested in and at what cadence you want to receive files.
You upload your most-current data files to LiveRamp’s SFTP.
LiveRamp delivers your files back to LiveRamp’s SFTP with the selected attribute data columns appended after the PII or AbiliTec ID columns.
Note
You can choose to have us remove the PII columns from the files before we return them (we require a minimum of one month’s notice to enable this).
You retrieve the appended files from LiveRamp’s SFTP (or your own SFTP, if desired).
Every 15 business days, LiveRamp also delivers an opt-out file to the same delivery location, as required by applicable laws and regulations. These files contain the entity IDs for any consumers who have opted out with the data seller that you're subscribed to.
You retrieve the opt-out file, identify whether any of your consumers have requested to opt-out, and then permanently delete the data seller data associated with those consumers from your datasets.
See the sections below for additional information on performing these steps.
Appended Data Files
When the appended files are returned to you, each row will contain the original PII or AbiliTec ID for that row (unless you’ve asked us to remove the PII columns) with the columns for the appended data appearing after the identifier columns. The appended attributes will be grouped by category. See the images below for an example of appended data files for PII-based files and AbiliTec ID-based files. The original attribute column headings will appear as the column headings for the appended data columns.
Appended file example for PII-based files
Appended file example for AbiliTec ID-based files
Formatting Your Data Files
Data files to be sent to LiveRamp must be formatted as column-based files. Before sending your data to LiveRamp (both for the Match Test Report and for all subsequent uploads), make sure to strictly follow the guidelines listed below:
Note
If any guidelines listed here conflict with the guidelines in our general file formatting instructions, follow these guidelines.
Include all of the required columns shown in the table below in the exact order as listed and make sure the column headers match exactly. For AbiliTec ID-based files, only include the “abilitecID” column and do not include any of the PII identifier columns.
Tip
To download an Excel template with these columns and column headers, click here.
After transferring your data into the file template, be sure to delete the row with the formatting instructions and save the file in one of our allowed file types (.csv, .tsv, .psv, or .txt) before uploading.
Do not include PII-based data and AbiliTec ID-based data in the same file.
Each record in a PII-based file must contain at least one of the PII identifiers listed below:
firstName + lastName + addressLine1 + zipCode
firstName + lastName + email
firstName + lastName + phone
email
Note
The more PII identifiers you can include for each record, the higher the likelihood that we’ll match that record.
If you have additional PII for a given record (such as additional email addresses or phone numbers), include that on a separate row with the same Customer ID.
Fields must not have leading or trailing white space.
Your data file must use one of our allowed delimiters (commas, tabs, or pipes), and be one of our allowed file types (.csv, .tsv, .psv, or .txt).
When saving the file, use UTF-8 encoding.
Unless values are required for a field, fields can be left blank if there is no data for the given row (do not include “N/A” or “null”).
The file must be rectangular. That is every row must have the same number of delimiters and columns of data.
Files may be compressed using gzip or ZIP only.
If desired, files may be encrypted using LiveRamp’s public key (see “Encrypting Files for Uploading” for more information).
Tip
To download a checklist to help ensure that each file formatting guideline has been taken into account before uploading, click here.
Field Name | Notes |
|---|---|
abilitecID |
|
customerID |
|
firstName | |
middleName | |
lastName | |
addressLine1 | |
addressLine2 |
|
city | |
state | |
zipCode | |
| |
phone |
|
Naming Your Data Files
When naming your data files, follow the guidelines listed below.
File Naming Requirements for All Files
File names must not contain spaces or special characters such as !, @, #, $, %, [, ], :, {, }, ?, *, or \.
File names must not start with a dot character (.) or an underscore (_).
File names must use only ASCII characters.
Underscores (_) are permitted in file names, but must not be the first character of the file name.
File names must not be longer than 250 characters.
File names must include the appropriate file extension (for example, if sending a .csv file, make sure to name the file "[file name].csv").
If you compress your file, name the uncompressed version with the correct name and file extension (when we uncompress your file, we use the uncompressed file name).
Recommended File Naming Format
LiveRamp does not mandate a particular file naming convention, but we recommend that you include the elements listed below in the file name (to make differentiating your data easier and prevent any chance of files being overwritten):
ODM_[customerName]-[fileName]_[identifier]_[filepart#]_[timestamp].[fileExtension]
Identifier: Specify the identifier type used in the file ("PII" or "AbiliTecID")
File part #: Use this element to distinguish between multiple files sent on the same day (if you're only sending one file that day, use "1"), such as "file-part-1". You can also use this element to distinguish between multiple files after you've split a large file into smaller files (for more information, see "Splitting Large Files Before Uploading").
Timestamp: The file date in YYYYMMDD format.
File extension: The appropriate file extension for the file type (".csv", ".tsv", ".psv", or ".txt").
An example of this would be “ODM_CustomerName_CRM_Data_PII_1_20220223.psv”.
File Naming When Sending Multiple Files
If multiple files are shared for the same date, then the file names should include a numeric prefix after the description. For example, “CustomerName_Description_1_YYYY-MM-DD.psv”.
Utilizing the Opt-out Files
In addition to the data append file, we deliver an opt-out file every 14 business days. These files contain opt-out requests from the data seller that you are subscribed to receive attributes from.
The identifiers listed in the “entity_id” column of the opt-out file should be cross referenced with the identifiers found in the "entity_id" column of the data append files you've received. If you determine that one of your consumers is present in the opt-out file, you must permanently delete the data seller data associated with that consumer from your datasets.