Set Up Rule-Based Personalization

Learning Objectives

After completing this unit, you’ll be able to:

Turn on personalization features in Marketing Cloud Next.
Configure a data graph to support targeting rules.
Create dynamic content variations for specific audiences.
Link multiple components to share personalization settings.

Power Up Your Email for Personalization

At Northern Trail Outfitters (NTO), Isabelle wants her next message to feel relevant to specific customers; she doesn’t want to send the same version to everyone. She begins by turning on personalization features, choosing the data her rules depend on, creating dynamic variations for different audiences, and linking components so her email stays consistent across all versions.

Now, let’s follow Isabelle’s lead and set up personalization for your email.

Confirm Personalization Tracking Is Set Up

To make sure personalized experiences in your emails are tracked correctly, confirm that personalization tracking is set up in your org. You use this tracking to measure how different versions of an email perform when you personalize content with data and rules.

This setup deploys the data and objects that support analytics and decision tracking for rule-based personalization. You only need to complete this setup once per org. If personalization tracking is already set up, no further action is required.

Follow these steps to confirm that personalization tracking is set up:

Click the Setup gear icon and select Setup. A new window or tab opens.
Enter Customer Engagement in the Quick Find field and select it.
Click Go to Personalization Setup and review the Setup Status.
1. If the status shows Successful, personalization tracking is already set up. You’re all set and can move on.
2. If the setup isn’t complete, continue with the next steps.
Select Start Setup.
Select Default in the Data Space dropdown list and click Deploy.
Wait for the setup to complete. When the deployment finishes, return to Personalization Setup and confirm the Setup Status shows Successful.

Now that personalization tracking is in place, you’re ready to choose the data that powers your targeting rules and personalized content.

Configure a Data Graph for Targeting Rules

Targeting rules only work if they’re backed by clear, well-organized data. That’s why you use a data graph. A data graph brings together customer details and related fields into one model so Marketing Cloud Next knows which information is available for personalization.

That connected data then powers rule-based personalization to show different versions of your message based on simple if-then conditions. Once your data graph is set up, Marketing Cloud Next can rely on it every time you create personalization rules.

If you configured a data graph in another Marketing Cloud Next module, you can reuse it here — just edit the graph to add the additional fields noted.

A single, strategically built data graph can power many personalization scenarios. We recommend starting small by including data that can extend across use cases, then adding on as needed.

Follow these steps to create your data graph:

Search for and select Data Cloud in the App Finder.
Go to the Data Graphs tab (you may find it under the More dropdown).
Click New, click Start from Scratch, click Next,
Enter Marketing in the Data Graph Name field, which will automatically populate the Data Graph API Name field.
Select default from the Data Space dropdown list.
Search for and select Unified Individual MKT in the Primary Data Model Object search field and click Next.

If you already have a data graph configured in your org, follow these steps to edit it:

Search for and select Data Cloud in the App Finder.
Go to the Data Graphs tab (you may find it under the More dropdown).
In the row-level action menu on the list view, select Edit for the Marketing data graph.

Now configure your data graph:

Check the boxes to select essential fields such as Birth Date, Created Date, First Name, and Salutation so your graph can reliably identify each customer.
In the Search data model object search field, enter and select Contact Point Address.
In the Select a Path for the Contact Point Email Object window, select Unified Individual MKT | Unified Indv Contact Point Address MKT | Unified Link Contact Point Address MKT | Contact Point Address, and Select to continue.
From the list of Contact Point Address fields, select City.
Click Save and Build, Select Weekly as the Refresh Interval, then click Save and Build.
Click the Setup gear icon and select Setup. A new window or tab opens.
Search for and select Customer Engagement in Quick Find.
In the Configure Basic Personalization section, select Marketing from the Data Graph dropdown list, then select Update. The checkbox should update automatically when a data graph is selected to indicate that the configuration step is complete; if you don’t see this, you may need to manually check the checkbox.

In more advanced scenarios, you might include more related objects—such as purchases or events—to support richer targeting. This example keeps the data graph simple so you can focus on rule-based personalization.

After you assign the data graph, it becomes the default data source in the Data Sources panel when you edit an email, so your personalization rules can access the fields you just configured.

Create and Prioritize Dynamic Content Variations

Once your data is connected, you can use dynamic content to tailor one email for different audiences. Dynamic content lets you create multiple versions of a specific component—such as a heading, image, or call to action—and use rules to decide which version each customer sees. This approach helps you avoid separate emails or complex branching, and works well when the structure stays the same but details change based on the recipient.

Isabelle uses dynamic content in her NTO Member Birthday Perks email to keep one email simple and consistent, while still personal. She creates a special variation for customers with August birthdays, so those customers receive a more relevant message without needing a separate email.

Here’s how to set up and organize your own dynamic content:

Navigate to Campaigns and click New.
1. For Campaign Name, enter August Birthday Campaign
2. Under the Type dropdown, select Email
Click Save.
Select the Quick Start tab.
Select Single Email.
In the Send Email Message section, select Edit.
Create a new heading variation for a specific audience.
1. Select the “Let’s Build an Email” heading in your email.
2. In the properties sidebar, click New Variation.
3. In the pop-up window, click New Variation again.
4. Enter General August Birthdays in the Variation and Decision Name field so you can easily identify it.

If the New Variation option is grayed out and you see an error indicating that no data graph is configured, add your data graph as a data source manually. In the email builder's left-hand panel, select Data Sources, then click Add next to Manage Data Sources. Choose Data Graph Data Provider as the type, then use the dropdown to find and select your data graph.

Add a targeting condition.
1. For the Take Action When field, leave the default selection as All Conditions Are Met.
2. Click Add Condition.
3. Under Resource, select Direct Attributes, and choose Birth Date.
4. Under Operator, select Is Between.
5. Set Start Date to the next August 1 and End Date to the next August 31.
6. Click Save.
Confirm that your variation is active.
1. Again select the “Let’s Build an Email” heading in your email, then find the Variation dropdown in the properties sidebar.
2. You should now see Default and General August Birthdays.
Customize the variation.
1. Select General August Birthdays from the dropdown, then in the template, replace “Let’s Build an Email” with this August birthday-specific heading: An August Birthday Calls for New Gear
2. Toggle between Default and General August Birthdays to verify that the content updates accordingly.
To rename your personalization point so you can identify it more easily later:

Select the heading and select Edit Priorities from the Variation dropdown in the properties sidebar.
Click the pencil icon next to the Personalization Point name at the top of the Edit Personalization Priorities window.
Enter August Birthdays.
Click Save.

Since you may have multiple variations in your production org, you can set priorities for the variations to activate in a particular order.

To do so, select Edit Priorities, then arrange your variations in the order you want them applied. This is helpful when recipients qualify for more than one variation. The variation at the top takes priority.

With your variations built you’re ready to take personalization even further by linking multiple components to the same rules for a cohesive, consistent experience across your entire email.

Link Components with Shared Personalization Settings

Let’s extend that same rule across multiple components so more of your message is tailored to each audience. Instead of rebuilding variations for each element, you link components to the same personalization point and apply the same audience logic to those elements.

For example, Isabelle at Northern Trail Outfitters links her General August birthday targeting rules for multiple components, including the hero image and the call-to-action button. That way, if a customer qualifies for a specific variation, the heading, the hero image, and the button automatically update to match.

Here’s how to link components to an existing personalization point:

Create a variation of your call-to-action button that’s linked to your existing targeting rules.
1. Select the GET STARTED call-to-action button in your email.
2. Click New Variation in the properties sidebar.
3. Under Recent Personalization Points, select the August Birthdays personalization point you created earlier. Note the Current label next to this personalization point. It’s essential to choose a current personalization point; otherwise, you may be prompted to clone rather than use an existing one.
4. Make sure Link the personalization point to this component or field… is selected (this is the default), then click Save.
Customize the variation content.
1. Update the Button Text to Celebrate with New Gear.
2. Switch between Default and General August Birthdays to verify that the content updates accordingly.
3. Save your changes.

When your components are linked, any updates you make to targeting rules, priorities, or variation names automatically apply everywhere that personalization point is used.

A side-by-side view of the email editor interface showing the Default and August Birthdays variations, illustrating how dynamic content and shared personalization settings update together.

You may notice an option to Clone Personalization Point, which creates a separate copy with its own rules and settings. Cloning isn’t covered here, but you can learn more in the Linked Personalization Points in Dynamic Content Salesforce Help resource if you want to explore it further.

Let’s Recap

You’ve now activated personalization, chosen the data that powers your targeting rules, created dynamic variations, and linked components. These foundations give you everything you need to deliver emails that adapt to a variety of customers. Next, you’ll build on this work by adding merge fields to personalize the details within each variation.

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