AEP, CJA and AJO guides, plus the MarTech news that matters
Practical, fact-checked guides for people who build and run customer data, analytics and journeys, and short analysis of current industry reporting with its sources cited. New posts about twice a week.
Nothing specifically on Eloqua yet — here's everything we've published so far.
Production vs development sandboxes in Experience Platform
How production and development sandboxes in Experience Platform let teams test schemas and audiences safely.
2026-11-06 04:12:07
identityMap vs identity fields: two ways to mark identities in XDM
identityMap or identity fields? The two ways to mark identities in an XDM schema, and when each one fits.
2026-11-05 07:56:54
Personalising Journey Optimizer messages without embarrassing blanks
How to personalise Journey Optimizer messages from profile data without blanks or odd-looking values.
2026-11-04 07:56:54
Profile fragments and the union schema, in plain English
Profile fragments and the union schema explained: how Real-Time Customer Profile assembles one view of a person.
2026-11-03 07:11:16
Activating audiences to destinations: streaming vs file-based
How audiences leave Experience Platform through streaming and file-based destinations, and what to check before activating.
2026-11-02 07:11:24
Query Service: checking your AEP data with SQL after ingestion
Simple SQL checks with Query Service that confirm what actually landed after a new data source goes live.
2026-11-01 06:18:57
Web SDK, datastreams and ECID: how website data reaches AEP
How a web event travels from the browser to Experience Platform: the Web SDK, datastreams and ECID explained.
2026-10-31 04:58:58
Hire MarTech engineers on evidence, not interviews: how hands-on assessments improve hiring and lift your new hires
Certifications test recall, interviews test talking, and take-home tests broke in the AI era. How hands-on assessments in real practice labs show what AEP, CJA, Journey Optimizer and Marketo candidates can actually do, and how the same labs ramp up the people you hire.
2026-10-30 18:59:25
Batch vs streaming ingestion in AEP: which to use when
When to use batch ingestion, when to use streaming, and why most AEP implementations use both.
2026-10-30 04:24:59
Customer Journey Analytics vs Adobe Analytics: what actually changes
What really changes for an analyst moving from Adobe Analytics to Customer Journey Analytics.
2026-10-29 04:25:02
Batch, streaming and edge audiences in AEP: how evaluation works
Batch, streaming and edge evaluation in AEP: how each one works and how to choose for a new audience.
2026-10-28 04:25:03
When unrelated customers merge into one profile: identity graph collapse
How shared emails, phone numbers and placeholder values merge different customers into one profile, and how to prevent it.
2026-10-27 04:25:02
Data usage labels in AEP: what I1 and I2 mean and why marketers should care
What AEP data usage labels such as I1 and I2 mean, and how policies use them to block risky activations.
2026-10-26 02:47:35
Mapping a CSV to an XDM schema without losing columns
How to map a flat CSV export onto a nested XDM schema without silently dropping columns or failing records.
2026-10-25 18:46:42
Lead tokens and my tokens in Marketo Engage emails
How lead tokens personalise Marketo Engage emails, why every token needs a default value, and how my tokens keep program details in one place.
2026-10-24 18:01:14
Why your data isn't showing up in Real-Time Customer Profile
Ingested data missing from Real-Time Customer Profile? Check the schema, dataset, identity values and merge policy, in that order.
2026-10-23 18:01:23
How to run a fair remote technical test
Same tasks, one clock, clear rules and honest data handling: a checklist for remote hands-on tests that treat every candidate the same.
2026-10-22 17:48:12
Engagement programs in Marketo Engage: streams, casts and transition rules
How engagement programs keep not-yet-ready leads warm in Marketo Engage: streams of content, casts on a cadence and rules that move people on.
2026-10-21 16:14:34
Choosing a Person ID in CJA, and what happens when channels don't match
How the Person ID you choose in Customer Journey Analytics changes cross-channel joins and people counts.
2026-10-21 14:13:57
Checking bench readiness before staffing an Adobe project
A short hands-on assessment before staffing shows whether consultants can do the tasks a project needs, and where training should come first.
2026-10-20 15:07:01
Marketo event programs: statuses, success and the registration campaign
How an event program in Marketo Engage tracks people from invited to attended, confirms every registration and shows which events worked.
2026-10-19 14:17:06
Merge policies: how AEP decides which value wins
How AEP merge policies decide which value wins when two sources disagree about the same customer.
2026-10-18 13:30:42
Certifications vs hands-on tests when hiring for MarTech roles
Certifications help you shortlist; a hands-on test helps you decide. How to use both fairly when hiring for MarTech roles.
2026-10-17 07:23:20
Why a Marketo smart campaign did not fire: a troubleshooting checklist
A checklist for the most common reasons a Marketo Engage smart campaign never acts on anyone, and how to confirm each one.
2026-10-17 07:08:02
The XDM data-type mistakes that fail ingestion, and how to fix each one
Objects, numbers, booleans, dates, arrays and enums: the XDM data-type mistakes that fail ingestion, and how to fix each one.
2026-10-16 17:30:40
How to test a Journey Optimizer specialist with a real journey
The costly journey mistakes are usually logical, not technical. A fix-it task shows whether a candidate spots them and tests before publishing.
2026-10-15 17:30:31
Trigger vs batch smart campaigns in Marketo Engage
When a Marketo Engage smart campaign should react to each person as they act, and when it should run over a list on a schedule.
2026-10-14 17:30:26
Journey Optimizer journeys: event-triggered vs audience-based entry
Event-triggered or Read Audience? How to choose the right entry for a Journey Optimizer journey before you build it.
2026-10-13 17:30:28
A practical CJA interview task for analysts
Empty or wrong Customer Journey Analytics reports usually trace back to setup. A practical interview task shows whether an analyst can find out why.
2026-10-12 17:30:27
Lead scoring in Marketo Engage: behaviour, demographics and the MQL hand-off
How a lead scoring model in Marketo Engage adds points for what people do and who they are, and hands them to sales at the right moment.
2026-10-11 17:30:29
Identity namespaces and primary identity in AEP, explained
What identity namespaces are, why a Profile schema needs a primary identity, and how to avoid merging unrelated people.
2026-10-10 16:31:00
A practical Marketo admin test to use before you hire
Interview questions show what a Marketo Engage candidate knows. A hands-on task shows whether they can build and fix smart campaigns and scoring.
2026-10-09 16:31:06
How to practise Marketo Engage without a company instance
Marketo Engage skills come from building and fixing real programs. How to practise smart campaigns, scoring and nurture without a company instance.
2026-10-08 15:03:15
CJA connections and data views: the two setup steps people mix up
What a CJA connection does, what a data view does, and why mixing them up leads to confusing reports.
2026-10-07 13:14:14
How to test an AEP developer before you hire
CVs and certificates show what an Experience Platform candidate knows. A practical test shows what they can build and fix. Here is how to run one.
2026-10-06 11:47:01
Why AEP batch ingestion fails: a checklist before you upload
The data problems that fail AEP batch ingestion most often, and a checklist to run before you upload a file.
2026-10-04 13:53:44
XDM Individual Profile vs ExperienceEvent: which class your data belongs in
Record or time-series? How to choose between the XDM Individual Profile and ExperienceEvent classes, with a simple rule of thumb.
2026-09-30 23:57:36
How to get hands-on AEP experience without an Adobe licence
How to build real Adobe Experience Platform skills without a company instance: a practice routine, what employers look for, and how to prove it.
2026-09-27 03:16:04