Creating an Activation assumes a Segment is already built and an Activation Target is already configured. The Activation itself is the assembly step that links the two and adds the runtime details.
- Open the Segment
In Data Cloud, navigate to the Segment that should be activated. Confirm the Segment count is the population you expect; activating the wrong segment is hard to undo.
- Create a new Activation
Click Activate on the Segment record. Choose the Activation Target (the destination) and name the Activation after the use case, for example High-Value Renewal - Meta Lookalike.
- Map the attributes
Select the attributes from the unified profile to include in the payload. Match the destination's required fields and keep optional fields lean to avoid over-sharing.
- Set the schedule
Pick one-time, recurring, or change-triggered. Recurring is the default for ongoing journeys and audiences. Set the cadence to match the destination's matching window.
- Publish and monitor the first run
Publish the Activation. Watch the first run in the Activation Run history. Confirm the destination receives the audience and that downstream automation picks it up. Fix the mapping before the second run if anything is off.
The Segment whose qualifiers are published.
The destination connector to push the audience to.
The identifier shared with the destination (email, Contact Key, ad ID, etc.).
Which unified attributes go into the payload.
One-time, recurring, or change-triggered cadence.
- Changing the Segment definition changes every Activation that uses it. Audit downstream Activations before editing a shared Segment.
- Each destination has its own match rate. A 60 percent match on hashed email is normal, not a bug, and is set by the destination, not Data Cloud.
- Activations count against CDP Credits. Recurring Activations on huge Segments can burn through quota faster than expected.
- Publishing the wrong attribute (a raw email instead of hashed, a Contact Key without the expected prefix) is hard to recall once the destination has it. Test on a small sample first.