How to use lookup fields in journey attribute checks

Question

Hi All,

We're learning to use trigger-based journeys in real time marketing (CIJ) and are running into issues with filtering lookup fields. We are adding an attribute check in the journey for 'Brand' which is a lookup field. To do this we are going via the trigger which is on the Product Entity and one jump away from the Contact Entity. We're selecting Brand from the product list of fields and then selecting the blue 'Condition on Brand' text and this displays the lookup options for us to select. When we set the journey live our records are failing the Brand check and going down the 'other' lane even though they should meet the check.

Is there anything obvious we're doing wrong here?

Answer 1

This is usually caused by how lookup fields are evaluated in Customer Insights – Journeys (Real-time marketing).

When you apply a condition on a lookup field like Brand, the system typically compares the lookup GUID (ID) not the display name.

So even if the Brand name looks correct, the journey may fail the check if:

• You’re comparing against the label instead of the underlying ID
• The related Product → Brand relationship isn’t fully populated at trigger time
• The lookup value is null for some records
• The Brand record exists but belongs to a different environment/business unit context

What to check:

1. Confirm the Brand lookup is populated on the Product record at the exact moment the trigger fires.
2. Verify you’re filtering against the correct Brand record (GUID match).
3. Test with a temporary branch that logs or surfaces the Brand value for debugging.
4. If possible, try filtering directly on a Brand text field (e.g., a synced name field) instead of the lookup to confirm behavior.

In most cases, this is a lookup ID comparison issue rather than a journey logic issue.