Configure searching and filtering indexes
The customer profile in Customer Insights - Data is used to provide a unified view of your total customer base. As mentioned in the previous unit, you can view customer profile details from the customer cards on the Customers page. Before accessing the Customers page for the first time, you need to define the searching and filtering indexes for your customer profile. Defining the indexes provides deeper functionality and helps make locating information for a specific customer or a group of customers easier. Searching and filtering configuration is done from the Customers page by selecting the Search and Filter button.
When you first define searchable attributes, you're prompted to define indexed fields. When selecting index fields, we recommend that you choose all attributes by which users can search and filter customers on the Customers page. Only attributes in the Customer Profile table are available. You can add indexed fields by selecting the Add button. You can add up to 20 index attributes. After a field is defined as an indexed field, it displays in the Indexed customer fields list page.
The Indexed customer fields list shows the following details:
Name - Represents the attribute's name as it appears in the customer profile table.
Data type - Specifies whether the data type is a string, a number, or a date.
Included in search - Specifies whether this attribute can be used for searching customers on the Customers page by using the search field.
+ Add filter - A control to define how this attribute can be used for filtering on the Customers page.
Attributes that you no longer want to use as indexed fields can be removed by using delete (X) icon.
Edit filtering options for a given attribute
Each organization might want to further refine what information is being displayed by adding more filters. You can add filters, such as different age groups, by selecting the + Add filter button for the attribute that you want to apply the filter to. From a filter, you can define the number of results that are displayed and the order in which they're organized.
More options might be available, depending on the attribute's data type:
String-type attributes - Specify the number of results you want on the filter panel and the order policy by which they're organized.
Numerical-type attributes - Specify the intervals that are included on the filter panel and the order policy by which they're organized.
Date-type attributes - Specify the intervals that are included on the filter panel and the order policy by which they're organized.
After you define all your filter and searching options, select the Run button to apply your settings. Your new settings are available when users access the Customers page.
Search for customers
You can locate customers by entering search text, such as a customer's name, into the search box. Which attributes are searched need to be defined by someone who has administrative rights by using the Search & filter index screen.
Important
Searches are only implemented from the Customer Profile table that was created during the data unification process. Make sure that you complete the data unification process to unlock richer views of your customers.
After selecting one of the customer tiles, you can also search for a specific attribute within this customer's information.
Filter customers
Filtering customers can be done through a menu that includes your Customer Profile table fields as filters. As with search, your admin first needs to define which fields are considered filterable by using the Search & filter index page.
After the filters are defined, you can select the Filter icon in the upper-right corner of the Customers page. Check boxes next to the available attributes help you to define how to filter your customers. Similar to the searching functionality, you can filter only by attributes that exist in your Customer Profile table and that were defined by the administrator on the Search & filter index page.
To remove your saved filters, select Clear filters in the upper-right corner of the Customers page.
Once you identify a customer you want to work with and open their profile, information such as customer activities, brand affiliations, and important customer KPIs are available. In the remaining units, we examine how to configure the application to display those items.