Essentials to Get Started
- An Enterprise account or the Data Studio add-on
- An open and available slot for an additional export
Note: By default, Act-On accounts with an Enterprise package or the Data Studio add-on include 5 Data Studio exports. For more exports, contact your Account Manager.
Instructions
This guide will help you:
- Create a new export in Data Studio
- Add filter logic to your report
- Schedule your export's delivery
Step One – Create a New Export
- Go to Reports > Data Studio and select New Export
- Enter a Name and Description for your export
- Select Accounts to export data from:
- Parent Account Only
- All Child Accounts
- Parent and All Child Accounts
- Specific Accounts
- Click Next
Step Two – Select a Data Set
- Select a Data Set from Behavior Data or Profile Data
- Behavior Data: Email Messages, Forms, Landing Pages, Media, SMS Messages, Webinars, Webpages
- Profile Data: Lists and/or Segments
- Check the boxes for Actions you'd like to include in the report
- Available actions will vary depending on the type of data set. Learn more about actions.
- Select any additional data settings, which vary by data set
- Select Inclusive Filters or Incremental Updates
- Click Next
Tip! We recommend filtering out any data you won't use. Limiting data will make generating reports much faster and cost you fewer tokens. Filtered-out data will be excluded from the report and can't be retrieved later.
Inclusive Filters
Filter Behavior Data with inclusive filters to limit the results included in your report. You can use the following filters for behavioral data sets:
- Email Messages: Campaigns, Messages, and Automated Programs
- Forms: Campaigns and Forms
- Landing pages: Campaigns and Landing Pages
- Media: Campaigns and Media
- Webinars: Campaigns and Webinars
- Webpages: Allowlist and Blocklist
Incremental Updates
You can filter List and Segment Profile data by incremental updates. These updates can:
- Retrieve contacts modified since the last time Data Studio ran your report
- Retrieve contacts created since the last time Data Studio ran your report
The first time you run a report with this setting, your data will include all contacts in the selected list(s) and/or segment(s). On subsequent runs, it will include contact records that were modified and/or created after the report's Last Run date.
Incremental updates are best for reports that run periodically.
Heads up! This report will reflect new contacts in your list or segment. It does not reflect when existing contacts enter a segment.
Step Three – Set Grouping and Granularity
Data Studio can group your data set in two ways:
- Detailed log data provides a single line for every interaction, with no grouping. For example, exporting data for Email Messages will give a separate line for each open or click.
- Aggregated rolled-up data shows a single line for each check box you select. For example, selecting the Action Month box for an Email Messages data set will display a single line for each month, showing only the totals for opens, clicks, etc.
Tip! Aggregated rolled-up data fields are color-coded. Blue and black attributes always apply to all data points. Red attributes display for all standard fields used in your account. Totals for red attributes may be blank if that standard field isn't used across all marketing activities.
Set your grouping and granularity, and then click Next.
Step Four – Add Fields
- Select your field type from the Available Fields drop-down menu
- Select <All> for a list of all available fields
- Drag and drop fields into the Selected Fields box in your desired column order
- Check or un-check Generate as Unique Metrics as needed
- This function changes the kind of data provided. Instead of giving the total or aggregate data, your data will include the number of unique visits, opens, or clicks.
- Click Next
Step Five – Add Data Filtering
By default, Data Studio will not add filters to your report. You can manually add logic if you'd like to exclude certain records from your export. Filters are case-sensitive, and you'll need to enter each filter on a separate line.
- Click on Click here to create filters
- In the first dropdown, specify a field you want to filter
- Add a condition from the second dropdown menu
- Add a value in the text box
- Click Accept to create your filter
- Click Next
Step Six – Set the Schedule
You can generate Data Studio exports on-demand or on a set schedule:
- On-Demand: You must manually click Generate each time you want to retrieve data
- Daily or Weekly: Your report can run Monday through Sunday and generate data from the last 1-7 days
- Monthly: On the first of the month, Data Studio exports the previous month’s data
Set your export schedule to On-Demand, Daily or Weekly, or Monthly. Then click Next.
Tip! The time of day when you click Save will be used on future schedules.
Step Seven – Set the Delivery Options
- Set your export's Destination
- Add a File Name, and Append Date if desired
- Set the Format for your export
- Set Notifications if desired
- Click Next
Email notifications can go to as many recipients as you'd like. Notifications let you know when the export is complete, and they will inform recipients separately on how to access exported data.
Destination
Data Studio can deliver your generated export in a few ways:
- Downloadable file (default)
- FTP
- Cloud Storage, such as Dropbox
You'll need to configure FTP or Cloud Storage first before selecting these as an option for exporting your report from Data Studio.
Tip! If you export to a subfolder in Dropbox, prepend the subfolder name(s) with a forward slash (/). Example: /aotest
File Formats
Data Studio will export your data in the following formats:
- CSV
- CSV ZIP
- CSV GZ
- XLSX
Tip! ZIP or GZ options are best if you're dealing with a large amount of data.
Next Steps
Once you have configured all export definitions, click Finish. You're ready to generate your reports!
Need additional help with Data Studio? See our Data Studio FAQs for more guidance.