Can I reference a Custom Object in a Segmentation List?

[Anonymous]

We have recently set up a Custom Object that is going to consistently be updated with the most current email domains of our customers (through an API call to Salesforce). I want to be able to reference this Custom Object with a Segmentation, so that it would look out for any time that Custom Object is updated, and update the segmentation list(s) accordingly. Is this possible?

I have seen this article on a work-around for a related topic: Segmentations Using Custom Object Data , but it does not seem as though it would achieve what I'm looking for. I have also seen this other question posted in the Community, but I didn't see a response that would be helpful for my case: Can I create segmentations using a custom object?

Thanks!

Julie

[SanfordWhiteman]

Please move the thread to Products​ to continue (Move link is at the right).  The "Central" space is for non-Marketo-specific discussions (eventually the spaces may be merged).

[SanfordWhiteman]

We have recently set up a Custom Object that is going to consistently be updated with the most current email domains of our customers (through an API call to Salesforce). I want to be able to reference this Custom Object with a Segmentation, so that it would look out for any time that Custom Object is updated, and update the segmentation list(s) accordingly. Is this possible?

It's not possible to use a standalone Custom Object record as a pseudo-lookup table, which seems to be what you're describing.  If People aren't related to that CO already, then changing fields on the object(s) won't affect them.

If you want to adjust your database continually based on external criteria, you could call a webhook nightly to set a boolean isCustomer field based on looking up in an external file (or even looking up in a text {{my.token}} that stores the list). The webhook itself could be kicked off by a Schedule Campaign API call that only fires if you know the criteria (list of domains) has changed.

[Anonymous]

Hi Sanford,

Thank you very much for your response and suggestion of an alternative way of achieving my goal. A few questions...

1. Would this (webhook method) take place of using a Custom Object completely?

2. Is "isCustomer" something I would need to set up as a custom field?

3. I don't understand how to set this webhook up per your instruction. I don't understand what the URL or Request Type would be in this circumstance.

We have already successfully set up the Custom Object to automatically populate with the most up-to-date list of domains nightly. I just need to be able to turn this into a segmentation. What is the purpose of updating the Custom Object in this way if you can't then set it as criteria or a filter for whether it applies to someone now?

[SanfordWhiteman]

1. Would this (webhook method) take place of using a Custom Object completely?

Yes.

2. Is "isCustomer" something I would need to set up as a custom field?

Yes, it represents the same concept as "Has Customer Email Domain" if the lead were related to the CO.

3. I don't understand how to set this webhook up per your instruction. I don't understand what the URL or Request Type would be in this circumstance.

Well, you'd need to set up a custom back end or subscribe to a webhook scripting engine. While simple to build or buy, didn't mean to imply the whole thing already exists fully within Marketo.

What is the purpose of updating the Custom Object in this way if you can't then set it as criteria or a filter for whether it applies to someone now?

There is indeed no purpose to using a CO for this if it doesn't have an actual relationship to your leads.

I would not have done this project with a CO -- even though it might seem easier to sync it from CRM, according to your description the CO is just sitting there as a disconnected object. If you did want to do a lookup into it (using API, since it's not accessible on the lead) it would be incredibly inefficient. For checking external key account or suppression lists, use a webhook.

[Rachel_Noble]

Alternate workaround, you could create smart campaigns in your Marketing Activities area with rules. Example: pretend your custom object is called Hotel Stay and you want to segment by whether they've stayed at hotels during the holiday season (assuming Stay Date Range is a field in the custom object).

Smart List:

Has Hotel Stay

Stay Date Range contains November or December

Flow:

Add to List: Stayed During Holiday Season

Then, in your segmentation, filter based on whether they are a member of the list. You should schedule this to run nightly, etc.

[Anonymous]

Hi Rachel - this definitely sounds like it could be a simple work-around for me! Just one question: how would I reference that "Has Hotel Stay" custom object in the Smart List? I've never worked with custom objects in smart lists before...

Thanks so much!

[Rachel_Noble]

You probably have a filter called "Has [Name of your custom object]". If it's not available in the smart list of the smart campaign, you can put it in a standalone smart list and reference that smart list in the smart campaign (not ideal, but I'm fairly certain you won't need that workaround).

Once you add that filter, there should be an "Add Constraint" button in the top right of the filter. There, you can access your custom object fields. Hope this helps!

[SanfordWhiteman]

If there's no relationship between the object and the lead, none of this will work. The junction has to exist.

[Anonymous]

Hi Sanford,

If Julie has a custom object, Domains, with a field, Domain, holding a list of string values like "google.com". And she wants to run a daily process to flag all Leads where Lead.Email Contains Domains.Domain, then the Webhook is the easiest solution for her to do this? If so, then where does the "Schedule Campaign API call" get triggered from - within Marketo?