Zero-copy personalization using CDI

Learn how to sync Canvas triggers using CDI for zero-copy personalization. This feature accesses user-specific information from your data storage solution and passes it to a destination Canvas. Canvas steps can optionally include personalization fields that are not persisted on Braze user profiles.

Syncing Canvas triggers

Quick start steps

If you’re already familiar with Braze CDI, note that the setup for a Canvas trigger sync closely follows the process for user-data CDI integrations, with the following caveats:

• Only external ID or user alias identifiers are supported. Email and phone numbers are not supported identifiers.
• Only existing Braze users can be synced. New users cannot be created.
• properties replaces the payload column. This is a JSON string of the fields you want to use as Canvas entry properties for personalization.

To get started, select the Canvas Triggers data type when creating a new sync.

Using Canvas triggers

Step 1: Set up data source for Canvas triggers

• snowflake
• redshift
• bigquery
• databricks
• fabric
• file storage

1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
CREATE DATABASE BRAZE_CLOUD_PRODUCTION;
CREATE SCHEMA BRAZE_CLOUD_PRODUCTION.INGESTION;
CREATE OR REPLACE TABLE BRAZE_CLOUD_PRODUCTION.INGESTION.CANVAS_TRIGGERS_SYNC (
     UPDATED_AT TIMESTAMP_NTZ(9) NOT NULL DEFAULT SYSDATE(),
     --at least one of external_id or alias_name and alias_label is required  
     EXTERNAL_ID VARCHAR(16777216),
     --if using user alias, both alias_name and alias_label are required
     ALIAS_LABEL VARCHAR(16777216),
     ALIAS_NAME VARCHAR(16777216),
     PROPERTIES VARCHAR(16777216)
);

1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
CREATE ROLE BRAZE_INGESTION_ROLE;

GRANT USAGE ON DATABASE BRAZE_CLOUD_PRODUCTION TO ROLE BRAZE_INGESTION_ROLE;
GRANT USAGE ON SCHEMA BRAZE_CLOUD_PRODUCTION.INGESTION TO ROLE BRAZE_INGESTION_ROLE;
GRANT SELECT ON TABLE BRAZE_CLOUD_PRODUCTION.INGESTION.CANVAS_TRIGGERS_SYNC TO ROLE BRAZE_INGESTION_ROLE;

CREATE WAREHOUSE BRAZE_INGESTION_WAREHOUSE;
GRANT USAGE ON WAREHOUSE BRAZE_INGESTION_WAREHOUSE TO ROLE BRAZE_INGESTION_ROLE;

CREATE USER BRAZE_INGESTION_USER;
GRANT ROLE BRAZE_INGESTION_ROLE TO USER BRAZE_INGESTION_USER;

1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
CREATE DATABASE BRAZE_CLOUD_PRODUCTION;
CREATE SCHEMA BRAZE_CLOUD_PRODUCTION.INGESTION;
CREATE TABLE BRAZE_CLOUD_PRODUCTION.INGESTION.CANVAS_TRIGGERS_SYNC (
    updated_at timestamptz default sysdate not null,
    --at least one of external_id or alias_name and alias_label is required
    external_id varchar not null,.
    --if using user alias, both alias_name and alias_label are required
    alias_label varchar,
    alias_name varchar,
    properties varchar(max)
 );

1
2
3
CREATE USER braze_user PASSWORD '{password}';
GRANT USAGE ON SCHEMA BRAZE_CLOUD_PRODUCTION.INGESTION to braze_user;
GRANT SELECT ON TABLE CANVAS_TRIGGERS_SYNC TO braze_user;

1
CREATE SCHEMA BRAZE-CLOUD-PRODUCTION.INGESTION;

1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
CREATE TABLE `BRAZE-CLOUD-PRODUCTION.INGESTION.CANVAS_TRIGGERS_SYNC`
(
  updated_at TIMESTAMP DEFAULT current_timestamp,
  --At least one of external_id or alias_name and alias_label is required  
  external_id STRING,
  --If using user alias, both alias_name and alias_label are required
  alias_name STRING,
  alias_label STRING,
  properties JSON
);

1
CREATE SCHEMA BRAZE-CLOUD-PRODUCTION.INGESTION;

1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
CREATE TABLE `BRAZE-CLOUD-PRODUCTION.INGESTION.USERS_ATTRIBUTES_SYNC`
(
  updated_at TIMESTAMP DEFAULT current_timestamp(),
  --At least one of external_id or alias_name and alias_label is required  
  external_id STRING,
  --If using user alias, both alias_name and alias_label are required
  alias_name STRING,
  alias_label STRING,
  properties STRING, STRUCT, or MAP
);

1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
CREATE OR ALTER TABLE [warehouse].[schema].[CDI_table_name] 
(
  UPDATED_AT DATETIME2(6) NOT NULL,
  PROPERTIES VARCHAR NOT NULL,
  --at least one of external_id or alias_name and alias_label is required  
  EXTERNAL_ID VARCHAR,
  --if using user alias, both alias_name and alias_label are required
  ALIAS_NAME VARCHAR,
  ALIAS_LABEL VARCHAR
)
GO

Step 2: Configure your destination Canvas

1. Set up your destination Canvas for Canvas triggers. Create a new or select an existing API-triggered Canvas. Refer to Entry schedule types for instructions on how to create a canvas with an API-triggered delivery schedule type.
2. After selecting the API-triggered delivery schedule type, continue with Canvas setup and build your Canvas. Canvases can range from simple single-message sends to complex customer workflows with multiple steps.
3. Within your Canvas steps, use Canvas entry properties to personalize messages with properties fields that you plan to sync from your source table.
   • For example, if in Step 1 you instrumented a properties field for account_balance, you would use the following Liquid templating to personalize your message: \{\{canvas_entry_properties.\$\{account_balance\}\}\}.
4. After building your Canvas, launch it and proceed to Step 3.

Step 3: Create your zero copy sync

With your source setup complete and destination Canvas launched, create a new data sync:

1. In Braze, go to Data Settings > Cloud Data Ingestion .
2. Set up the connection by entering connection details (or reuse existing credentials) and the source table from Step 1.
3. Provide a name the integration.
4. Select the Canvas triggers data type.
5. Choose your destination Canvas (from Step 2).
6. Choose a sync frequency.
7. Set up notification preferences.
8. Select Test Connection to confirm everything works as expected. If connecting to Snowflake, first add the public key displayed on the dashboard to the user created for Braze to connect to Snowflake. To complete this step, you’ll need SECURITYADMIN access or higher in Snowflake.
9. Save the sync to begin syncing Canvas triggers.

When the sync runs, users in your source table will begin to enter the Canvas. Use Canvas analytics and the Cloud Data Ingestion sync logs page to monitor performance.

Considerations

CDI Canvas triggers utilize your REST API rate limit for /canvas/trigger/send. If you’re using this endpoint simultaneously with CDI Canvas triggers and your REST API integration, expect the combined usage to count towards your rate limit.

While CDI Canvas triggers are in early access, consider the following details:

• Up to 5 active Canvas trigger syncs per workspace
• Each sync run will enter users into its respective destination Canvas at a maximum rate of approximately 3.75 million users per hour.
  • Be prepared for longer source-to-Canvas entry times when:
    • Syncing more than 3.75M users per sync run.
    • Using CDI Canvas triggers when already saturating your REST API’s rate limit for /canvas/trigger/send.