Understanding Person Accounts

When Person Accounts are enabled in Sales Cloud, a single record is created that combines the functionality of both an account and a contact. However, in the background, two separate records are still created: a Person Account record and a Person Contact record.

This can cause confusion, especially when it comes to determining which ID is used as the subscriber key in Marketing Cloud.

The root cause of this confusion is the fact that the Person Contact ID is not visible in the UI, but it is still used as the subscriber key in Marketing Cloud.

How it Works

When a Person Account is created, both the account ID and contact ID are synced to Marketing Cloud. However, the contact ID is used as the subscriber key.

This is because the contact ID is the unique identifier for the person, and it is this ID that is used to send targeted messages in Marketing Cloud.

SQL Example

SELECT YourFields FROM Contact_Salesforce Contact INNER JOIN Account_Salesforce Account ON Account.PersonContactId = Contact.Id

This SQL example shows how to join the Contact and Account objects in Marketing Cloud using the Person Contact ID.

Best Practices

To avoid confusion when working with Person Accounts and subscriber keys, follow these best practices:

Checklist for Working with Person Accounts

• Use the contact ID as the subscriber key in Marketing Cloud
• Understand that the Person Contact ID is not visible in the UI, but it is still used as the subscriber key
• Use the account ID and contact ID to sync data between Sales Cloud and Marketing Cloud
• Use SQL to join the Contact and Account objects in Marketing Cloud
• Test and verify your subscriber key setup to ensure it is working correctly

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the difference between a Person Account and a Person Contact?

A Person Account is a single record that combines the functionality of both an account and a contact, while a Person Contact is a separate record that represents the person.

How do I determine which ID is used as the subscriber key in Marketing Cloud?

The contact ID is used as the subscriber key in Marketing Cloud.

Can I use the account ID as the subscriber key in Marketing Cloud?

No, the account ID is not used as the subscriber key in Marketing Cloud. The contact ID is used instead.

How do I sync data between Sales Cloud and Marketing Cloud when using Person Accounts?

You can use the account ID and contact ID to sync data between Sales Cloud and Marketing Cloud.