Data 360 and Braze
There is no documented native Data 360 to Braze connector. Here are the supported patterns for moving segments and profiles, and their latency trade-offs.
Many teams want Data 360's unified profiles and segments to drive messages in Braze. The first thing to know is that neither Salesforce nor Braze documents a native connector between them. In the sources we checked, Braze is not a listed Data 360 activation target, and Braze documents no Data 360 integration in either direction. So the question is which indirect pattern fits your latency needs and team. This page compares them.
The business problem
Data 360 resolves identity and builds segments, but the messages go out from Braze. Without a deliberate hand-off, teams export CSVs by hand, segments go stale, and nobody can say which profile version a message used.
Proposed architecture
This is a reference design; we validate the APIs, edition and permissions for each implementation. Data 360 and Braze never connect directly in it. For the wider picture see the Data 360 architecture and the Salesforce and Braze reference architecture.
Data 360 to Braze: supported hand-off patterns
Reference architecture: a reusable pattern, not a live client integration
Select a component to see what it is responsible for and how data moves to and from it.
Components and data flows (text version)
| Component | Type | Responsibility |
|---|---|---|
| Other sourcesweb, mobile, warehouse, files | Data and analytics | Behavioural and transactional data that Data 360 ingests through data streams, the Ingestion API or zero copy. |
| Salesforce CRMSales and Service Cloud | Salesforce product | Contacts, accounts and cases, ingested into Data 360 through Salesforce's CRM connectors. |
| Data 360unified profiles, segments, insights | Data and analytics | Resolves identity into Unified Individuals, builds segments and calculated insights, and publishes them on a schedule or on demand. |
| Cloud storageS3, Azure Blob or GCS bucket | Data and analytics | Landing zone for segment files. Confirm that a cloud storage activation target is available to your org before relying on it. |
| Integration layermiddleware or iPaaS | Integration layer | Receives data actions or reads Data 360 APIs, maps fields to Braze attributes and calls the Braze REST API with retries and throttling. |
| Data warehouseSnowflake, BigQuery, Databricks… | Data and analytics | Shared with Data 360 through zero copy and read by Braze through CDI or Connected Sources. |
| Braze workspaceprofiles, segments, Canvas | Engagement platform | Receives attributes, segment flags and events, and uses them in segments and Canvas entry rules. |
| Channelsemail, push, SMS, in-app | Channel or touchpoint | Messages sent by Braze, subject to Braze subscription states and groups. |
Data flows
- Other sources → Data 360: data streams. Ingested on the stream's schedule; standard web and mobile streams load engagement data every 15 minutes.
- Salesforce CRM → Data 360: CRM connector. CRM objects ingested into Data 360 data lake objects and mapped to the data model.
- Data 360 → Cloud storage: segment activation. Segment members and attributes written as files on publish, where a storage target is available. Monitor publishes and rerun any that fail.
- Data 360 → Integration layer: data actions. Events sent to a webhook or Platform Events when a data action fires. The layer must accept and queue them.
- Data 360 → Data warehouse: zero copy sharing. Insights shared out to a supported warehouse without file exports.
- Cloud storage → Braze workspace: CDI from storage. Braze CDI reads new files from S3, Azure Blob Storage or GCS; file-storage sources are event-driven.
- Integration layer → Braze workspace: /users/track. Up to 75 objects per request. Back off on 429; dead-letter rejected records.
- Data warehouse → Braze workspace: CDI or Connected Sources. Scheduled syncs as often as every 5 minutes, or zero-copy queries that leave data in the warehouse.
- Braze workspace → Channels: messages. Canvas and Campaign sends.
- Braze workspace → Data warehouse: Snowflake Data Sharing. Read-only share of Braze engagement data into your Snowflake account, if you use Snowflake.
- Data warehouse → Data 360: zero copy federation. Data 360 can query engagement data in the warehouse through zero copy, closing the loop.
The three hand-off patterns
| Pattern | How it works | Freshness drivers | Good for |
|---|---|---|---|
| Storage files | A Data 360 segment activation writes files to cloud storage; Braze CDI reads them | Segment publish schedule plus CDI pickup, which is event-driven for storage | Daily or hourly audiences |
| Middleware and API | A Data 360 data action calls a webhook, or middleware reads Data 360 APIs, then calls /users/track | Data action timing plus middleware queueing and Braze rate limits | Single-person triggers such as a score crossing a threshold |
| Warehouse | Data 360 shares data to a warehouse through zero copy; Braze syncs with CDI or queries with Connected Sources | Sharing refresh plus CDI interval, as often as every 5 minutes | Teams that already centre on Snowflake, BigQuery, Databricks or Redshift |
Component responsibilities
Data 360 owns identity resolution, segment logic and calculated insights. The hand-off layer, whether storage, middleware or warehouse, owns transport, retries and the mapping from Unified Individual to the Braze external_id. Braze owns the engagement profile, subscription states and journeys. Decide early which identifier joins them: a CRM contact ID often works better than an email address, and Braze discourages email as external_id.
Latency trade-offs
"Real time" depends on the path. Salesforce documents that under the Sub-Second Real-Time Profile, 95% of events reach real-time layer activation in about 500 milliseconds, and real-time data graphs are required for real-time segments and data actions. Standard web and mobile streams load engagement data every 15 minutes and profile data hourly. Whatever Data 360 achieves, the Braze side adds its own step: scheduled CDI syncs run no more often than every 5 minutes, and /users/track is subject to rate limits. Measure each path end to end in testing, and plan for the slowest step in your chain.
Security boundaries
Each hop crosses a trust boundary. Storage buckets need least-privilege access for the Data 360 writer and the Braze reader, plus a retention rule. Middleware holds the Braze REST key and any Salesforce credentials server-side. Send only the attributes Braze needs; a segment flag is often enough.
Failure handling
- Activation fails or is late: alert on missing files and do not let Braze treat an empty file as "everyone left the segment".
- Data action bursts: queue them and drain within Braze limits.
- Identity mismatch: log Unified Individuals that have no matching Braze user rather than creating profiles silently.
Testing and monitoring
Test with a small seed segment and compare counts at every hop. Track segment size in Data 360, rows delivered, rows ingested by Braze and the time between publish and availability.
Prerequisites and limitations
You need Data 360 licensed with segmentation and activation, and data actions or zero copy if you choose those patterns; some features use credits, so check your contract. Confirm that the activation target type you need is available to your org. On Braze, CDI and Connected Sources availability depends on your package.
Implementation stages
- 01
Pick use cases
Name each audience or trigger and its freshness need.
- 02
Choose the pattern
Storage, middleware or warehouse, per use case.
- 03
Agree identity
Map Unified Individual to the Braze external_id.
- 04
Build in sandbox
Configure activation or data actions, the hand-off and Braze ingestion.
- 05
Test end to end
Seed segment, count parity and failure drills.
- 06
Operate
Monitor lag and counts, with a named owner.
Available today vs proposed
| Item | Status |
|---|---|
| Data 360 segments, activations and data actions | Documented by Salesforce |
| Braze CDI, Connected Sources and /users/track | Documented by Braze |
| Native Data 360 to Braze connector | Not documented by either vendor |
| This hand-off design | Reference design; validated per implementation |
Related
Data 360 consulting
Identity, segments and activation
→Data 360 and Marketing Cloud
The Salesforce-native activation path
→Braze data activation
All the ways into Braze
→Salesforce and Braze integration
Integration service
→Questions we hear
Can Data 360 activate directly to Braze?
Which pattern is fastest?
Will the acquisition add a connector?
Sources
Connect Data 360 audiences to Braze
Tell us which audiences and triggers you need and how fresh they must be. We can pick a pattern and test it with you.
