# ActvPlatformAdncIdentifier Metadata Type in SFDX

> ActvPlatformAdncIdentifier configures the Contact Point and Audience Identifier match keys (such as Email, Phone, Mobile Advertiser ID, or OTT ID) required by a Data Cloud ActivationPlatform.

- Source: https://sfdxtalk.com/docs/metadata/actv-platform-adnc-identifier-metadata-type/
- Category: Metadata
- Applies to: Salesforce Winter '27 (API version 68.0)
- Level: advanced
- Published: 2026-11-12
- Last updated: 2026-11-12
- Publisher: SFDX Talk Editorial (unofficial; not affiliated with or endorsed by Salesforce)
- License: CC BY 4.0 (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/)

## Architectural Overview

The `ActvPlatformAdncIdentifier` (Activation Platform Audience Identifier) metadata type configures the **Contact Point and Identity Match Keys** for an `ActivationPlatform` in **Salesforce Data Cloud**. When activating a segment of Unified Individuals to an external advertising platform or clean room, the destination platform matches audience members using deterministic identifiers—such as SHA-256 hashed email addresses (`ContactPointEmail`), normalized E.164 phone numbers (`ContactPointPhone`), Mobile Advertiser IDs (`ContactPointApp` / IDFA / GAID), or external subscriber IDs (`PartyIdentification`).

By defining `ActvPlatformAdncIdentifier` components on an `ActivationPlatform`, architects codify which contact point DMO entities, identifier subtypes, and hashing/formatting rules the platform requires to resolve audience members.

```mermaid
flowchart TD
    A["Unified Individual Profile"] --> B["Contact Point DMOs (Email, Phone, App ID)"]
    C["ActivationPlatform"] --> D["ActvPlatformAdncIdentifier"]
    B --> D
    D --> E["Applies Identifier Type & Match Rules"]
    E --> F["External Ad Network Audience Match"]
```

## Directory and File Conventions

In SFDX source format (`apiVersion` 68.0), `ActvPlatformAdncIdentifier` files are stored in the `actvPlatformAdncIdentifiers` folder.

| Property | Value |
| :--- | :--- |
| **Metadata Type Name** | `ActvPlatformAdncIdentifier` |
| **SFDX Folder** | `force-app/main/default/actvPlatformAdncIdentifiers/` |
| **File Suffix** | `.actvPlatformAdncIdentifier-meta.xml` |
| **Wildcard Support (`*`)** | Supported in `package.xml` |

## Key Metadata Fields

The `ActvPlatformAdncIdentifier` XML schema includes the following core properties:

| Field Name | Field Type | Required | Architectural Description |
| :--- | :--- | :--- | :--- |
| `masterLabel` | `string` | Yes | Human-readable name of the audience identifier in Data Cloud Setup. |
| `activationPlatform` | `string` | Yes | DeveloperName of the parent `ActivationPlatform` that uses this identifier. |
| `activationPlatformField` | `string` | No | DeveloperName of the target `ActivationPlatformField` receiving the identifier value. |
| `entityName` | `string` | Yes | API name of the Contact Point or Identity DMO (such as `ssot__ContactPointEmail__dlm` or `ssot__ContactPointPhone__dlm`). |
| `fieldName` | `string` | Yes | API name of the identifier field on the DMO (such as `ssot__EmailAddress__c` or `ssot__FormattedE164PhoneNumber__c`). |
| `identifierType` | `string` | No | Classification of the match key (for example, `Email`, `Phone`, `MAID`, `OTT`, `FirstPartyId`). |
| `identifierSubType` | `string` | No | Granular sub-type (such as `IDFA`, `GAID`, or `SHA256`). |

> [!TIP]
> Include multiple `ActvPlatformAdncIdentifier` definitions (for example, both `ContactPointEmail` and `ContactPointPhone`) on advertising `ActivationPlatform` targets. Multi-key activation typically improves external DSP match rates by 15%–30% compared to email-only activation.

## Declarative XML and Package Manifest Examples

The following example configures a Contact Point Email audience identifier for `Enterprise_DSP_Platform`:

```xml title="force-app/main/default/actvPlatformAdncIdentifiers/DSP_Email_Identifier.actvPlatformAdncIdentifier-meta.xml"
<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?>
<ActvPlatformAdncIdentifier xmlns="http://soap.sforce.com/2006/04/metadata">
    <activationPlatform>Enterprise_DSP_Platform</activationPlatform>
    <activationPlatformField>DSP_Hashed_Email_Field</activationPlatformField>
    <entityName>ssot__ContactPointEmail__dlm</entityName>
    <fieldName>ssot__EmailAddress__c</fieldName>
    <identifierType>Email</identifierType>
    <masterLabel>DSP Hashed Email Identifier</masterLabel>
</ActvPlatformAdncIdentifier>
```

### Package Manifest (`package.xml`)

```xml title="manifest/package.xml"
<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?>
<Package xmlns="http://soap.sforce.com/2006/04/metadata">
    <types>
        <members>Enterprise_DSP_Platform</members>
        <name>ActivationPlatform</name>
    </types>
    <types>
        <members>DSP_Hashed_Email_Field</members>
        <name>ActivationPlatformField</name>
    </types>
    <types>
        <members>DSP_Email_Identifier</members>
        <name>ActvPlatformAdncIdentifier</name>
    </types>
    <version>68.0</version>
</Package>
```

## SOQL Queries and CLI Automation

Query `ActvPlatformAdncIdentifier` records via SOQL or deploy using Salesforce CLI:

```soql
SELECT Id, DeveloperName, MasterLabel, EntityName,
       FieldName, IdentifierType, IdentifierSubType
FROM ActvPlatformAdncIdentifier
ORDER BY MasterLabel ASC
```

```bash
# Retrieve all ActvPlatformAdncIdentifier components
sf project retrieve start --metadata "ActvPlatformAdncIdentifier:*"

# Deploy a specific audience identifier definition
sf project deploy start --metadata ActvPlatformAdncIdentifier:DSP_Email_Identifier
```

## Architect Best Practices and Gotchas

- **Identity Resolution Ruleset Alignment:** An `ActvPlatformAdncIdentifier` can only export contact points if the underlying `ssot__ContactPointEmail__dlm` or `ssot__ContactPointPhone__dlm` DMO is properly linked to `ssot__Individual__dlm` in your Data Cloud Data Space and Identity Resolution Ruleset.
- **Phone Number Normalization:** When configuring phone-based `ActvPlatformAdncIdentifier` components, always map `ssot__FormattedE164PhoneNumber__c` rather than raw unformatted phone strings so SHA-256 hashes match the E.164 normalization standard expected by Meta, Google, and DSP endpoints.

> [!WARNING]
> Removing an `ActvPlatformAdncIdentifier` from an `ActivationPlatform` that is actively used by scheduled segment activations can cause those activations to fail validation on their next scheduled publish run.

## Frequently Asked Questions

### What is ActvPlatformAdncIdentifier in Salesforce Data Cloud?

It defines the audience identity match keys—such as Contact Point Email, Contact Point Phone, Mobile Advertiser ID (MAID), or Party Identification—used to match unified profiles on an external ActivationPlatform.

### Why are audience identifiers separated from standard ActivationPlatformActvAttr attributes?

Audience identifiers represent 1:M contact points (Email, Phone, Device ID) that often require hashing (SHA-256) and priority ranking during identity resolution, whereas standard attributes describe 1:1 profile properties.

### Where are ActvPlatformAdncIdentifier files stored in SFDX source format?

They are stored in force-app/main/default/actvPlatformAdncIdentifiers with the .actvPlatformAdncIdentifier-meta.xml file extension.

### Can an ActivationPlatform support multiple ActvPlatformAdncIdentifier records?

Yes. An ad-network ActivationPlatform commonly includes multiple identifiers—such as hashed email, hashed phone, IDFA, and AAID—to maximize match rates.

## Official References

- https://developer.salesforce.com/docs/platform/api-metadata/references/meta-types/metadata-actvplatformadncidentifier.md