How to share data between instances (TapAccess)

What is Data Sharing?

Data Sharing allows you to pull data from one TapClicks instance into another instance using a feature called TapAccess. The most common use case for this is when a brand that is using TapClicks hires an agency that also uses TapClicks. Rather than login to multiple instances, the brand can simply setup Data Sharing to pull all their campaign information from the agency into Brand's TapClicks instance. This enables the brand to see all data in one place, even if it is coming from multiple external agencies.

Data Sharing utilizes a feature called TapAccess, which is one of the Delivery Methods found in a Smart Connector. To learn more about Delivery Types generally, please refer to this article.

How does Data Sharing work?

Here is how Data Sharing works generally (please refer to the step-by-step instructions below for more detail):

In this example, let’s assume you are a Brand and have your own instance of TapClicks. You have hired an agency that also uses TapClicks who will be running your Facebook campaigns. Rather than see the Facebook reporting from your agency in their instance, you want to bring the Facebook data into your instance, so you can see it beside all of your other marketing activities.

There are 6 components needed to activate a successful transfer of data between two instances:

Brand side instance (“Consuming instance”)

• Agency instance of TapClicks
• Agency instance user ID & login
• Agency instance Smart Connector

Agency side instance (“provisioning instance”)

• Client instance of TapClicks
• Client instance user ID & login
• Client instance Data Profile

In this use case, you first need to configure the agency instance. This is often referred to as the “provisioning instance” or the instance providing the data. To configure the provisioning instance for this task, you will need to ensure the Agency User credentials you’ll provide the Smart Connector are assigned to a Data Profile with the appropriate data views and metrics enabled. This means having someone login to the agency instance, review the Data Profile assigned to the agency user, and ensure it has all the metrics you are expecting to use. If the Data Profile isn’t configured correctly, you may end up establishing a good connection, but the data you expect won’t be pulled across. 

For more information about Data Views generally, refer to this article.

For more information about Data Profiles, refer to this article. 

The second part of establishing this connection occurs on the “brand side” of this arrangement. As the Brand user, you’ll login to your instance and create a Smart Connector. You’ll select “TapAccess” as the Delivery Type. Then you provide the credentials for the Agency User and select the Data Source and Data Views you want to show in the agency instance reporting. 

How to setup Data Sharing using TapAccess

These step-by-step instructions involve two parts:

1. Verifying configuration of the client user data profile
2. Creating a smart connector 

Part One: Configure Data Profile in provisioning instance 

1. Login to the TapClicks instance that you will be pulling data from
2. Navigate to Admin in the left sidebar
3. Select Data Profiles
4. Choose the Data Profile assigned the the User whose credentials will be provided to the Smart Connector
   
   Note: If you don’t know the Data Profile assigned to the User, simply type the user’s name into the Universal Search feature which is identified as a magnifying glass in the left sidebar. When you click on the user’s name, it will take you to a page that includes details about the Data Profiles they’ve been assigned.
   
   
5. Select the tab called Data Sources
6. Choose the Data Source you will be accessing with the Smart Connector
7. Then select the sub-navigation called Detail Grids
   
   In this example, we are looking at the “Client - Elite” Data Profile and viewing the Data Source called: Centro Basis DSP. This image is viewing the Conversions Data View. If you scroll down, you will see other Data Views, each with their own Active and Inactive Columns.
   
   
   
   
   
8. In the Detail Grids area, scroll down and review the Data Views. You will see Active and Inactive columns. The Active columns are the metrics that will be accessible by your Smart Connector 
9. If a metric you want to use in your reporting is not in the active column, then click on the “add” button in the inactive column for the respective metric
10. Once you have reviewed the Data Source and Data Views for this Data Profile, click save changes

Part Two: Create your Smart Connector

After you have ensured the configuration of your provisioning instance Data Profile(s), now navigate to the instance that will be pulling in the data. This is called the Consuming Instance. 

1. Select Data from the left sidenav
2. Click on Smart Connector in the sub navigation
3. Then Create New Smart Connector
4. Fill in the details for your Smart Connector
5. Select TapAccess from the Delivery Type dropdown menu
   
   
   
   
6. Enter the provisioning TapClicks instance URL in the Dashboard URL field
7. Click on Authenticate 
8. Enter the credentials for the provisioning instance you configured in Part One of these instructions
9. After you complete authentication, you’ll see the Data Source Selection area displayed.
10. Select the Data Category from the options available
11. Choose a Data Source from the list 
12. Select the Data View that has the data you want to pull in
13. The click the Load Data Fields button

Once you are done with these steps, map the fields as you would any Smart Connector. For more details on how to map data, please read this article.