# Setup Home account, feature and data settings

*Marketing Cloud Engagement Administrator Study Guide · Setup · Last updated October 16, 2026 · https://www.certifyforce.com/study-guide/marketing-cloud-engagement-administrator/setup/setup-home-account-feature-and-data-settings*

What each Setup Home area of Marketing Cloud Engagement is for: Setup Assistant, Limits and Guidelines, Account Settings versus User Preferences, the Feature Settings tools (Calendar, Tags, SSL certificates, Event Notification Service, BrandBuilder, Web Analytics Connector, Manage Parameters), Account Login Access, Data 360 governance permissions and data retention.

- Certification: Salesforce Marketing Cloud Engagement Administrator
- Exam section: Setup
- Study guide: https://www.certifyforce.com/study-guide/marketing-cloud-engagement-administrator

**Official exam objective:**

> Describe the features in Setup Home.

## What the exam expects

- Name the Setup Home area for a requirement: Setup Assistant, Limits and Guidelines, Account Settings or User Preferences.
- Match each Feature Settings tool to its job: Types of Data Usage, Calendar, SSL certificates, ENS, BrandBuilder, Web Analytics Connector, Manage Parameters, Tags.
- Explain Account Login Access: default, user level and expiry.
- Recognize what Data 360 Data Governance needs before it covers Engagement objects.
- Archive first, then apply data retention, when old data must be kept.
- Key terms: **Feature Settings** (per-feature settings); **ENS** (event notifications to your own system); **Account Login Access** (time-limited Support login); **data retention** (periodic removal of data extension records).

## Key facts

| Fact | Detail | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Setup Assistant outcome | Configures a new account, builds a data structure, ends with create, send and track an email | [Setup Assistant](https://help.salesforce.com/s/articleView?id=mktg.mc_overview_setup_assistant.htm&type=5&language=en_US) |
| Account Settings path | Setup > Company Settings > Account > Account Settings | [Account Settings](https://help.salesforce.com/s/articleView?id=mktg.mc_es_view_account_settings.htm&language=en_US&type=5) |
| User Preferences defaults | Central Standard Time and en-US until the user changes them | [User Preferences](https://help.salesforce.com/s/articleView?id=mktg.mc_overview_user_pref.htm&language=en_US&type=5) |
| Billing vs standard reports | Standard reports can omit billable usage such as test sends | [Feature Settings](https://help.salesforce.com/s/articleView?id=mktg.mc_overview_feature_settings.htm&type=5&language=en_US) |
| SSL certificates | One per subdomain; SAP or Private Domain required first | [SSL Certificates](https://help.salesforce.com/s/articleView?id=mktg.mc_es_ssl_certificates.htm&language=en_US&type=5) |
| ENS events | Password resets, order confirmations, MFA logins, engagement events, automation alerts | [Event Notification Service](https://help.salesforce.com/s/articleView?id=mktg.mc_overview_ens.htm&language=en_US&type=5) |
| BrandBuilder scope | Set at the top-level account, associate with other business units | [BrandBuilder](https://help.salesforce.com/s/articleView?id=mktg.mc_overview_brandbuilder.htm&language=en_US&type=5) |
| Manage Parameters scope | Applied to all messages sent from the business unit | [Manage Parameters](https://help.salesforce.com/s/articleView?id=mktg.mc_overview_parameter_management.htm&language=en_US&type=5) |
| Account Login Access default | On at account level; optional user level; expires or revoked manually | [Account Login Access](https://help.salesforce.com/s/articleView?id=mktg.mc_overview_account_login_access.htm&type=5&language=en_US) |
| Retention job | Once a day, 4 to 10 hours, delayed under load | [Data Retention Guidelines](https://help.salesforce.com/s/articleView?id=mktg.mc_overview_data_extensions_considerations.htm&language=en_US&type=5) |

## Check yourself

- Why might a standard email report show fewer messages than the invoice?
- When does an admin use User Preferences instead of Account Settings?
- Why isn't a Data 360 governance policy applying to Marketing Cloud Engagement objects?
- What does Setup Assistant have the admin do at the end?

## Sources

- [Marketing Cloud Engagement Setup](https://help.salesforce.com/s/articleView?id=mktg.mc_overview_administration.htm&language=en_US&type=5)
- [Feature Settings](https://help.salesforce.com/s/articleView?id=mktg.mc_overview_feature_settings.htm&type=5&language=en_US)
- [Setup Assistant](https://help.salesforce.com/s/articleView?id=mktg.mc_overview_setup_assistant.htm&type=5&language=en_US)
- [Limits and Guidelines](https://help.salesforce.com/s/articleView?id=mktg.mc_overview_limits.htm&language=en_US&type=5)
- [Account Settings in Marketing Cloud Engagement](https://help.salesforce.com/s/articleView?id=mktg.mc_es_view_account_settings.htm&language=en_US&type=5)
- [Marketing Cloud Engagement User Preferences](https://help.salesforce.com/s/articleView?id=mktg.mc_overview_user_pref.htm&language=en_US&type=5)
- [Account Login Access](https://help.salesforce.com/s/articleView?id=mktg.mc_overview_account_login_access.htm&type=5&language=en_US)
- [SSL Certificates for Custom Domain Security](https://help.salesforce.com/s/articleView?id=mktg.mc_es_ssl_certificates.htm&language=en_US&type=5)
- [Event Notification Service](https://help.salesforce.com/s/articleView?id=mktg.mc_overview_ens.htm&language=en_US&type=5)
- [BrandBuilder for Marketing Cloud Engagement](https://help.salesforce.com/s/articleView?id=mktg.mc_overview_brandbuilder.htm&language=en_US&type=5)
- [Web Analytics Connector](https://help.salesforce.com/s/articleView?id=mktg.mc_wa_web_analytics_connector.htm&language=en_US&type=5)
- [Manage Parameters](https://help.salesforce.com/s/articleView?id=mktg.mc_overview_parameter_management.htm&language=en_US&type=5)
- [Enable Data Governance Permissions for Marketing Cloud Engagement Objects](https://help.salesforce.com/s/articleView?id=mktg.mc_overview_enable_data_governance_permissions.htm&language=en_US&type=5)
- [Data Retention Guidelines](https://help.salesforce.com/s/articleView?id=mktg.mc_overview_data_extensions_considerations.htm&language=en_US&type=5)
- [Audit Trail](https://help.salesforce.com/s/articleView?id=mktg.mc_overview_audit_trail.htm&language=en&type=5)

## About the full unit

The "Core concepts", "Exam traps" and "Worked scenario" sections of this unit, its 19 linked practice questions, and unlimited timed mock exams are included with the Marketing Cloud Engagement Administrator pack (USD $19): https://www.certifyforce.com/practice-exams