# CRM data, people records and Actionable Lists

*Marketing Cloud Next Consultant Study Guide · Data Modeling, Identity Resolution & Segmentation · Last updated November 6, 2026 · https://www.certifyforce.com/study-guide/marketing-cloud-next-consultant/data-modeling-identity-resolution-and-segmentation/crm-data-people-records-and-actionable-lists*

Which people record fits each stage, how records become unified individuals, how to build and maintain Actionable Lists, and how CRM objects reach segments and content through data streams, streaming eligibility and data graphs.

- Certification: Salesforce Marketing Cloud Next Consultant
- Exam section: Data Modeling, Identity Resolution & Segmentation
- Study guide: https://www.certifyforce.com/study-guide/marketing-cloud-next-consultant

**Official exam objective:**

> Given a business requirement, identify how CRM data, including objects, records, and Actionable Lists, can be ingested and used for audience segmentation, activation, and content personalization.

## What the exam expects

- Choose among prospect, lead and contact for a person at a given stage.
- Explain how a CRM record becomes an individual and a unified individual, and what must finish before it joins a segment.
- Choose between an Actionable List and a segment, then create, update, share and automate a list.
- Bring a custom CRM object into segmentation, and explain batch and streaming behavior.
- State the consequences of skipping the sales data kit.
- Route related CRM data into message content.

**Key terms.** *Prospect*: someone who has shared contact details but isn't qualified. *Individual*: the Data 360 record created from a people record at sync. *Unified individual*: consolidated matching individuals. *Actionable List*: a fixed collection of leads or contacts. *Data Cloud Salesforce Connector*: the permission set that governs which CRM objects Data 360 can ingest.

## Key facts

| Fact | Detail | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Prospect conversion | A prospect can convert to a lead or a contact | [People Records](https://help.salesforce.com/s/articleView?id=mktg.mktg_audiences_people_records.htm&type=5&language=en_US) |
| Individual creation | At the next sync after a prospect, lead or contact is imported or created | [People Records](https://help.salesforce.com/s/articleView?id=mktg.mktg_audiences_people_records.htm&type=5&language=en_US) |
| List update without a person | Configure a flow, for example on a record change or form submission | [Actionable Lists](https://help.salesforce.com/s/articleView?id=mktg.mktg_audiences_actionable_lists.htm&type=5&language=en_US) |
| Create a list | Marketing Cloud Admin or Marketing Cloud Manager | [Actionable Lists](https://help.salesforce.com/s/articleView?id=mktg.mktg_audiences_actionable_lists.htm&type=5&language=en_US) |
| CRM connector object access | Read and View All Records | [Object and Field Permissions](https://help.salesforce.com/s/articleView?id=data.c360_a_crm_enable_object_and_field_permissions.htm&type=5&language=en_US) |
| Objects per stream creation | Select up to 30 | [CRM Data Stream](https://help.salesforce.com/s/articleView?id=data.c360_a_create_crm_data_stream.htm&type=5&language=en_US) |
| Streaming prerequisite | The object must support change events | [CRM Data Stream](https://help.salesforce.com/s/articleView?id=data.c360_a_create_crm_data_stream.htm&type=5&language=en_US) |
| Opportunity Influence | Requires the sales data kit | [Deploy Data Kits](https://help.salesforce.com/s/articleView?id=mktg.mktg_admin_data_kits_install_main.htm&type=5&language=en_US) |
| Segments in campaign flows | Unified Individual in the default data space for the baseline setup; configured business-unit campaigns use their unit's mapped data space. See "Business units, data spaces and workspace governance". | [Segmentation](https://help.salesforce.com/s/articleView?id=mktg.mktg_audiences_segmentation.htm&type=5&language=en_US); [Business-unit campaigns](https://help.salesforce.com/s/articleView?id=mktg.working_with_campaigns_in_business_units.htm&type=5&language=en_US) |

## Check yourself

- Why shouldn't an admin edit the DataCloudEntities channel through Metadata API?
- When does a list creator learn that an import has finished?
- What must a marketer enter to add one prospect manually?
- Why might CRM stream validation show Failed and then run again?

## Sources

- [People Records in Marketing Cloud Next](https://help.salesforce.com/s/articleView?id=mktg.mktg_audiences_people_records.htm&type=5&language=en_US)
- [Use Actionable Lists in Marketing Cloud Next](https://help.salesforce.com/s/articleView?id=mktg.mktg_audiences_actionable_lists.htm&type=5&language=en_US)
- [Target Audiences with Marketing Cloud Next](https://help.salesforce.com/s/articleView?id=mktg.mktg_audiences.htm&type=5&language=en_US)
- [Understanding Segmentation in Marketing Cloud Next](https://help.salesforce.com/s/articleView?id=mktg.mktg_audiences_segmentation.htm&type=5&language=en_US)
- [Add to Actionable List Element](https://help.salesforce.com/s/articleView?id=platform.flow_ref_elements_mktg_add_actionable_list.htm&type=5&language=en_US)
- [Deploy Data Kits for Marketing Cloud Next](https://help.salesforce.com/s/articleView?id=mktg.mktg_admin_data_kits_install_main.htm&type=5&language=en_US)
- [Data Cloud Considerations for Salesforce Foundations](https://help.salesforce.com/s/articleView?id=xcloud.base_considerations_data_cloud.htm&type=5&language=en_US)
- [Enable Object and Field Permissions for CRM Connections](https://help.salesforce.com/s/articleView?id=data.c360_a_crm_enable_object_and_field_permissions.htm&type=5&language=en_US)
- [Create a Salesforce CRM Data Stream](https://help.salesforce.com/s/articleView?id=data.c360_a_create_crm_data_stream.htm&type=5&language=en_US)
- [CRM Connector Streaming](https://help.salesforce.com/s/articleView?id=data.c360_a_crm_connector_streaming.htm&type=5&language=en_US)
- [Object Support for CRM Data Streams](https://help.salesforce.com/s/articleView?id=data.c360_a_crm_unsupported_objects_types.htm&type=5&language=en_US)
- [Personalize Content with Merge Fields](https://help.salesforce.com/s/articleView?id=mktg.mktg_content_personalization_merge_fields.htm&type=5&language=en_US)
- [Manage Data Sources for Personalizing Content](https://help.salesforce.com/s/articleView?id=mktg.mktg_content_personalization_data_sources.htm&type=5&language=en_US)
- [Data 360 Standard Permission Sets](https://help.salesforce.com/s/articleView?id=data.c360_a_userpermissions.htm&type=5&language=en_US)
- [Considerations for Prospects](https://help.salesforce.com/s/articleView?id=mktg.mktg_prospect_considerations.htm&type=5&language=en_US)
- [Working with Prospects](https://help.salesforce.com/s/articleView?id=mktg.mktg_prospects_leads_convert.htm&type=5&language=en_US)
- [Data Sources for Forms in Marketing Cloud Next](https://help.salesforce.com/s/articleView?id=mktg.mktg_content_form_data_sources.htm&type=5&language=en_US)
- [Working with Campaigns in Business Units](https://help.salesforce.com/s/articleView?id=mktg.working_with_campaigns_in_business_units.htm&type=5&language=en_US)

## About the full unit

The "Core concepts", "Exam traps" and "Worked scenario" sections of this unit, its 18 linked practice questions, and unlimited timed mock exams are included with the Marketing Cloud Next Consultant pack (USD $19): https://www.certifyforce.com/practice-exams