# Single customer view: person accounts and identity resolution

*Platform Data Architect Study Guide · Salesforce Data Management · Last updated October 26, 2026 · https://www.certifyforce.com/study-guide/platform-data-architect/salesforce-data-management/single-customer-view-person-accounts-and-identity-resolution*

Ways to show one customer across many systems: person accounts and Contacts to Multiple Accounts inside the org, external objects for data left at the source, and Data 360 identity resolution rulesets, match rules and reconciliation rules that build unified profiles without overwriting sources.

- Certification: Salesforce Platform Data Architect
- Exam section: Salesforce Data Management
- Study guide: https://www.certifyforce.com/study-guide/platform-data-architect

**Official exam objective:**

> Given a scenario with multiple systems of interaction, describe techniques to represent a single view of the customer on the Salesforce Platform.

## What the exam expects

- Model individual consumers with person accounts and people who work with several companies with Contacts to Multiple Accounts, and know each one's limits.
- Show data that stays in another system on the customer record with external objects instead of copying it.
- Design Data 360 identity resolution: mapping before rulesets, the primary data model object, match rules and match options, reconciliation rules, household rulesets and trial rulesets.
- Contrast a Data 360 unified profile with an MDM golden record.

Key terms: **unified profile** (linked view of source records that overwrites nothing); **golden record** (one best value per attribute, written back by MDM); **match rule** (criteria that must all be met to link records); **reconciliation rule** (picks one value for a single-value unified field); **unified link object** (maps each source record to its unified record).

## Key facts

| Fact | Detail | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Person account hierarchy | Can't be in account hierarchies or parent accounts | [Considerations for Using Person Accounts](https://help.salesforce.com/s/articleView?id=sf.account_person_behavior.htm&language=en_US&type=5) |
| `IsDirect` | True only for the contact's primary account | [AccountContactRelation](https://developer.salesforce.com/docs/atlas.en-us.object_reference.meta/object_reference/sforce_api_objects_accountcontactrelation.htm) |
| Duplicate matching with Contacts to Multiple Accounts | Uses the primary account only | [Considerations for Relating a Contact to Multiple Accounts](https://help.salesforce.com/s/articleView?language=en_US&id=sales.shared_contacts_considerations.htm&type=5) |
| Ruleset prerequisite | Mapping to data model objects completed first | [Unify Source Profiles](https://help.salesforce.com/s/articleView?language=en_US&id=data.c360_a_identity_resolution_unify_source_profiles.htm&type=5) |
| Ruleset ID | Up to four characters, unchangeable, needed on one of two rulesets | [Create Identity Resolution Rulesets](https://help.salesforce.com/s/articleView?id=data.c360_a_identity_resolution_ruleset_create.htm&language=en_US&type=5) |
| Contact points | Not reconciled; all values stay on the profile | [Reconciliation Rules](https://help.salesforce.com/s/articleView?id=data.c360_a_reconciliation_rules.htm&language=en_US&type=5) |
| Lineage | Unified Link objects map source records to unified Ids | [Unified Link Objects](https://help.salesforce.com/s/articleView?id=data.c360_a_identity_resolution_data_modeling_unified_and_link_objects.htm&language=en_US&type=5) |
| Household ruleset | Needs an Individual ruleset run first | [Create Identity Resolution Rulesets](https://help.salesforce.com/s/articleView?id=data.c360_a_identity_resolution_ruleset_create.htm&language=en_US&type=5) |

## Check yourself

- Why do unified profiles fit when business units can't agree which system owns each attribute?
- When should a custom match criterion use Case Sensitive?
- Which object lists every source record behind one unified individual?
- Why can't a duplicate rule compare contacts through their indirect accounts?

## Sources

- [Unify Source Profiles](https://help.salesforce.com/s/articleView?language=en_US&id=data.c360_a_identity_resolution_unify_source_profiles.htm&type=5)
- [About Identity Resolution](https://help.salesforce.com/s/articleView?id=data.c360_a_identity_resolution.htm&language=en_US&type=5)
- [Identity Resolution Rulesets](https://help.salesforce.com/s/articleView?language=en_US&id=data.c360_a_identity_resolution_ruleset.htm&type=5)
- [Create Identity Resolution Rulesets](https://help.salesforce.com/s/articleView?id=data.c360_a_identity_resolution_ruleset_create.htm&language=en_US&type=5)
- [Match Rules for Individuals](https://help.salesforce.com/s/articleView?id=data.c360_a_identity_resolution_match_rules_individuals.htm&language=en_US&type=5)
- [Match Rules for Accounts](https://help.salesforce.com/s/articleView?id=data.c360_a_identity_resolution_match_rules_accounts.htm&language=en_US&type=5)
- [Identity Resolution Reconciliation Rules](https://help.salesforce.com/s/articleView?id=data.c360_a_reconciliation_rules.htm&language=en_US&type=5)
- [Unified Link Objects and Relationships to Unified Objects](https://help.salesforce.com/s/articleView?id=data.c360_a_identity_resolution_data_modeling_unified_and_link_objects.htm&language=en_US&type=5)
- [Profile Unification Types](https://help.salesforce.com/s/articleView?id=data.c360_a_identity_resolution_unification_types.htm&language=en_US&type=5)
- [Understand Unified Profiles and Their Impacts on Data Strategy](https://trailhead.salesforce.com/content/learn/modules/data-and-identity-in-salesforce-cdp/get-to-know-unified-profiles)
- [Data 360 Architecture](https://architect.salesforce.com/docs/architect/fundamentals/guide/data-360-architecture.html)
- [Data 360 Integration Patterns](https://architect.salesforce.com/docs/architect/fundamentals/guide/data360_integration_patterns_and_practices.html)
- [Person Accounts](https://help.salesforce.com/HTViewHelpDoc?id=account_person.htm)
- [Considerations for Using Person Accounts](https://help.salesforce.com/s/articleView?id=sf.account_person_behavior.htm&language=en_US&type=5)
- [Contacts to Multiple Accounts](https://help.salesforce.com/apex/HTViewHelpDoc?id=shared_contacts_overview.htm)
- [Considerations for Relating a Contact to Multiple Accounts](https://help.salesforce.com/s/articleView?language=en_US&id=sales.shared_contacts_considerations.htm&type=5)
- [AccountContactRelation](https://developer.salesforce.com/docs/atlas.en-us.object_reference.meta/object_reference/sforce_api_objects_accountcontactrelation.htm)
- [Salesforce Connect](https://help.salesforce.com/s/articleView?id=platform.platform_connect_about.htm&language=en_US&type=5)
- [About Salesforce Data 360](https://help.salesforce.com/s/articleView?language=en_US&id=data.c360_a_data_cloud.htm&type=5)
- [Things to Know About Duplicate Rules](https://help.salesforce.com/s/articleView?language=en_US&id=sales.duplicate_rules_overview.htm&type=5)

## About the full unit

The "Core concepts", "Exam traps" and "Worked scenario" sections of this unit, its 17 linked practice questions, and unlimited timed mock exams are included with the Platform Data Architect pack (USD $19): https://www.certifyforce.com/practice-exams