Understanding the Blended Connectors' special behavior

This article will guide you through the special behaviors and functionalities of Blended Connectors to help you maximize their potential.

Blended Connector Basics

Private by Default: By default, every blend is private and saved in Draft mode once you click on the Save Draft button.
Limitations: There is a limit of 10 tables that can be used within a single blend. However, you can use the same connectors multiple times across different tables.
Filters: When setting up the Blended Connector you have the option to select a filter in each data source. These filters will allow you to save time by only bringing the data you actually want.

Mind that if you use a filter in the query that conflicts with the one in the setup, no data will be shown. For example, if the Blended Connector setup has a filter of Country = Spain and then the query gets a filter for another country, no error message will be shown, but no data will be imported.

Managing Blended Connectors

Published / Drafts: Blends can be saved as drafts and later published once you are satisfied with the configuration. Once the connector is published, it will be created in all Dataslayer destinations but Looker Studio, as it is a different platform.
Owner of the Blend: The creator of the blend is its owner. This ownership allows specific management privileges, including editing and sharing. You can transfer the ownership of the blend to another user within the company, but this action can only be undone or changed by the company owner or the new owner of the blend.

Please, click here to learn how to transfer the ownership of a Blended Connector.

In Google Sheets: Remember that all queries are stored in a sheet called DataslayerQueries, and these Blended Connectors will be shown in the Data Source column as "Blendname_675hfndjsvsdb7364bfbef".

Please don't delete the hash after Blendname as it is an identifier.

Credentials and Notifications

Blended Connectors use the credentials of their creator. If someone in the same Company other than the creator tries to use the blend and the creator's credentials have expired, the system will automatically use this user's credentials, provided they have access to the same Hub Account.

Customizing Tables

Table Customization: Each table within a blend can be customized according to the specific requirements of the connector. This customization includes selecting your Hub Accounts (Emails), Accounts, dimensions, metrics, or filters.

Each account, metric, and dimension field will be listed under each selected data source in the Blended Connector. If a data source is selected more than once, the fields will also display the name of the specific table they originate from. For example, in the metrics dropdown, it would appear as follows:

Facebook Ads
- Total cost
- Impressions
- ROAS

Google Ads Table 2
- Cost
- Impressions

Google Ads Table 3
- Cost
- Impressions

NAME

Keep in mind that when creating a table and selecting accounts from a data source, you also need to choose metrics and dimensions from the same data source for the creation of the Blended Connector. Otherwise, an error message will pop up requesting to select metrics and dimensions missing from the account.

Duplicate / Delete Tables: You have the option to duplicate or delete tables within a blend, giving you flexibility in managing your data configurations. Mind that the delete action will erase all join configurations that include this table.
Data Sources' Options: Each data source within a blend can have unique settings and options, allowing for precise control over how data is imported and processed.

Mind the Blend-level and Query-level Options:

Options for each data source (Blend-level): There are certain data sources with special options, such as Facebook Ads, X (Twitter), or Google Search Console. These options will only appear at the Blended Connector level; they will NOT appear in the query.

- The option "Make filters CASE SENSITIVE" will remain on all blend tables.
Options for each query (Query-level): When you create or modify a query, only the options common to all connectors and affecting the entire query will appear in the Options section. For example, "include empty data" or "replace blank cells with 0".

- The option “Fetch Data From Available Sources“ if selected, allows your query to proceed even if certain errors occur in one of the associated data sources in a Blended Connector (BC).
- If any data source returns errors such as Invalid Combination, Internal Data source Error, Unexpected Error, Token Expired, Invalid Authentication, missing permissions, or Time Out (except the specific 1-hour timeout for Google Sheets), the query will still run if at least one data source works.
This feature ensures your queries continue to run smoothly, even if some data sources encounter issues.

Advanced Features

Calculated Fields: This feature allows you to create new fields based on existing data. For more details, refer to the dedicated article on Calculated Fields.
Join Configuration: It is the process of defining how tables within a blend are linked together based on common fields. This is crucial for merging data accurately and effectively. For more details, refer to the dedicated article on Join Configurations.

Sharing and Collaboration

Sharing with Your Company: While blends are private by default, you can choose to share them with other users within your Dataslayer company account, facilitating collaboration and data consistency across your team.

By understanding these aspects of Blended Connectors, you can better manage and utilize your data within Dataslayer.ai, ensuring more efficient and insightful data analysis.

As always, please do not hesitate to contact us via our live chat on our website or via e-mail if you still have doubts or questions. We are happy to help!