# Using your Data Index

The **Data Index** provides information about the events and attributes stored on people and objects in your workspace. It can help you understand what data you’re using and where you use it—segments, campaigns, and more.

## Why use the Data Index[](#why-use-the-data-index)

The Data Index is useful for things like:

*   **Troubleshooting**: Are your campaigns behaving strangely? Check the Data Index to see if a particular event is being sent multiple times or if it’s being used by multiple campaigns.
*   **Data clean-up**: Data gets messy sometimes. Check if your attributes or events are similarly named or near-duplicates and clean your data accordingly.
*   **Visibility and clarity**: Determine if a piece of data you need for a campaign is already being sent to Customer.io or if you need to start sending it to us. [Add tags to your data](#tag-your-data) to help you organize and keep track of related data.
*   **Marking attributes as sensitive**: On certain plans, account admins and workspace admins can locate and [mark attributes as sensitive](#mark-attributes-as-sensitive) in the Data Index to ensure data privacy across team members.

## How to use the Data Index[](#how-to-use-the-data-index)

On the left-hand navigation, go to [**Data & Integrations** > **Data Index**](https://fly.customer.io/workspaces/last/journeys/data-index/attributes). All roles can view the index, but only [account and workspace admins](/accounts-and-workspaces/add-remove-team-members/#data-index) can edit descriptions or export data.

[![A page titled data index. There are two tabs in a table below the title. The first tab is selected and reads Attributes. There are a list of attributes like anonymous_id and email listed. The second tab is Events.](https://docs.customer.io/images/data-index-3.png)](#03d0690a8ea1cec4680f01e362b92013-lightbox)

At the top, you can switch between *Attributes* and *Events*.

*   Attributes are data stored on your customers or objects. Customers are referred to as “[people](/journeys/people-overview/)” in Customer.io, and each person has a profile where we store attributes. [Objects](/journeys/objects-start/) are data that help you relate people to entities like accounts they belong to or courses they’re enrolled in. You can switch between people’s profile data and objects data with the dropdown filter.
    
    [![A closeup of the filters at the top of the Data Index. Attributes is selected as is the dropdown filter Profile Attributes.](https://docs.customer.io/images/data-index-filters.png)](#fe8d494480dd07237025bd63aba7c446-lightbox)
    
    *   **Profile Attributes** show any attribute stored on people’s profiles.
    *   **Custom Object Attributes** show attributes saved across any object in an [object typeAn object type is a group of objects. An object type could be Online Classes while an object within the type could be English 101. Customer.io generates a unique, immutable `object_type_id`.](/journeys/object-types/) (what you see in the left-hand navigation of your workspace), like Online Classes Attributes.
    *   **Custom Object Relationship Attributes** show attributes saved on [relationshipsThe connection between an object and a person in your workspace. For instance, if you have Account objects, people could have relationships to an Account if they’re admins.](/journeys/relationships/) between people and any object in an object type, like Online Classes Relationship Attributes.
*   [Events](/journeys/events/) are actions your people perform in your mobile app, website, or wherever you track them.
    

You can filter your data further by *Usage*. Click **Attributes in use** to filter out unused data. An attribute is in use if it’s used in a campaign, newsletter, segment, email template and/or snippet.

## Tag your data[](#tag-your-data)

In your Data Index, you can manage tags for your attributes and events. Tags you create here are available across all automations as well as segments.

You can also [assign tags](/journeys/tagging-campaigns/#from-your-data-index) from the Data Index table or from individual attribute pages.

Our [AI-powered segment builder](/journeys/segment-builder/) takes these tags into account to generate more relevant segment conditions too!

## Attribute list[](#attribute-list)

By default, the *Attributes* tab lists all the [peopleAn instance of a person. Generally, a person is synonymous with their profile; there should be a one-to-one relationship between a real person and their profile in Customer.io. You reference a person’s profile attributes in liquid using `customer`—e.g. `{{customer.email}}`.](/merge-people) attributes in your workspace in alphabetical order. Use the dropdown menu to switch to [objectAn object is a non-person entity that you can associate with one or more people—like a company, account, or online course.](/journeys/objects/) or [relationshipThe connection between an object and a person in your workspace. For instance, if you have Account objects, people could have relationships to an Account if they’re admins.](/journeys/relationships/) attributes.

Use the search bar to find a specific attribute in the list.

For event data, switch to the [*Events* tab](#event-list).

### View attribute usage and details[](#view-a-single-attribute)

Click an [attributeA key-value pair that you associate with a person or an object—like a person’s name, the date they were created in your workspace, or a company’s billing date etc. Use attributes to target people and personalize messages.](/journeys/attributes/) to see where it’s used and recent activity:

*   *Usage* reflects the campaigns, segments, newsletters, templates, snippets, and layouts that use the attribute. Templates are emails that reference the attribute. If a campaign uses the attribute, it could mean it’s used in a filter, trigger condition, action condition, goal, or other conditions. Click a campaign name to see details.
    
     *Usage* does not track object or relationship attributes referenced by liquid
    
    While we track when liquid references profile attributes and events, we don’t track this for objects or relationships currently. This means templates, snippets, and layouts always show as unused for these attributes.
    
*   *Activity* reflects the five most recent attribute changes.

[![An attribute in the data index](https://docs.customer.io/images/data-index-attribute-4.png)](#2291319ef7f444ed58731516e0155ccc-lightbox)

You can also perform a few actions from this page:

*   Edit the name, description, or tags.
*   [Mark people’s attributes as sensitive](/accounts-and-workspaces/add-remove-team-members/#hide-sensitive-attributes) to ensure data privacy across team members
*   Use the attribute in a new segment, campaign, etc. Click **Use in** to see your options.
*   View sources to see which integrations or actions set the attribute.
*   Filter for people with this attribute.

### Describe an attribute[](#describe-an-attribute)

You can add descriptions to attributes in the Data Index so all of your teammates are on the same page. Our AI-powered segment builder takes these descriptions into account to generate more relevant segment conditions too!

In the [Data Index](https://fly.customer.io/workspaces/last/journeys/data-index/attributes), click an attribute then click **Edit** next to **Description** to get started.

You can click in the description field to generate a description with AI. Review AI-generated descriptions for accuracy before you save them.

### Mark attributes as sensitive[](#mark-attributes-as-sensitive)

[Premium This feature is available for Premium plans.](/accounts-and-workspaces/plan-features/)

Account admins and workspace admins can mark profile attributes as sensitive in the [Data Index](https://fly.customer.io/workspaces/last/journeys/data-index/attributes). This redacts values but not attributes names from the workspace and helps ensure data privacy across team members. If you have a custom role that includes the [Edit permission for the Data Index](/accounts-and-workspaces/create-roles/#data-index), you can also mark attributes as sensitive.

You can also mark event attributes as sensitive independently. In the *Events* tab, select an event to find its attributes and mark them as sensitive. Profile and event attributes are separate—marking a profile attribute as sensitive doesn’t automatically redact event attributes with the same name.

1.  In the *Attributes* tab, click an attribute.
2.  Click **Edit** in the panel.
3.  Click “Make sensitive.” To unhide sensitive attributes, select the box to uncheck it.
    
     Not seeing *Make sensitive*?
    
    Check that you’re an Account Admin or Workspace Admin in [Team Members](https://fly.customer.io/settings/team). If you are, then check whether you’re on a [Premium or Enterprise plan](https://fly.customer.io/settings/billing/your-plan) or reach out to someone with billing access. Otherwise, you’ll have to upgrade for access.
    
4.  Click **Save**.
5.  Next, assign “Hide sensitive attributes” to team members.

How you hide sensitive data depends on the type of workspace-level role you’re assigning to team members.

*   [For standard roles](/accounts-and-workspaces/assign-standard-roles/#hide-sensitive-attributes), you’ll choose “Hide sensitive attributes” when assigning the role of Author or Viewer.
*   [For custom roles](/accounts-and-workspaces/create-roles/#hide-sensitive-attributes), you’ll choose “Hide sensitive attributes” when creating the role.

### Export attributes[](#export-attributes)

On the Attributes tab, click **Export to CSV** in the top right and choose the type of export you want.

You can export information for people, object, or relationship attributes. Each attribute type has two export options.

[![The export to CSV button shows a dropdown of options like Attributes and Attributes Usage.](https://docs.customer.io/images/data-index-export-dropdown-3.png)](#db96188135257610c91fc9109b8e08a4-lightbox)

#### Profile attributes[](#profile-attributes)

The **Attributes** export is an overview of where you use profile attributes:

*   **Name**: the attribute name
*   **Campaigns**: the number of campaigns where it’s used as a filter, trigger, action condition, goal, and more
*   **Segments**: the number of segments it’s used in
*   **Newsletters**: the number of newsletters it’s used in as a recipient filter
*   **People**: the number of people in your workspace who have the attribute
*   **Last Updated**: the timestamp of when the attribute was last modified across your people

 The *Last Updated* date might show January 1, 1970

We store activities like attribute updates for 30 days. If you haven’t updated an attribute in 30 days, the *Last Updated* timestamp changes to zero (0) which is [equal to January 1, 1970](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Unix_time).

The **Attribute Usage** export is a breakdown of where you use profile attributes:

*   **Name**: the attribute name
*   **Used In**: indicates “Segment,” “Campaign,” or “Newsletter”
*   **Usage Name**: the name of the segment, campaign, or newsletter that the attribute is used in
*   **Link**: a link to the segment, campaign, or newsletter that the attribute is used in

#### Custom object attributes[](#custom-object-attributes)

The **Custom Object Attributes** export is an overview of how many objects use each attribute in the object type exported:

*   **Name**: the attribute name
*   **Object Type**: the name of the object type exported
*   **Objects Count**: the number of objects that have the attribute

The **Custom Object Attribute Usage** export is a breakdown of where each object attribute is used:

*   **Name**: the attribute name
*   **Object Type**: the name of the object type exported
*   **Used In**: indicates “Segment,” “Campaign,” or “Newsletter”
*   **Usage Name**: the name of the segment, campaign, or newsletter that the attribute is used in
*   **Link**: a link to the segment, campaign, or newsletter that the attribute is used in

#### Custom object relationship attributes[](#custom-object-relationship-attributes)

The **Custom Object Relationship Attributes** export is an overview of how many relationships use each attribute in the object type exported:

*   **Name**: the attribute name
*   **Object Type**: the name of the object type exported
*   **Relationships Count**: the number of relationships that have the attribute

The **Custom Object Relationship Attribute Usage** export is a breakdown of where each relationship attribute is used:

*   **Name**: the attribute name
*   **Object Type**: the name of the object type exported
*   **Used In**: indicates “Segment,” “Campaign,” or “Newsletter”
*   **Usage Name**: the name of the segment, campaign, or newsletter that the attribute is used in
*   **Link**: a link to the segment, campaign, or newsletter that the attribute is used in

## Event List[](#event-list)

The *Events* tab lists the events that you’ve sent to Customer.io in alphabetical order. Use the search bar to find a specific event in the list.

### View event usage and details[](#view-a-single-event)

Click an event to see where it’s used and recent activity:

*   *Usage* reflects the campaigns, segments, newsletters, templates, snippets, and layouts that use the event. Templates are emails that reference the attribute. If a campaign uses the event, it could mean it’s used in a filter, trigger condition, action condition, goal, or other conditions. Click a campaign name to see details.
*   *Activity* reflects the five most recent attribute changes.

[![An event in the data index](https://docs.customer.io/images/data-index-event-2.png)](#56a68ca1d014d43f14c7619a97d7b434-lightbox)

You can also create a segment, campaign, etc with the event. Click **Use in** to see your options.

### Describe an event[](#describe-an-event)

You can add descriptions to events in the Data Index so all of your teammates are on the same page. Our AI-powered segment builder takes these descriptions into account to generate more relevant segment conditions too!

In the [Data Index](https://fly.customer.io/workspaces/last/journeys/data-index/attributes), click the Events tab, then click an event name. Click **Edit** next to **Description** to get started.

You can click in the description field to generate a description with AI. Review AI-generated descriptions for accuracy before you save them.

### Export events[](#export-events)

You can export **Events** or **Events Usage** from the Data Index.

On the Events tab, click **Export to CSV** in the top right and choose the type of export you want.

[![The data index page. In the top right, below the Need help button is a button labeled Export to CSV. It is selected and shows a dropdown with two options: Events and Event Usage.](https://docs.customer.io/images/data-index-export-dropdown-2.png)](#316c9f8ef47040a2251dc8751edd4827-lightbox)

The **Events** export includes:

*   **Name**: the name of the event
*   **Campaigns**: the number of campaigns where it’s used as a filter, trigger condition, action condition, goal, and more
*   **Segments**: the number of segments it’s used in
*   **People**: the number of people who have performed the event at least once
*   **Last Received**: the timestamp of when Customer.io last logged the event
*   **Last Data**: the data sent with the last received event

 The *Last Received* date might show January 1, 1970

We store activity data for 30 days. If you haven’t received an event in 30 days, the *Last Received* timestamp changes to zero (0) which is [equal to January 1, 1970](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Unix_time).

The **Events Usage** export includes:

*   **Name**: the event name
*   **Used In**: whether the event is used in a segment, campaign, or newsletter
*   **Usage Name**: the name of the segment, campaign, or newsletter that the event is used in
*   **Link**: a link to the segment, campaign, or newsletter that the event is used in

## Edit attributes details in bulk[](#edit-attributes-details-in-bulk)

From the Data Index, you can modify multiple attributes or events at once. You can filter or search for the data you want to edit, then check the box next to each item and you’ll see an *Actions* dropdown.

In the *Actions* dropdown, you have three options:

*   **Edit**: Edit the descriptions or tags of multiple attributes or events at once
*   **Generate descriptions**: Generate descriptions for multiple attributes or events using AI
*   **Delete**: Delete the attributes from your index. This is only possible for attributes not used in segments, campaigns, or elsewhere in your workspace. [Learn more about deleting attributes from your workspace](/journeys/attributes/#removing-attributes).

 Generating descriptions with AI overwrites existing descriptions

After you confirm you want to generate descriptions, we overwrite any existing descriptions. While you can edit them afterwards, you can’t revert the change to a previous description.

## View the sources of your data[](#track-sources)

You can see where your attributes and events come from in your workspace’s Data Index under *Sources*. We started tracking sources on August 25, 2025; you can’t view source data from before then.

In the index, you can preview and filter by sources.

*   Hover over the source to view the name of the integration or action that changed the data. Click the source to view the integration in your workspace.
*   Click **Filters** to select one or more sources to filter your data index.

If the source is empty for an attribute or event, the data was last added or changed before August 25, 2025.

### Source options[](#source-options)

This is a list of some of our sources. If you have questions about others, send us feedback by clicking the thumbs down icon and typing your request!

Source

Description

Attribute update action

A “Create or update person” action in a campaign or API-triggered broadcast

Action

Any action that can update attributes in a campaign or API-triggered broadcast, like “Send and receive data” or “Batch update”. This excludes “Create or update person” actions (see above).

Customer.io Journeys API  
OR  
Integration: Customer.io API

Integrations that uses our Pipelines API

Customer.io Track API

Integrations that uses our Track API

List unsubscribe

A customer unsubscribed through your workspace’s subscription page.

Updated in dashboard

A team member manually updated the attribute in your workspace.