Data Views in SFMC are system-generated tables that store tracking and subscriber data. These tables provide insights into email sends, clicks, opens, bounces, unsubscribes, and more. They are primarily used in SQL queries within Automation Studio to extract and analyze historical data.

1. Key Features of Data Views

• Prebuilt System Tables – SFMC automatically generates and maintains these tables.
• Historical Data Storage – Most tables retain data for six months.
• SQL Querying – You can access Data Views using SQL activities in Automation Studio.
• Read-Only – Data Views cannot be edited or modified; they are strictly for querying.

1. List of Common Data Views in SFMC
2. a) Subscriber & Send Tracking

Data View	Description
_Subscribers	Contains subscriber details like SubscriberKey, EmailAddress, Status (Active, Bounced, Unsubscribed).
_Sent	Logs every email send event, storing JobID, SubscriberKey, SendTime, etc.
_Job	Stores metadata about email sends (e.g., JobID, EmailSubject, FromEmail).

1. b) Engagement & Interaction Tracking

Data View	Description
_Open	Tracks email open events (EventDate, JobID, SubscriberKey).
_Click	Logs click activities, including URL, JobID, and SubscriberKey.
_Bounce	Contains bounce details (BounceType, BounceReason, SubscriberKey).
_Unsubscribe	Records unsubscribed users along with EventDate, JobID.

1. c) Mobile Data Views

Data View	Description
_SMSMessageTracking	Captures sent SMS details (JobID, SubscriberKey, MessageText).
_SMSSubscriptionLog	Logs SMS opt-ins and opt-outs.

1. d) Journey Builder & Automation Tracking

Data View	Description
_Journey	Contains metadata of Journeys (JourneyID, Name, Version).
_JourneyActivity	Tracks Journey Builder activity execution (ActivityType, SubscriberKey).
_AutomationInstance	Logs Automation Studio executions (AutomationID, Status, RunTime).

3. Understanding Key Columns in Data Views

Example: _Sent Table

Column	Description
JobID	Unique identifier for an email send.
SubscriberKey	Unique identifier for the recipient.
EventDate	The timestamp when the email was sent.
AccountID	The SFMC account identifier.

Example: _Click Table

Column	Description
JobID	Email job identifier.
SubscriberKey	Subscriber who clicked the link.
EventDate	The timestamp of the click event.
LinkName	Name of the clicked link.
URL	The actual clicked URL.

4. Example SQL Queries Using Data Views

(a) Retrieve Click Activity for the Last 7 Days

SELECT

    c.SubscriberKey,

    c.EventDate AS ClickDate,

    c.LinkName,

    c.URL

FROM _Click c

WHERE c.EventDate >= DATEADD(DAY, -7, GETDATE())

(b) Get Email Open Rates for a Specific Campaign

SELECT

    s.JobID,

    s.EmailName,

    COUNT(DISTINCT o.SubscriberKey) AS OpenCount,

    COUNT(DISTINCT s.SubscriberKey) AS TotalSent,

    (COUNT(DISTINCT o.SubscriberKey) * 100.0 / COUNT(DISTINCT s.SubscriberKey)) AS OpenRate

FROM _Sent s

LEFT JOIN _Open o ON s.JobID = o.JobID AND s.SubscriberKey = o.SubscriberKey

WHERE s.JobID = ‘123456’  — Replace with actual JobID

GROUP BY s.JobID, s.EmailName

(c) Get Unsubscribes for the Last 30 Days

SELECT

    u.SubscriberKey,

    u.EventDate AS UnsubDate

FROM _Unsubscribe u

WHERE u.EventDate >= DATEADD(DAY, -30, GETDATE())

(d) Identify Hard Bounced Emails

SELECT

    b.SubscriberKey,

    b.BounceType,

    b.BounceReason

FROM _Bounce b

WHERE b.BounceType = ‘HardBounce’

(e) Track Journey Engagement

 SELECT

    j.JourneyName,

    ja.ActivityType,

    ja.SubscriberKey,

    ja.EventDate

FROM _JourneyActivity ja

JOIN _Journey j ON ja.JourneyID = j.JourneyID

WHERE ja.EventDate >= DATEADD(DAY, -30, GETDATE())

5. Best Practices for Using Data Views

 Optimize Your Queries

• Use indexed columns like JobID, SubscriberKey, and EventDate to improve performance.
• Filter queries using WHERE conditions to avoid unnecessary data retrieval.

 Schedule Automation for Reporting

• Set up an Automation Studio SQL Query Activity to run reports periodically.
• Export query results to a Data Extension for easy access.

 Combine Multiple Data Views for Deeper Insights

• Join _Sent with _Open and _Click for engagement analysis.
• Use _Unsubscribe and _Bounce to identify inactive users.

 Check Data Retention Period

• Most Data Views only retain data for 6 months.
• If you need long-term tracking, store query results in Data Extensions.

6. Limitations of Data Views

 Not Editable – You cannot update, insert, or delete records in Data Views.
 Limited Retention – Historical data is available only for six months.
 SQL-Only Access – You must use SQL queries; no UI-based filters exist.

7. When to Use Data Views vs. Data Extensions

Use Case	Use Data Views?	Use Data Extensions?
Track email performance (opens, clicks, bounces)	Yes	No
Store long-term engagement data	No	Yes
Query only active subscribers	Yes (_Subscribers)	Yes
Modify or insert new subscriber data	No	Yes

8. Conclusion

• SFMC Data Views are a powerful way to track subscriber activity, engagement, and campaign performance.
• Use SQL in Automation Studio to extract insights and generate reports.
• Store long-term data in Data Extensions if needed.