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Data Ingestion and Source Configuration

FirstHive offers flexible and robust data ingestion capabilities to unify your customer data from multiple sources. This chapter covers supported data sources, integration methods, and step-by-step setup instructions to help you get started with your first data source quickly and accurately.

Supported Data Sources

FirstHive supports over 750 diverse data streams across digital and business systems, enabling comprehensive customer data collection.

Digital Sources

  • Website: Analytics, behavioral tracking, form submissions
  • Mobile Applications: In-app events, user interactions, push notifications
  • Social Media: Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, LinkedIn interactions
  • Email Platforms: Campaign performance, engagement metrics

Business Systems

  • CRM Platforms: Customer profiles, sales interactions, support tickets
  • ERP Systems: Transaction history, product data, inventory information
  • Point-of-Sale: In-store purchases, loyalty program data
  • Customer Care: Support interactions, call center data

Integration Methods

FirstHive offers four primary integration modes based on the capabilities of your source or destination systems—whether real-time or batch processing.

  • ETL/ELT/Scripts: Batch data pulls via custom scripts or tools.
  • Pre-configured Connectors: Direct connectors and partner integrations simplify setup.
  • Web and Mobile SDKs: Capture clickstream and event data from websites and apps.
  • API-Led Integrations: Leverage FirstHive REST APIs or 3rd party OEM APIs (REST/SOAP) for flexible, real-time data exchange.

Note: Your Solution Engineer will have helped enable these integrations during onboarding. Reach out to them for assistance or additional setup.

Setting up your First Data Source

This section guides you through selecting, authenticating, and configuring your initial data source for ingestion.

Data Source Selection

  1. Navigate to the Data Sources section (Admin > Manage Channels).
  2. Alternatively, navigate to Data > Import Customers.
  3. Choose from the available set of connectors.
  4. Select your primary data source (typically CRM, e-commerce, or data upload).

Authentication and Connection

  1. Provide API credentials or connection strings.
  2. Test the connection for stability and data access.
  3. Configure real-time or batch data ingestion, as applicable.

Data Mapping and Schema

  1. Map source fields to FirstHive’s unified schema.
  2. Define custom attributes and data types, if needed.
  3. Set up data transformation rules.

Real-Time Ingestion Setup

  1. Configure streaming data connectors.
  2. Set up event-based triggers.
  3. Enable real-time data validation.

Data Quality and Normalization

FirstHive automatically enhances incoming data with AI-driven cleansing, normalization, and enrichment.

  • Automated Data Cleansing: Removes errors and standardizes formats.
  • Duplicate Detection: Uses machine learning to identify and merge duplicates.
  • Data Validation: Applies real-time rules and quality scoring.
  • Enrichment: Supplements data with external sources for deeper insights.