Data-Con-101 study guide · 2026

The 6 Data-Con-101 domains, explained

6 domains and 22 official objectives. Data Activations and Utilization carries the most weight at 20%. Each guide explains what the domain covers, how its questions are framed and where candidates lose marks.

Start with Domain 6 See all domains
Questions
60 scored multiple-choice (plus up to 5 unscored)
Time
105 minutes
Passing score
70%
Outline
Salesforce Certified Data 360 Consultant Exam Guide (Data-Con-101), aligned to the Spring '26 release (current as of October 2026)

Exam blueprint

Bar widths follow the official weights. Weight ranges are drawn at their midpoint.

  1. 1 14%
  2. 2 13%
  3. 3 18%
  4. 4 17%
  5. 5 18%
  6. 6 20%
  1. 1 Solution Positioning
  2. 2 Data 360 Setup and Administration
  3. 3 Data Source Connection and Ingestion
  4. 4 Harmonization and Unification
  5. 5 Data Enhancements, Sharing, and Analysis
  6. 6 Data Activations and Utilization

All 6 domains

22 official objectives 71–83 hrs suggested study

  1. Domain 01 14%

    Solution Positioning

    Solution Positioning checks whether you can explain what Salesforce Data 360 is, why a customer would buy it, how it grounds predictive and generative AI, which use cases to start with, and how to handle customer data responsibly.

    Inside this domain

    • Describe Data 360's key terminology and business value.
    • Articulate Data 360's foundational role in generative and predictive AI.
    • Identify initial use cases for Data 360.
    • Describe the principles of data ethics and governance.

    Watch for Report solves it

    Objectives
    4
    Questions est.
    ~8
    Study time est.
    10–12 hrs
  2. Domain 02 13%

    Data 360 Setup and Administration

    Data 360 Setup and Administration covers provisioning and securing a Data 360 org: permission sets and org-wide settings, governance built into configuration, moving work between orgs with data kits and packages, and diagnosing common issues.

    Inside this domain

    • Configure Data 360 permissions, permission sets, and organization-wide settings.
    • Apply data governance requirements to platform configuration.
    • Manage the development lifecycle with available tooling.
    • Use tooling to diagnose and troubleshoot common issues.

    Watch for Admin for everyone

    Objectives
    4
    Questions est.
    ~8
    Study time est.
    9–11 hrs
  3. Domain 03 18%

    Data Source Connection and Ingestion

    Data Source Connection and Ingestion covers getting data into Data 360 or reaching it in place: connectors and data streams, ingestion considerations, batch and streaming data transforms, and Zero Copy data collaboration with external platforms.

    Inside this domain

    • Explain data transformation capabilities within Data 360.
    • Describe processes and considerations for data ingestion from varied sources into Data 360.
    • Describe Data 360's data collaboration capabilities, including Zero-Copy.

    Watch for Streaming everything

    Objectives
    3
    Questions est.
    ~11
    Study time est.
    13–15 hrs
  4. Domain 04 17%

    Harmonization and Unification

    Harmonization and Unification covers mapping ingested data into the Customer 360 Data Model and building unified profiles with identity resolution rulesets, match rules and reconciliation rules, plus the use cases unification supports.

    Inside this domain

    • Define the purpose, process, and supported use cases of unification.
    • Model data in Data 360.

    Watch for Contact on Individual

    Objectives
    2
    Questions est.
    ~10
    Study time est.
    12–14 hrs
  5. Domain 05 18%

    Data Enhancements, Sharing, and Analysis

    Data Enhancements, Sharing, and Analysis covers building insights on unified data, exposing Data 360 data to CRM and external systems, reporting with Data 360 reports and Tableau, and applying Einstein Studio and generative AI tooling to customer scenarios.

    Inside this domain

    • Demonstrate how to enhance data and build insights on unified data.
    • Explain how to reference Data 360 data from other systems.
    • View and build reports and dashboards using Data 360.
    • Apply predictive and generative AI tooling capabilities of Data 360 to customer scenarios.

    Watch for Streaming for lifetime

    Objectives
    4
    Questions est.
    ~11
    Study time est.
    13–15 hrs
  6. Domain 06 20%

    Data Activations and Utilization

    Data Activations and Utilization is the largest section. It covers segmentation concepts, managing segments, publishing activations to marketing, advertising and storage targets, acting on data with data actions, and using Data 360 in Salesforce flows.

    Inside this domain

    • Define basic concepts of segmentation and use cases.
    • Manage segments within Data 360.
    • Publish Activations within Data 360.
    • Act on data.
    • and 1 more objectives

    Watch for Separate containers

    Objectives
    5
    Questions est.
    ~12
    Study time est.
    14–16 hrs

Study the heaviest domains first

Marks follow weight. This order puts the most marks behind you first, across about 71–83 hrs of study.

  1. 6 Data Activations and Utilization 20% · 14–16 hrs
  2. 3 Data Source Connection and Ingestion 18% · 13–15 hrs
  3. 5 Data Enhancements, Sharing, and Analysis 18% · 13–15 hrs
  4. 4 Harmonization and Unification 17% · 12–14 hrs
  5. 1 Solution Positioning 14% · 10–12 hrs
  6. 2 Data 360 Setup and Administration 13% · 9–11 hrs

Try one

Practice questionDomain 6: Data Activations and Utilization

A retailer's segment of unified individuals has 50,000 members, but the activation to Marketing Cloud Engagement shows only 41,000. Segment filters and the publish run both completed successfully. What is the most likely cause?

One trap from every domain

The answer that looks right, and the clue that gives it away.

  • Domain 1

    Report solves it

    Clue The scenario names multiple systems and inconsistent identifiers.

  • Domain 2

    Admin for everyone

    Clue The user's tasks are limited to segments and activations.

  • Domain 3

    Streaming everything

    Clue The source only changes once a day.

  • Domain 4

    Contact on Individual

    Clue The question asks how to enable matching on email.

  • Domain 5

    Streaming for lifetime

    Clue The metric spans months or years.

  • Domain 6

    Separate containers

    Clue Both conditions must describe the same purchase.

Other CRM & Business Applications certifications

Study guides for exams that overlap with Data-Con-101.

Practise what you read

Data-Con-101 domains: common questions

How many domains are in the Data-Con-101 exam?

Data-Con-101 has 6 domains with 22 official objectives between them: Solution Positioning, Data 360 Setup and Administration, Data Source Connection and Ingestion, Harmonization and Unification, Data Enhancements, Sharing, and Analysis and Data Activations and Utilization.

Which Data-Con-101 domain carries the most weight?

Data Activations and Utilization is the heaviest at 20%, followed by Data Source Connection and Ingestion (18%). The lightest is Data 360 Setup and Administration (13%). Weights come from Salesforce's official outline.

What is the Data-Con-101 exam format?

Questions: 60 scored multiple-choice (plus up to 5 unscored). Time allowed: 105 minutes. Passing score: 70%.

How long should I study for Data-Con-101?

Our planning estimate is 71–83 hrs across all domains, split by weight. It is an editorial estimate, not an official figure, so adjust it to your experience and to how you score on practice questions.

Where should I start?

Start with Data Activations and Utilization, because it carries the most marks, then work down by weight. Use the checklist on each domain page to confirm you can do what the domain asks before moving on.

Which outline is this guide based on?

This guide follows Salesforce Certified Data 360 Consultant Exam Guide (Data-Con-101), aligned to the Spring '26 release (current as of October 2026), published by Salesforce. It was last reviewed in October 2026.

Domain names, weights and objectives come from Salesforce's official outline (Salesforce Certified Data 360 Consultant Exam Guide (Data-Con-101), aligned to the Spring '26 release (current as of October 2026)). Question counts and study hours are editorial planning estimates, not official figures. Last reviewed October 2026.