This article explains how to configure a multi-level account structure in Pendo using parent accounts. Parent accounts allow you to represent a hierarchy where multiple child accounts roll up to a parent account.
In most situations, we recommend using account metadata and reporting alternatives instead of enabling parent accounts. Parent accounts introduce implementation complexity, reporting limitations, and account ID changes that can affect existing data.
Understand parent accounts
By default, Pendo associates events with one Visitor ID and one Account ID. The Visitor ID represents the individual using your application, and the Account ID represents the organization they belong to. You can also send metadata at the visitor and account levels.
If your organization uses a multi-level account structure, Pendo Support can enable a subscription setting that allows you to send an additional parent account value. Events are then associated with three identifiers:
- Visitor ID
- Account ID
- Parent Account ID
This allows you to aggregate analytics at the parent account level while still viewing metrics for individual accounts. You can also send metadata at the parent account level.
Consider these alternatives
Before enabling parent accounts, consider whether one of the following approaches meets your requirements.
Use account metadata for guide segmentation
If your goal is to control guide display based on a parent account, send the relevant value as an account metadata field instead. Pendo considers the value currently being passed when deciding whether or not a visitor is eligible to see a guide. This provides the same guide segmentation capabilities as parent accounts without requiring changes to your account structure.
Use historical metadata for reporting
If you primarily report at the account level, but occasionally need the ability to drill down further into the layer between the visitor and account ID, consider sending an additional account metadata field, and enabling it for historical metadata instead.
For example, if the visitor ID represents a specific employee and the account ID represents a school district, you might want detailed reporting at the school level. If a school will always roll up to the same school district, it would make sense to send the school name as account metadata and enable it for historical metadata. You can then group by this field in Data Explorer reports.
Use external tools for parent-level reporting
If you need parent-level reporting but don't need it in the Pendo UI, send the parent account value as account metadata and export your data for analysis in external tools. For more information, see Methods for exporting Pendo data.
Before you begin
Before enabling parent accounts:
- Review the limitations described in this article.
- Contact Pendo Support to enable the subscription setting.
- Plan updates to your Pendo installation across all applications and environments.
Understand the impact on account IDs
Enabling or disabling parent accounts changes Account IDs. When parent accounts are enabled, Pendo associates captured events with the following account ID format: parentAccountId::accountId
As a result, historical account data will not be automatically linked to the new structure.
For example, assume the following Account IDs already exist in Pendo:
- Denver
- Raleigh
- Austin
After parent accounts are enabled and a parent account value of Acme is sent, Pendo creates the following new Account IDs:
- Acme::Denver
- Acme::Raleigh
- Acme::Austin
Without additional action, historical data associated with the original Account IDs remains separate from data collected under the new Account IDs. In some situations, Pendo Support can help merge historical and new Account IDs. This process requires additional effort and might incur a cost. For more information, see Merge Visitor or Account IDs.
Understand subscription-wide requirements
Parent accounts are best suited for subscriptions where most or all accounts belong to a parent-child hierarchy. Since this setting applies to the entire subscription, you must send a parent account value for every account in every application where Pendo is installed.
If an account doesn't have a distinct parent account, resend the Account ID value as the parent account value. Failure to send a parent account value can result in account metadata inconsistencies.
Understand reporting changes
When parent accounts are enabled:
- The Accounts page and most account-based tables show parent account metrics by default.
- You can create parent account reports.
- You can collect parent account metadata and use it in segments and Data Explorer.
- The Salesforce integration can sync data at the parent account level.
Understand feature limitations
The following features don't support parent account aggregation. If you need parent-level reporting for these features, you must aggregate the data outside of Pendo.
- Listen
- Net Promoter Score (NPS)
- Track Events
- Product Engagement Score (PES)
- Retention reports
- Most dashboard widgets. The Account Overview widget is the only dashboard widget that supports parent account metrics.
- HubSpot integration
The following functionality isn't available when parent accounts are enabled:
- Data Sync account metadata export
- Building segments using a CSV of parent account IDs
Set up parent accounts
If you've reviewed the alternatives and limitations described in this article and still want to use parent accounts, complete the following steps.
Step 1. Enable the parent account setting
Contact Pendo Support to enable parent accounts for your subscription.
Step 2. Update your installation
Update every Pendo installation in your subscription. Since parent accounts is a subscription-wide setting, every application and environment in your subscription must send a parent account value.
Choose the section that matches your installation method.
Mobile SDK and Twilio Segment installations
Mobile SDK and Twilio Segment implementations don't support an additional parent account object or parent account metadata. Instead, modify the Account ID to use the following format: parentAccountId::accountId
Web SDK installations
Update your installation to include the additional parentAccount object. We recommend reviewing the latest install script from Settings > Subscription settings > Applications > Install settings and updating it with the appropriate parent account values. See a simplified example below.
pendo.initialize({
visitor: {
Id: <visitor-id-goes-here>
// email: // Optional
// You can add any additional visitor-level key-values here
},
account: {
id: <account-id-goes-here>
// name: // Optional
// You can add any additional account-level key-values here
},
parentAccount: {
Id: <parent-account-id-goes-here>
// name: // Optional
// You can add any additional parent account level key-values here
}
});