You can have the best journeys, the coolest creatives, and the slickest tech stack, but if your data is a mess, nothing will land. This is where CRM Data Architecture and Taxonomy step in.

What is CRM Data Taxonomy (and Why Should You Care)?

Think of it as the CRM language.
It’s how you name, classify, and structure your customer data, events, and attributes so that your CRM can understand what to do, when to do it, and who to do it for. Without a clean taxonomy, your CRM is just shooting in the dark.

Why is it a Thing?

• Consistency across teams (CRM, product, performance, analytics all speak the same data language)

• Faster campaign setup (you know exactly which events and attributes to use)

• Less errors, cleaner data (no more ‘is it signup_completed or completed_signup?’ debates)

• Better personalization & segmentation (when data is clean and categorized, your segments and triggers work like magic)

Key Elements of CRM Data Taxonomy

1. User Attributes

• Example: User ID, Email, Gender, Country, Language, Loyalty Status

2. Events

• What users do: Sign Up, Add to Cart, Purchase, Cancel Subscription

3. Event Properties

• Extra details about the event:

• Purchase event: SKU, Amount, Payment Method

• Sign Up event: Channel, Device

4. Event Type & Category

• Event type: Action, Trigger, Status, Error

• Category: Onboarding, Retention, Churn, Loyalty

How to Build It?

• Start small: Map your most critical events and attributes

• Use simple, clear names (avoid over-complicating things)

• Align with product, data, and analytics teams early on

• Document it (yes, in a shareable sheet everyone can understand)

• Review and refine it every quarter

A Tip:

Your CRM taxonomy isn’t a one-time project. It’s an ongoing process.
Treat it as your CRM team’s best friend, because when your taxonomy is clean, your CRM runs smooth.

Extra Resources (yes it doesn't look like a link, but it is 🤷🏻‍♀️)

• What is Data Taxonomy? Examples Included

• https://amplitude.com/docs/data/data-planning-playbook

We also prepared a template which you can find in our Slack community channel.