Account and Customer Identifiers

Account Identifier

The account identifier is a numeric identifier that identifies an account. The SignupCustomer operation returns the account identifier. You can also use the GetAccountsInfo operation to retrieve an account identifier for the specified customer. However, it is more efficient to store your account identifier locally so you can access it when needed.

Many of the campaign management operations require that you specify the account identifier in request message. For example, the GetCampaignsByAccountId operation returns all of the campaigns for the account that you specify in the request message.

Do not confuse the account identifier with the account number, which is used in the adCenter web application to identify the account. The account number takes the form of Xnnnnnnn, where nnnnnnn is a series of digits (for example, X7891234). The adCenter API uses only the account identifier, never the account number.

Customer Account Identifier

The customer account identifier is the same as the account identifier. The campaign management operations require that you specify the account identifier in the CustomerAccountId SOAP request header element.

Although the Administration and Reporting web services include the CustomerAccountId header element in the WSDL definition, they do not use it.

Customer Identifier

The customer identifier is the numeric identifier that identifies a customer. You specify the customer identifier in the CustomerId SOAP request header element. Most campaign management operations do not require the customer identifier. Only operations that use data objects that are stored at the customer level—such as targets—require the customer identifier.

Although the Administration and Reporting web services include the CustomerId header element, they do not use it.

The SignupCustomer operation returns the customer identifier. You can also use any one of the following options to get the customer identifier; however, it is more efficient to store your customer identifier locally so that you can access it when needed.

• Use the GetAccount operation to get an account that the customer owns. Then, access the ParentCustomerId element, which contains the customer identifier.

• Use the GetCustomersInfo to get the customer identifiers for a list of customers that you specify by name.

• Use the adCenter web application. To find the customer identifier, click the Accounts & Billing tab, and then click the Company Information tab. The customer identifier is listed next to Customer ID.

• Use the adCenter desktop application. The customer identifier displays as a tool tip when you move the pointer over the customer’s name.