Salesforce Marketing Cloud Data Views: _Coupon

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The _Coupon data view in Salesforce Marketing Cloud (SFMC) provides a centralized way to track coupon usage across your marketing campaigns. It is specifically useful when you’re leveraging live content within Content Builder via the Block SDK.

This blog post explores the structure of the _Coupon data view, details each field, shares use cases, and provides SQL examples for monitoring coupon lifecycle and performance.

What is the _Coupon Data View?

The _Coupon data view stores data about the coupons configured in your Marketing Cloud account. To use this data view, you must implement live content using Content Builder Block SDK.

Key Benefits of _Coupon Data View

  • Track Coupon Validity: Monitor coupon activation and expiration dates.
  • Campaign Coordination: Align promotional content with valid coupons.
  • Centralized Coupon Management: Use this data to govern promotional offers.
  • Personalized Offers: Dynamically insert valid coupons into emails.

Fields in _Coupon Data View & Their Uses

FieldTypeDescription & Use Case
NameTextInternal name of the coupon. Useful for labeling and identifying promotions.
ExternalKeyTextKey used for referencing the coupon programmatically (e.g., via API).
DescriptionTextDescription of the coupon’s purpose or conditions. Useful for internal documentation.
BeginDateDateThe date and time the coupon becomes valid. Used to control when offers go live.
ExpirationDateDateThe date and time the coupon becomes invalid. Ensures expired offers are removed from campaigns.

When and Why to Use _Coupon Data View?

When to Use?

  • When running campaigns with coupon incentives.
  • To check active vs. expired coupons.
  • When integrating coupons in dynamic content blocks.
  • When validating coupon usage programmatically.

Why Use It?

  • Ensure Timely Offers: Only show coupons that are currently valid.
  • Streamline Operations: Access all coupon metadata in one view.
  • Enable Automation: Power automated journeys with live coupon checks.
  • Improve Targeting: Deliver personalized, time-sensitive discounts.

10 Example Scenarios and Queries

1. Retrieve All Active Coupons

SELECT Name, ExternalKey, BeginDate, ExpirationDate 
FROM _Coupon 
WHERE GETDATE() BETWEEN BeginDate AND ExpirationDate

Use Case: Display only current valid coupons in email or web content.

2. List of Expired Coupons

SELECT Name, ExpirationDate 
FROM _Coupon 
WHERE ExpirationDate < GETDATE()

Use Case: Archive or retire outdated promotional offers.

3. Coupons Scheduled to Go Live This Week

SELECT Name, BeginDate 
FROM _Coupon 
WHERE BeginDate BETWEEN GETDATE() AND DATEADD(day, 7, GETDATE())

Use Case: Prepare campaigns for upcoming offers.

4. Coupons Expiring Within Next 7 Days

SELECT Name, ExpirationDate 
FROM _Coupon 
WHERE ExpirationDate BETWEEN GETDATE() AND DATEADD(day, 7, GETDATE())

Use Case: Trigger reminder emails or countdowns.

5. Filter Coupons by Keyword in Description

SELECT Name, Description 
FROM _Coupon 
WHERE Description LIKE '%Holiday%'

Use Case: Analyze or retrieve holiday-specific coupon campaigns.

6. Count of Currently Valid Coupons

SELECT COUNT(*) AS ActiveCoupons 
FROM _Coupon 
WHERE GETDATE() BETWEEN BeginDate AND ExpirationDate

Use Case: Dashboard reporting on current promotions.

7. Identify Coupons Missing Descriptions

SELECT Name, ExternalKey 
FROM _Coupon 
WHERE Description IS NULL

Use Case: Data hygiene and coupon management.

8. Retrieve Future Coupons

SELECT Name, BeginDate 
FROM _Coupon 
WHERE BeginDate > GETDATE()

Use Case: View coupons set to activate later.

9. Check for Duplicate Coupon Names

SELECT Name, COUNT(*) AS DuplicateCount 
FROM _Coupon 
GROUP BY Name 
HAVING COUNT(*) > 1

Use Case: Prevent confusion from multiple coupons with the same name.

10. Join with Content Usage (Custom Scenario)

-- Requires custom table with email content references
SELECT c.Name, cu.EmailName 
FROM _Coupon c 
JOIN CustomContentUsage cu 
ON c.ExternalKey = cu.CouponExternalKey

Use Case: Track where each coupon is used in emails.

Conclusion

The _Coupon data view in Salesforce Marketing Cloud provides structured visibility into your coupon strategy, helping you deliver timely, targeted, and automated discounts. Whether for email personalization or campaign planning, this view is vital for retail, eCommerce, and incentive-based marketing.

To maximize results, combine _Coupon with Content Builder’s Block SDK and AMPscript for dynamic rendering in emails.

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