Salesforce Marketing Cloud Data Views: _FTAF (Forward to a Friend)

The _FTAF data view in Salesforce Marketing Cloud (SFMC) tracks when a subscriber uses the “Forward to a Friend” (FTAF) feature to share your email content with someone else. Though it’s less commonly used in modern email marketing, this view still offers useful behavioral insights when enabled in your campaigns.

In this blog, we explore the structure, use cases, fields, and practical SQL queries for the _FTAF data view to help you measure and optimize the sharing behavior of your subscribers.

What is the _FTAF Data View?

The _FTAF data view logs every instance when a subscriber forwards your email to a friend using the built-in Forward to a Friend functionality in SFMC. These records are retained for up to six months.

Key Benefits of _FTAF Data View

Measure Virality: Understand how your content is shared organically.
Identify Brand Advocates: Spot users who frequently forward content.
Optimize Shareable Content: Discover which messages prompt forwarding.
Boost Reach: Monitor email content that gains traction beyond your subscriber list.

Fields in _FTAF Data View & Their Uses

Field	Type	Description & Use Case
AccountID	Number	The Marketing Cloud account ID. Useful in enterprise environments.
OYBAccountID	Number	Parent account ID for enterprise-level reporting.
JobID	Number	Unique ID of the email send job. Enables joins with _Sent, _Click, etc.
ListID	Number	ID of the subscriber list used for the send. Helps analyze list-based sharing trends.
BatchID	Number	ID of the batch used during the email send. Useful for segmented send analysis.
SubscriberID	Number	Internal ID for the subscriber.
SubscriberKey	Text	External subscriber identifier. Used to track who forwarded the email.
TransactionTime	Date	Timestamp when the forward occurred. Useful for time-based tracking.
Domain	Text	Domain associated with the recipient of the forwarded message. Useful for ISP-based analysis.
IsUnique	Boolean	Indicates whether the forward was a unique event for the subscriber and job. Essential for deduplicating metrics.
TriggererSendDefinitionObjectID	Text	ID of the triggered send definition. Useful for identifying automated journeys.
TriggeredSendCustomerKey	Text(36)	Unique key for the triggered send. Useful for measuring forwarding behavior in automated emails.

When and Why to Use _FTAF Data View?

When to Use?

When analyzing subscriber-driven email sharing.
When tracking advocacy behavior in loyalty or referral campaigns.
When evaluating the virality of email content.
When optimizing for increased reach and engagement.

Why Use It?

Boost Organic Reach: Identify content that naturally spreads.
Find Promoters: Discover who consistently shares your emails.
Improve Content Strategy: Learn what topics or offers people want to share.
Support Referral Programs: Measure the effectiveness of FTAF features in loyalty or acquisition programs.

10 Example Scenarios and Queries

1. Retrieve All Forwards in the Last 30 Days

SELECT SubscriberKey, TransactionTime, Domain 
FROM _FTAF 
WHERE TransactionTime >= DATEADD(day, -30, GETDATE())

Use Case: Analyze recent FTAF activity.

2. Count of Total Forwards by Domain

SELECT Domain, COUNT(*) AS TotalForwards 
FROM _FTAF 
GROUP BY Domain

Use Case: Measure which ISPs are most reached via forwards.

3. Unique Forwards Only

SELECT SubscriberKey, TransactionTime 
FROM _FTAF 
WHERE IsUnique = 1

Use Case: Identify first-time forwarders.

4. FTAF Activity by Job ID

SELECT SubscriberKey, TransactionTime 
FROM _FTAF 
WHERE JobID = 123456

Use Case: Measure forwarding behavior for a specific campaign.

5. Repeat Forwarders

SELECT SubscriberKey, COUNT(*) AS TotalForwards 
FROM _FTAF 
GROUP BY SubscriberKey 
HAVING COUNT(*) > 1

Use Case: Identify highly engaged subscribers.

6. Forwards Over Time

SELECT CAST(TransactionTime AS DATE) AS ForwardDate, COUNT(*) AS Total 
FROM _FTAF 
GROUP BY CAST(TransactionTime AS DATE)

Use Case: Spot forwarding trends over time.

7. Build Advocacy List from Forwarders

SELECT DISTINCT SubscriberKey 
FROM _FTAF

Use Case: Create a list of users likely to refer others.

8. FTAF from Triggered Sends

SELECT SubscriberKey, TriggeredSendCustomerKey 
FROM _FTAF 
WHERE TriggeredSendCustomerKey = 'ReferralJourney_1'

Use Case: Analyze referral-driven journey campaigns.

9. Forwards by List ID

SELECT ListID, COUNT(*) AS TotalForwards 
FROM _FTAF 
GROUP BY ListID

Use Case: Determine which lists generate more forwarding activity.

10. Join with _Sent to Correlate Forward Behavior

SELECT s.SubscriberKey, s.EventDate AS SentDate, f.TransactionTime AS ForwardedTime 
FROM _Sent s 
JOIN _FTAF f 
ON s.SubscriberKey = f.SubscriberKey 
WHERE f.TransactionTime >= DATEADD(day, -30, GETDATE())

Use Case: Understand how quickly users forward emails after receiving them.

Conclusion

While less commonly used today, the _FTAF data view in Salesforce Marketing Cloud provides unique insights into how your content is organically shared. Monitoring and leveraging FTAF behavior helps uncover brand advocates, optimize your content strategy, and extend your email marketing reach.

Incorporate _FTAF with _Sent, _Open, _Click, and _Unsubscribe for a broader understanding of subscriber behavior.