Classifications — the slot multiplier
Who this page is for
| Audience | Why it matters to you |
|---|---|
| Analysts | Classifications fix data retroactively |
| Architects | Plan classifications into your SDR |
What they are
A classification is a lookup table applied on top of an existing variable. You upload a mapping of raw values to one or more attribute columns, and those columns become new dimensions in Workspace — without consuming a single eVar or prop.
Example. You capture campaign code in the campaign variable:
| Raw value (in the variable) | Channel | Medium | Campaign Name | Owner |
|---|---|---|---|---|
EM-RET-2026Q1-A | CRM | Retirement Ready Q1 | Retirement Marketing | |
SEM-INS-2026Q1-B | Paid Search | Insurance Awareness | Product Marketing |
You just created four new reportable dimensions from one variable slot.
What classifications are brilliant for
- Campaign code decomposition (the classic use)
- Grouping search terms into topics ("fees", "fee", "what are the fees" → *Fees & Costs*)
- Mapping internal page IDs to human-readable titles
- Adding a "content pillar" or "journey stage" attribute to page names
- Fixing historical data — classifications apply retroactively
That last point deserves emphasis. If you realise in July that you should have been grouping search terms by topic since January, a classification fixes January onward. Almost nothing else in Adobe Analytics is retroactive. Classifications are your escape hatch for "we should have captured that."
Classification Rule Builder
Automates this with regex-based rules that run continuously, so new values get classified without manual uploads. For internal search terms, where the value set is unbounded, rule builder is essentially mandatory.
Exercise
Design a classification schema for examplesuper.com.au internal search terms. What attribute columns would let a content team act on the data?
Suggestion: Topic, Intent Type, Persona Signal, Has Existing Content.