The Progressive Profiling Engine (P2 Engine) is Fuel Cycle's native tool for collecting and maintaining current member profile data across multiple sources. Rather than relying on a single, static data point, the P2 Engine consolidates answers from surveys, polls, and data imports into a single profile field called a Profile Point, always surfacing the most up-to-date response for use in exports, dynamic grouping, cross-tabs, and embedded data.
How Profile Points Work
A Profile Point acts as a master question that draws answers from one or more mapped sources. Each Profile Point requires at least one source but can include unlimited sources. You assign a priority order to those sources, and the system works through them in sequence; if a member has no data from the first source, it pulls from the second, and so on.
For example, if your community captures car ownership during registration and a member buys a new vehicle six months later, you can map a follow-up survey question to the same Profile Point. The P2 Engine will use the newer survey response, keeping that member's profile accurate without manual intervention.
Profile Point data flows into:
- Member exports
- Survey tool integrations (push to external)
- Dynamic grouping and segmentation
- Cross-tabs and data cuts
The P2 Engine Dashboard
The P2 Engine dashboard lists all Profile Points in your community. Each row represents one Profile Point and displays the following columns:
| Column | Description |
|---|---|
| Name | The profile variable name. Click the name to edit the Profile Point or add new fields to it. |
| Type | Indicates whether the field is Quantitative, Qualitative, or a Grid. |
| Status | Shows whether the Profile Point is in Draft or Completed state. Only Completed Profile Points are fully usable with projects. |
| Sources | The number of question sources mapped to the Profile Point. Sources may include surveys, polls, or external data uploads. |
| Choices | The number of possible row answers for Grid-type questions. Quantitative and Qualitative Profile Points display this field as blank. |
| Answers | The total number of answer options across all question sources for Quantitative and Grid-type variables. Blank for Qualitative variables. |
| Selection Type | Indicates whether the question sources connected to the Profile Point are Single-Select or Multi-Select. Qualitative Profile Points display as None. |
| PII | Flags the variable as sensitive data. PII-tagged fields are excluded from exports for moderators with limited PII access. |
| Push | Indicates that the variable can be pushed to external sources, such as a survey provider or integrated CRM. |
| Include in Export | Shows whether the field is available to include in a Fuel Cycle member export. |
| Actions | Provides options to Edit or Archive the Profile Point. Archiving disables the field and removes it from view, but does not permanently delete it -- archived Profile Points can be restored at any time. |
Navigating and Filtering the Dashboard
The dashboard includes several tools to help you manage large sets of Profile Points:
- Column sorting - Click any column header to sort rows in ascending or descending order.
- Filters - Three filter options at the top of the dashboard let you narrow the view by active or archived status, completion status, or field type.
- Search - Use the search box in the upper right to find any Profile Point by name.
Answers and Choices Management
Answers and choices are displayed in a tabular view within each Profile Point. Quick-edit modals let you map sources and pull up details without navigating to separate screens, reducing the steps required to configure and update answer mappings.
When a new source is added to a Profile Point, answers and choices are automatically assigned to that source, minimizing manual mapping work.
Syncing the P2 Engine
After adding a new Profile Point or mapping a new question source, click Sync Now to notify the system that a sync is needed. The dashboard will display a notification when a sync is required or already in progress, giving you visibility into the current state of your profiling point data.
Exporting Profile Points
Click Export to download a file containing all master questions in your P2 Engine. This file reflects the current state of your Profile Points and their configurations.
Push to External
Push-to-external configuration works consistently across all Profile Point types. Settings are condensed into a single, unified setup regardless of whether the Profile Point is Quantitative, Qualitative, or a Grid type.
Creating a New Profile Point
Click the New Profile Point button in the upper right of the dashboard to begin creating a Profile Point. For a full walkthrough of the builder, see Create a New P2 Point.
Note: Profile Points in Draft status are not available for use in projects. Complete all required configuration steps to move a Profile Point to Completed status before applying it to exports, segments, or survey integrations.