Data Aggregation

Generic Data Aggregation allows you to aggregate data from different workflow steps and combine it seamlessly for further analysis or reporting. Whether you are looking to merge People and Company data or aggregate different types of information, this action enables you to combine results using a key data point that matches across multiple steps.

Using this action, you can:

• Aggregate results from previous workflow steps, ensuring consistency and completeness.
• Combine data using identifiers like LinkedIn profile IDs or Sales Navigator profile IDs.
• Set filters to control the behavior of the aggregation and ensure that the right data is matched accurately.

This feature helps you maintain clean, structured data by combining relevant information from multiple sources into one cohesive dataset. Whether you are handling leads or company information, Generic Aggregation ensures that your workflow remains efficient and accurate.

How does this action work?

Aggregating data in Captain Data is straightforward and can be completed in just a few steps. Here’s how it works:

1. Create a Free Captain Data Account: Get started by signing up here.
2. Set Up Your Workflow: Select the Generic Aggregation action by searching for "Captain Data" and choosing "Generic Aggregation."
3. Add the 'For Each' Step: Choose this step to define your index. For each result from this step, Captain Data will apply a filter to combine it with the results from another step.
   • Tip: Ensure that you pick the step closest to the Generic Aggregation step to avoid mismatches.
4. Combine Your Data: Use the Combine step to enrich the first step’s data with additional results from a second step. This allows you to merge multiple datasets seamlessly.
5. Match Unique Keys: Select a key data point such as LinkedIn profile ID or Sales Navigator profile ID to ensure the aggregation is accurate.
6. Apply Filters (Optional): Add as many filters as you need to control the aggregation’s behavior. You can use the “AND” or “OR” options to fine-tune the results.
7. Launch or Schedule: Run the workflow immediately or schedule it to aggregate data at a later time.

Once configured, the action will automatically aggregate the data and handle the rest, keeping your datasets organized and ready for further use.

How to leverage this action’s output?

Using the Generic Aggregation action can significantly streamline your data management, especially when combining information from multiple sources. To fully leverage its output, it's essential to understand how to apply this aggregated data in practical business use cases.

When aggregating data, you might need to merge people and company information, which is common in lead generation workflows. For example, you can extract LinkedIn profile data from one step, and then combine it with Sales Navigator profile IDs or company details from another step. This ensures that you’re working with complete and enriched datasets. Imagine you have a dataset of potential leads from a LinkedIn campaign—aggregating this with additional company details allows you to see the full picture of each prospect's background and company affiliation, giving your sales or marketing teams better insights for outreach.

One of the critical factors in aggregation is choosing the right key to match the data. Using identifiers such as LinkedIn profile IDs helps reduce discrepancies between steps. However, it's important to note that these IDs can sometimes vary. By prioritizing the LinkedIn profile ID over the Sales Navigator ID, you ensure that your workflow captures the correct data points, minimizing errors in your aggregated dataset.

Another common scenario where Generic Aggregation excels is when you're combining multiple people’s data, such as connecting profile details with engagement metrics from posts. For example, if you’re running a lead-generation workflow, you can extract the LinkedIn post likers and aggregate them with company data. This allows you to identify individuals who are actively engaged with your content while enriching their profiles with company insights.

However, keep in mind that different workflows might require different aggregation methods. For instance, if you’re working with both people and company data, you might need the Aggregate People & Companies template, which is pre-configured to handle complex combinations where LinkedIn company URLs are missing. This ensures you don’t lose valuable data due to incomplete records.

Finally, always test your workflow on a small batch of data first. This helps you verify that the aggregation is working as expected and that the correct fields are being matched across steps. By comparing different fields, you can fine-tune your workflow and ensure accuracy before scaling it up.

In summary, by using Generic Aggregation, you can enhance your workflows to merge multiple datasets, streamline lead generation, and keep your data organized. Whether it’s merging people, company, or engagement data, this action helps you maintain clean, actionable datasets that empower your business decisions.

Go further

To fully maximize the potential of the Generic Aggregation action, consider combining it with other Captain Data actions for more advanced workflows. These additional actions can help you refine and expand your data aggregation and lead generation strategies:

• Extract LinkedIn Company Employees: After aggregating company data, use this action to gather employee profiles from the same companies. This allows you to build a complete list of contacts within the organization, giving your outreach a more targeted approach. Learn more here.
• LinkedIn Post Likers: Once you've aggregated profile data, you can further refine your lead list by using this action to extract profiles of users who liked relevant posts. This helps you target individuals already engaged with content similar to yours. Learn more here.
• Accept LinkedIn Received Invitations: After identifying potential leads, this action helps you expand your network by automatically accepting incoming LinkedIn connection requests. This complements your aggregation efforts by increasing your connections and fostering relationships with new leads. Learn more here.

By integrating these actions into your workflow, you can create a seamless process that aggregates, enriches, and builds a more complete database of leads or company information. These combinations make it easier to manage large datasets and optimize your lead generation strategies.