![How to Create a Data Contract Between Product and Marketing Teams (with Templates) [2025]](http://resources.warpdriven.ai/web/image/blog.post/112/author_avatar/How%20to%20Create%20a%20Data%20Contract%20Between%20Product%20and%20Marketing%20Teams%20%28with%20Templates%29%20%5B2025%5D?unique=5717011)
If you’re tired of “why doesn’t this dashboard match?” debates, this guide is for you. In about a week, you’ll stand up a pragmatic, cross-functional data contract that aligns Product, Marketing, and Analytics on events, UTMs, metrics, SLAs, and change management—complete with copy-paste, downloadable templates.
- Time: ~5–7 business days
- Difficulty: Moderate (3.5/5). Cross-functional coordination is the hardest part.
- Prerequisites: One representative each from Product, Marketing, and Analytics; access to your analytics/CDP tools; basic privacy and consent policy.
Why this works: Pairing a written contract with observability and governance is the 2025 standard. Tool vendors have leaned into this shift—see Segment’s schema enforcement via Protocols in the official Segment Protocols overview (Segment docs), taxonomy and naming governance with Mixpanel Lexicon (Mixpanel help, ongoing), and Amplitude’s data governance via Taxonomy (Amplitude help). On the data modeling side, dbt formalized guarantees with model contracts (dbt docs) and tests (dbt docs).
Note: This guide is vendor-neutral but includes tool callouts you can optionally apply.
Step 1) Align on goals and your north-star metric
What to do
- Write 3–5 business goals Product and Marketing both influence (e.g., activation, paid conversion, LTV uplift).
- Choose one north-star metric (NSM) and 3–5 supporting KPIs. Define the exact formulas and windows up front.
- Capture owners (A) and reviewers (R/C/I) to eliminate ambiguity later.
Acceptance criteria
- Everyone can recite the NSM definition and where it lives.
- You have a draft list of events/metrics needed to measure progress.
Quick reference
- For framing what contracts are and why they matter, see the 2025 overview in Monte Carlo — Data Contracts Explained (2025) and the conceptual primers from Atlan — Data Contracts 101 and Alation — What is a Data Contract?.
Step 2) Draft your Data Contract Charter (governance + scope)
Use this as the “single sheet of truth” that binds Product, Marketing, and Analytics.
Copy-paste template (Doc)
Data Contract Charter
Version: 1.0.0
1) Purpose
- Align Product, Marketing, and Analytics on reliable, governed data for decision-making.
2) Scope
- In scope: Event tracking plan, identity rules, UTM naming, shared metrics, SLAs, QA/monitoring, change management.
- Out of scope: Attribution model R&D, vendor procurement, deep legal.
3) Owners & Contacts
- Accountable (A): Data PM / Analytics Lead
- Responsible (R): Tracking Engineer / Analytics Engineer
- Consulted (C): PM, PMM/Growth, Finance
- Informed (I): Leadership
4) North-star & KPIs
- NSM: ... (definition). Supporting KPIs: ...
5) Tooling & Environments
- CDP/SDKs, analytics platforms, warehouse, dbt, observability/alerts.
6) Privacy & PII
- Consent-aware collection; no sensitive PII in events; hashing/obfuscation rules.
7) SLAs & SLOs (targets)
- Freshness, completeness, accuracy, latency, coverage.
8) Incidents & Escalation
- Severity levels with response/resolve targets and on-call.
9) Change Policy (semver)
- Add, modify (non-breaking), breaking change with deprecation windows.
10) Review Cadence
- Monthly taxonomy review, quarterly metric review.
11) Version Table
- v1.0.0: Initial charter.
Download as TXT: Charter.txt%20Purpose%0A-%20Align%20Product%2C%20Marketing%2C%20and%20Analytics%20on%20reliable%2C%20governed%20data%20for%20decision-making.%0A%0A2)%20Scope%0A-%20In%20scope%3A%20Event%20tracking%20plan%2C%20identity%20rules%2C%20UTM%20naming%2C%20shared%20metrics%2C%20SLAs%2C%20QA%2Fmonitoring%2C%20change%20management.%0A-%20Out%20of%20scope%3A%20Attribution%20model%20R%26D%2C%20vendor%20procurement%2C%20deep%20legal.%0A%0A3)%20Owners%20%26%20Contacts%0A-%20Accountable%20(A)%3A%20Data%20PM%20%2F%20Analytics%20Lead%0A-%20Responsible%20(R)%3A%20Tracking%20Engineer%20%2F%20Analytics%20Engineer%0A-%20Consulted%20(C)%3A%20PM%2C%20PMM%2FGrowth%2C%20Finance%0A-%20Informed%20(I)%3A%20Leadership%0A%0A4)%20North-star%20%26%20KPIs%0A-%20NSM%3A%20...%20(definition).%20Supporting%20KPIs%3A%20...%0A%0A5)%20Tooling%20%26%20Environments%0A-%20CDP%2FSDKs%2C%20analytics%20platforms%2C%20warehouse%2C%20dbt%2C%20observability%2Falerts.%0A%0A6)%20Privacy%20%26%20PII%0A-%20Consent-aware%20collection%3B%20no%20sensitive%20PII%20in%20events%3B%20hashing%2Fobfuscation%20rules.%0A%0A7)%20SLAs%20%26%20SLOs%20(targets)%0A-%20Freshness%2C%20completeness%2C%20accuracy%2C%20latency%2C%20coverage.%0A%0A8)%20Incidents%20%26%20Escalation%0A-%20Severity%20levels%20with%20response%2Fresolve%20targets%20and%20on-call.%0A%0A9)%20Change%20Policy%20(semver)%0A-%20Add%2C%20modify%20(non-breaking)%2C%20breaking%20change%20with%20deprecation%20windows.%0A%0A10)%20Review%20Cadence%0A-%20Monthly%20taxonomy%20review%2C%20quarterly%20metric%20review.%0A%0A11)%20Version%20Table%0A-%20v1.0.0%3A%20Initial%20charter.)
Checklist
- [ ] Owners and escalation paths are named
- [ ] NSM and KPI definitions are agreed
- [ ] Privacy/PII policy is stated
- [ ] Review cadence is set
Step 3) Build the Event & Property Tracking Plan (CSV)
This is the backbone of your contract.
Copy-paste template (CSV)
event_name,event_display_name,description,business_goal,source_app,platform,triggered_by,required,is_autocaptured,owner_team,status,property_name,property_type,property_required,allowed_values,format,pii,sensitive,example_value,quality_tests,downstream_dependencies
Product Viewed,Product Viewed,User views a product detail page,Engagement funnel,web,web,frontend,Y,N,Product,active,product_id,string,Y,,[A-Za-z0-9_-]+,N,N,sku_123,not_null;accepted_values,model:product_events;dashboard:PD Funnel
Checkout Completed,Checkout Completed,User completes checkout and payment,Revenue conversion,app,ios,backend,Y,N,Product,active,order_id,string,Y,,[A-Z0-9-]+,N,N,ORD-1001,not_null;unique,model:orders;dashboard:Revenue
Download as CSV: tracking_plan.csv
How to verify
- In dev/staging, fire synthetic events and confirm event names and property types in your platform’s live debugger:
- Segment’s Debugger (Segment docs)
- Mixpanel’s Live View (Mixpanel help)
- GA4’s DebugView report (Google help)
- In the warehouse, add schema checks using dbt tests (dbt docs).
Optional tool note
- Segment users: You can import a CSV plan and enforce it with Segment Protocols — Tracking Plan (Segment docs).
- Mixpanel users: Govern naming and descriptions in Lexicon (Mixpanel help).
Step 4) Define identity schema and stitching rules
Decide how anonymous activity upgrades to known users and accounts.
Copy-paste template (Doc)
Identity Schema & Resolution Rules
Identifiers
- user_id: Required for authenticated users; stable, case-sensitive.
- anonymous_id / device_id: Required for unauthenticated sessions.
- email: Optional; hash before use if policy requires.
- account_id: Required for B2B/workspaces.
- external_ids: Ad platform IDs (if allowed).
Merge & Precedence
- If user_id present, it is primary. If absent, use anonymous_id.
- On login, alias anonymous_id -> user_id (preserve historical events).
- Email never overrides user_id; use for enrichment only.
Deduplication
- If duplicate user_ids detected, keep earliest created_at; merge events.
Consent
- Do not send identifiers unless consented per policy; respect region rules.
Lookback Window
- Merge historical anonymous events within 30 days of first login.
Checklist
- [ ] Primary keys (user_id/account_id) chosen
- [ ] Login/alias flow agreed across platforms
- [ ] Consent and regional handling documented
Step 5) Create the UTM naming convention (CSV + controlled vocabularies)
Copy-paste template (CSV)
utm_campaign,utm_source,utm_medium,utm_content,utm_term,campaign_type,product_line,geo,language,start_date,owner,validation_rules
actv_q1_launch_2025,newsletter,email,header_cta,,lifecycle,core_us,us,en,2025-01-15,marketing.ops,source in [newsletter,paidsearch,paidsocial]; medium in [email,cpc,display]; geo in [us,uk,de]
Download as CSV: utm_taxonomy.csv
Governance tips
- Keep controlled vocabularies in a shared sheet; add validation rules.
- Use link shorteners or QA scripts to block non-compliant UTMs before launch.
Step 6) Write the shared Metric Dictionary (CSV)
Copy-paste template (CSV)
metric_name,business_question,definition,formula,inclusions,exclusions,dimensions,attribution_window,data_source,table_model,owner,target,review_cadence,qa_tests
Activation Rate,How many new signups activate?,% of new users who complete the activation event within 7 days,activated_users_7d / new_signups_7d,Include first-time users only,Exclude internal test users,plan;geo;device,7d post-signup,warehouse,model:activation,analytics,45%,quarterly,not_null;accepted_values
Download as CSV: metric_dictionary.csv
Pro tip
- Add warehouse guarantees with dbt model contracts (dbt docs); pair with tests and, if you prefer, an external validator like Great Expectations guides (GE docs).
Step 7) Set SLAs and SLOs (freshness, completeness, accuracy, latency)
Copy-paste template (Doc)
SLA & SLO Document
Scope
- Sources: Web, iOS, Android, backend batch.
- Destinations: Analytics tool(s), data warehouse, BI.
Targets
- Freshness: < 2h lag for app/web; < 6h for batch.
- Completeness: ≥ 99% events/day; ≥ 99.5% for revenue events.
- Accuracy: ≥ 99% schema tests pass; known exceptions documented.
- Latency (streaming): P95 under 5s to analytics tools.
- Coverage: All platforms reporting daily.
Incidents
- Sev1: Revenue or NSM breaks; acknowledge 30m, resolve 4h.
- Sev2: KPI or dashboard issues; ack 2h, resolve 1 business day.
- Sev3: Minor defects; ack 1 day, resolve next sprint.
Monitoring Ownership
- On-call rotation: Data Engineering; backups: Analytics Engineer.
Checklist
- [ ] Targets agreed and feasible with current tooling
- [ ] Incident severities and response times documented
- [ ] On-call ownership assigned
Step 8) Change management, semver, and approvals
Copy-paste template (Doc)
Change Request Form
Change type: add / modify / deprecate / remove
Breaking change? Y/N
Impacted events/metrics: ...
Downstream assets (models/dashboards): ...
Risk level: low / medium / high
Rollout plan: staging → canary → prod; timeline: ...
Deprecation window: e.g., 30 days
Communication plan: stakeholders & channels
Approvers: A/R/C/I
Version bump: x.y.z (semver)
Test evidence: links/screenshots
Changelog template (CSV)
version,date,changes,type,impact,approvals,links
1.0.0,2025-01-10,Initial contract setup,add,Low,A:Analytics%20Lead;R:Tracking%20Eng,PR-123
Download as CSV: changelog.csv
Policy
- Minor (x.y.z): non-breaking metadata updates
- Minor (x.y.Z): add new events/props/metrics
- Major (X.y.z): breaking rename or removal; requires deprecation window and sign-off
Step 9) QA, verification, and observability
Phase 1 — Staging/dev
- Fire synthetic events and verify payloads/types in:
- Segment’s Debugger (Segment docs)
- Mixpanel’s Live View (Mixpanel help)
- GA4’s DebugView (Google help)
- Warehouse: enforce schema and contracts with dbt tests (dbt docs) and model contracts (dbt docs).
Phase 2 — Production canary
- Enable a canary (e.g., 5–10% traffic) for new events/changes.
- Set freshness/completeness monitors aligned to your SLAs.
Phase 3 — Full rollout
- Backfill if needed; validate KPIs on dashboards.
- Confirm no schema violations or drops in monitors.
Copy-paste QA checklist (Doc)
QA & Verification Checklist
- Staging: Synthetic events fired for each new/changed event
- Live: Debugger/Live View/DebugView show correct event and property types
- Warehouse: dbt tests (not_null, unique, accepted_values, relationships) pass
- Monitors: Freshness and completeness alerts configured
- Dashboards: NSM/KPIs reflect expected ranges
- Sign-off: Product, Marketing, Analytics approval recorded
Extra governance
- Segment’s Protocols can enforce naming/type rules and flag violations in real time; see Segment Protocols (Segment docs).
- Amplitude’s Taxonomy supports iterative planning and governance; see Amplitude Taxonomy (Amplitude help).
Step 10) Rollout, training, RACI, and sign-off
RACI matrix (CSV)
task,responsible,accountable,consulted,informed
Event changes,Tracking Engineer,Analytics Lead,PM;PMM,Leadership
Metric changes,Analytics Lead,Head of Data,PMM;Finance,Leadership
Download as CSV: raci.csv
Acceptance & sign-off (Doc)
Acceptance & Sign-off
Scope: Tracking plan v1.0.0, UTM taxonomy v1.0.0, Metrics dict v1.0.0
Go-live date: ______
Signatures:
- Product: __________________ Date: ____
- Marketing: ________________ Date: ____
- Analytics: ________________ Date: ____
Rollout playbook
- Host a 45–60 min training: walk through the charter, tracking plan, UTMs, and change policy.
- Pin links to all templates in your team hub.
- Schedule monthly taxonomy reviews and quarterly metric reviews.
Troubleshooting: quick playbook
Symptom: Event names drift (e.g., ProductViewed vs product_viewed)
- Cause: Unenforced naming standards
- Fix: Enforce via Segment Protocols or platform governance; add dbt accepted_values tests; document canonical naming in the plan and reject non-compliant PRs.
Symptom: UTM sprawl (utm_medium=social vs paidsocial vs paid_social)
- Cause: Free-text entry without validation
- Fix: Provide a UTM builder with validations; run periodic audits; reject launches that don’t pass the controlled vocabulary.
Symptom: “Active user” doesn’t match across teams
- Cause: Metric definition ambiguity
- Fix: Centralize the metric dictionary with plain-English definitions and SQL/logic; review quarterly; gate dashboard changes behind CR form.
Symptom: Freshness/latency incidents during launches
- Cause: Under-specified SLAs or missing monitors
- Fix: Define SLOs that match scale; set alerts; add on-call rotation and runbooks before go-live.
Symptom: Breaking changes ship without notice
- Cause: No semver or deprecation policy
- Fix: Require CR form and approvals; mandate deprecation windows; announce in weekly release notes.
Tool-specific notes (optional)
- Segment: Create and import a tracking plan; enforce schema with Protocols (Segment docs) and CSV import in Tracking Plan (Segment docs). Verify payloads with the Debugger (Segment docs).
- Mixpanel: Use Lexicon (Mixpanel help) to govern naming and descriptions; verify events via Live View (Mixpanel help).
- Amplitude: Plan and govern with Taxonomy (Amplitude help) and use Event Stream for live verification in-app.
- dbt: Use model contracts (dbt docs) and tests (dbt docs) to enforce shape and quality in the warehouse.
Final go-live checklist
- [ ] Charter agreed and shared
- [ ] Tracking plan CSV adopted by Product/Marketing/Analytics
- [ ] Identity schema & aliasing rules implemented
- [ ] UTM taxonomy live with controlled vocabularies
- [ ] Metric dictionary documented with formulas and owners
- [ ] SLAs/SLOs defined with monitors and on-call
- [ ] Change request form and changelog in use (semver)
- [ ] QA checklist completed in staging and production
- [ ] RACI matrix published; sign-off captured
You now have a real, working data contract—not just slides. Keep it alive with your review cadence and monitoring, and it will keep your teams aligned and your dashboards trustworthy.