Using UI

Learn about data models and how they power Cargo plays

What are data models?

Data models are structured tables that power your Cargo plays. They contain organized data that can be imported into plays to create runs.

Cargo enables you to build data models from multiple sources—API endpoints, webhook events, and SQL queries—and merge them into a unified, cohesive structure.

Cargo uses a data warehouse infrastructure to host your data models. By default, you’ll get a managed BigQuery instance, or you can connect your own warehouse.

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Where the data comes from

Cargo supports two complementary ways to populate a data model:

Source	Description
Object models	Native, writable models — Account, Contact, Deal, Lead, or fully custom — that your plays, tools, and agents insert records into directly.
Native integrations	Connect to supported external APIs (CRMs, enrichment tools, etc.) and fetch data directly into a data model.
Webhook loader	Listen for real-time events from external sources and import that data automatically.
SQL loader	Run SQL queries on your data warehouse tables and import the results.

Cargo also computes unified models on top of these sources, giving you deduplicated Account, Contact, and event tables across every system you connect.

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Advanced features

Data models support powerful capabilities to help you orchestrate your GTM workflows:

System of record

Use your own Snowflake or BigQuery instance as the system of record, or rely on Cargo’s managed warehouse.

Segments

Apply filters to create targeted segments for specific plays based on custom criteria.

Change-based triggers

Enable plays to respond in real-time to updates, additions, or deletions in your data.

Enrolment conditions

Track processed records to prevent plays from handling the same data multiple times.

Data model relationships

Connect different data models using common identifiers to create unified views of your customer data.

Additional columns

Extend your data models with calculated fields and custom data: - Custom columns: Free-form columns you can upsert from within a play - Computed columns: Calculated values based on other columns in the data model - Metrics columns: Aggregated data (sums, averages, counts) from related data models

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Use cases

Data models power a wide range of GTM scenarios:

Use case	Description
CRM sync	Import customer information, deal pipelines, and sales activities from Salesforce or HubSpot to create unified customer profiles.
Intent signals	Capture website behavior, form submissions, and engagement metrics to identify prospects showing buying intent.
List building	Aggregate contact lists from marketing campaigns, events, and lead generation activities for targeted outreach.
Product analytics	Query product catalogs, usage analytics, and inventory levels to inform customer interactions.

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Next steps

Build a play

Learn how to create automated workflows powered by your data models.

Querying data

Write custom SQL queries to transform and combine your data.

System of record

Connect your own data warehouse as the backbone of your data models.

Object models

Define writable models for accounts, contacts, deals, leads, and custom objects.

Explore actions

Browse model search, record, custom column, and 120+ other actions.