Core concepts and terminology

Understand the core objects and terminology used across the Elaine platform.

Key concepts

An Elaine instance is the Elaine environment operated for a customer; it can contain one or more administratively and data-separated tenants.
A tenant is a logically separated operating context for a brand, organization, market, or business unit.
A contact is a CRM-style profile identified by Elaine and, where configured, by external business keys. In a channel-specific delivery context, the addressed contact can also be described as a recipient—for example, an email recipient.
Contact groups organize communication eligibility and group-specific data; audiences select contacts dynamically through filters.
Messages combine templates, reusable content, contact data, conditions, and channel-specific delivery settings.
Campaign automations connect entry points, events, decisions, waits, actions, and goals into executable processes.

Data enters Elaine through forms, APIs, files, or connected applications.
Groups, audiences, permissions, and campaign logic determine eligible contacts.
Content is personalized and delivered through the configured channel.
Delivery and engagement signals return to analytics and subsequent automation decisions.

Use stable external identifiers and document object ownership across connected systems.
Distinguish a stored contact group from a dynamically evaluated audience.
Confirm terminology and UI labels for the Elaine.io release used by your environment.

Note
Exact UI labels, availability, and behavior can depend on the Elaine.io release, licensed capabilities, permissions, and project configuration.