Customer data glossary

Destination (connector)

By Art Kukharenko · Published 2026-10-17 · Updated 2026-10-18

A destination (or connector) is a configured integration through which a platform sends data to an external tool, such as an email service, ad platform or CRM.

Part of the Learn hub and the customer data glossary.

What it means in practice

"Destination" is the term used by Twilio Segment and several other vendors; "connector" is the broader word for software linking a platform to another system in either direction. Either way, a destination holds credentials, a field mapping, a trigger (event, audience change or schedule) and error handling such as retries and dead-letter queues.

Each destination is a data recipient, which makes it a legal and security object as well as a technical one. Ask of every one: is the recipient a processor under your data processing agreement or a separate controller? Where does it store data? Which fields does it receive? How are suppressions and deletions propagated to it? How are credentials rotated? Does it have its own sub-processors? A destination you cannot delete from is a copy you cannot control.

For health data the chain of contracts matters. A platform vendor's business associate agreement does not cover downstream tools. A business associate must ensure that subcontractors handling protected health information agree to the same restrictions (45 CFR 164.504(e)(2)(ii)(D)) 1, so each destination that receives PHI is part of that chain.

Review the number of destinations regularly. Each is another copy, another credential, and, for financial entities, another line in a DORA register of information.

Example (health insurer): a payer's platform sends member ID and preferred channel to a contracted messaging provider that has a business associate agreement, and sends nothing to an advertising destination.

Activation: the act of sending through destinations.
Reverse ETL: warehouse-to-destination sync.
Suppression list: must reach every destination.
Business associate agreement: needed when PHI flows.
Data egress: destinations are the main egress path.

Where it matters

Customer data platform architecture: where destinations sit.
BAA checklist for martech and customer data vendors: checking every recipient.

Back to the customer data glossary or the Learn hub.

Frequently asked questions

What is the difference between a source and a destination?

A source sends data into the platform; a destination receives data from it. Some connectors work in both directions.

How many destinations is too many?

No fixed number. Each should have a documented purpose, owner, contract and field list; remove any that lack one.

Does the platform vendor's BAA cover my destinations?

No. Each destination that receives protected health information needs its own business associate agreement, or must be excluded from those flows.

Sources

45 CFR 164.504(e), business associate contracts Open source

This entry is general information, not legal advice.