How does the Ingestion API work in Data Cloud?

The Ingestion API is a REST API for sending data directly into Data Cloud from external systems. Two modes:

1. Streaming Ingestion — sends individual events or records in real time (e.g., web clickstream events, mobile app events). Ideal for behavioral engagement data requiring low latency.
2. Bulk Ingestion — uploads batches of records via multipart file upload; suited for large historical data loads or nightly batch syncs. Key technical details:
3. Schema Validation — the payload must conform to the schema defined on the connected Data Stream; non-conforming records are rejected.
4. Idempotency Key — include a unique key per request to prevent duplicate processing if a request is retried.
5. Error Handling — the API returns HTTP status codes and error payloads for validation failures; failed records appear in the Data Stream's error log in the Data Cloud UI.