Testing & Validation

Before going live with Data Broker Compliance, your team should run end-to-end test requests to confirm that your system integrations, identifier ingestion, list selections, and deletion dispatch are all working correctly. This article walks through how to run a test deletion request and what to validate at each stage.

Prerequisites

Before testing, ensure you have completed all configuration steps:

• Quickstart — in-scope systems connected and dispatch method configured
• Identifier Configuration — DROP list selections saved
• Ingestion Format — at least one batch of consumer identifiers ingested
• API Reference — deletion dispatch method ready to receive requests

Before You Test

Create test consumer records in your connected systems using an identifier owned by your organization — for example, an internal test email address. This ensures test deletions only touch data you control and don't affect real consumer records.

Use Test Data Only

Never run test requests against real consumer records. Create dedicated test identifiers (e.g., drop-test@yourcompany.com) and ensure corresponding records exist in each in-scope system before testing.

Running a Test Deletion Request

1. Navigate to Data Broker Compliance in the left sidebar.
2. Select the DROP Status tab.
3. Select Run Test Request.
4. Enter your test identifier (e.g., a test email address you ingested during setup).
5. Select Submit.

DataGrail will simulate a DROP registry match for the test identifier and trigger your configured deletion dispatch method.

What to Validate

Work through the following checklist to confirm each stage of the lifecycle is functioning correctly.

Ingestion

• Test identifier appears in the DataGrail identifier store (visible under Identifier Status)
• Identifier is associated with the correct list type(s) based on your DROP list selections
• No validation errors or rejections in the ingest results

Identity Matching

• Test request produces a Confirmed Match outcome
• Match is linked to the correct remote_identifier you sent during ingestion
• Correct hash_type is reported (e.g., email, ndz)

Deletion Dispatch

• Your deletion dispatch method receives the request (webhook, polling, or ISI)
• remote_identifier in the dispatch payload matches what you ingested
• Your system successfully processes the deletion and posts the outcome callback to DataGrail

Registry Confirmation

• DataGrail records a deletion confirmation for the test request
• Request appears in the Audit Log with all lifecycle timestamps populated
• Status is reported as deleted (status code 3)

Common Issues

The following table covers the most common issues encountered during testing:

Symptom	Likely Cause	Resolution
Test identifier produces no match	Identifier not yet ingested, or ingested with a different format	Verify the identifier appears in Identifier Status and check for ingest errors
Dispatch method not receiving the request	Webhook URL misconfigured, or polling agent not running	Verify configuration in the Quickstart
Callback not received by DataGrail	Incorrect callback URL, auth token missing or expired	Check the callback_url value in your dispatch payload and verify your bearer token
Audit log entry missing timestamps	Deletion outcome callback not yet posted	Confirm your system posted the outcome callback; check for errors in your dispatch logs