> ## Documentation Index > Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://docs.narrative.io/llms.txt > Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further. # Graph Studio > Build identity graphs from your first-party and third-party data using a guided, visual builder Graph Studio is the platform's identity graph building tool. It provides two builders — **Edge Builder** and **Graph Builder** — that work together to transform your raw data into a connected identity graph. ## How it works Building an identity graph is a two-step process: 1. **Define edges** — Tell the platform which identifiers in your data should be used to connect records. Two records that share the same identifier value (like the same email address) are linked together. 2. **Build the graph** — The platform runs a connected components algorithm over your edges to discover which records belong to the same person or household, resolving transitive connections across multiple hops. ## Edges An edge connects a **source record** to a **target identifier**. The Edge Builder creates an edges dataset by combining your data sources with the identity attributes you choose as connection points. ### Key concepts | Term | Description | Example | | ------------------ | ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | -------------------------------------------------- | | **Source ID type** | A label you choose to identify which system a record comes from | `CRM`, `Website`, `Partner` | | **Source ID** | The field that uniquely identifies each record in that system | `CUSTOMER_ID` | | **Target ID type** | The category of identifier used as a connection point — always a Rosetta Stone attribute | `normalized_email`, `clear_text_e164_phone_number` | | **Target ID** | The actual identifier value for a given record, derived from the attribute mapping | `michaelscott@gmail.com`, `+15705551234` | Each source record produces one edge per target ID group. When two records from any source share the same target ID value, the graph recognizes them as connected. ### Target ID groups Target IDs are organized into **groups**. Each group defines one type of connection. A group can contain a single attribute or multiple attributes — when a group has multiple attributes, **all values in the group must match** for two records to be connected. For example: * A group with just **normalized email** connects any two records sharing the same email — high confidence, since email is typically unique to a person * A group with **phone number + first name** requires both values to match, which is more precise than phone alone — useful when a phone number might be shared across a household You can define multiple target ID groups to give the graph different ways to find connections. The algorithm considers all groups when resolving identities. ### Data sources The Edge Builder accepts two types of sources: * **Datasets** (first-party) — Your own data, [mapped to Rosetta Stone attributes](/guides/rosetta-stone/mapping-schemas) * **Access rules** (third-party) — Data shared with you by other companies. Third-party sources introduce connections that your first-party data cannot see on its own. ## Graph The Graph Builder takes one or more edges datasets and runs a **Label Connected Components** algorithm. It follows connections between records — including transitive chains — and groups every connected record into a single identity. ### Algorithm parameters | Parameter | Default | Description | | ------------------------ | ------- | ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ | | **Max Component Size** | 100 | Caps how many records can merge into one identity. Prevents over-connection. | | **Max Iterations** | 10 | How many passes the algorithm makes to resolve transitive chains. | | **Max Degree Threshold** | 100 | Excludes nodes with too many connections (e.g., shared corporate emails) to avoid merging unrelated records. | The defaults work well for most use cases. ### Output The graph produces a dataset where each record is assigned a **component ID** — all records with the same component ID belong to the same resolved identity. You can join this back to your original data for analytics, segmentation, and activation. ### Automation You can run the graph build once or set a **refresh schedule** to keep it current as source data changes. You can also optionally **encode** identifiers in the output using your company's encryption material. ## Source eligibility Not every dataset or access rule appears in the Graph Studio source pickers. Each builder only lists sources that have been **prepared for the step you're on** — the Edge Builder lists sources that are ready to become edges, and the Graph Builder lists the edges datasets that are ready to be resolved into a graph. If a source you expect is missing, it hasn't met the requirement for that list. Under the hood, eligibility is driven by dataset and access-rule **tags** and Rosetta Stone **attribute mappings**: | Builder | Source list | Requirement | | ----------------- | -------------------------- | -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | | **Edge Builder** | First-party datasets | Dataset carries the `_nio_ci_components` tag | | **Edge Builder** | Third-party access rules | Access rule carries the `_nio_ci_components` tag | | **Graph Builder** | First-party input datasets | Dataset is mapped to the `graph_edge` Rosetta Stone attribute (this is what an edges dataset produced by the Edge Builder looks like) | | **Graph Builder** | Third-party access rules | Access rule carries both the `_nio_ci_components` tag and a `_nio_ci_source_id_type:` tag (for example `_nio_ci_source_id_type:CUSTOMER_ID`) | The `_nio_ci_*` tags are managed on the dataset or access rule itself. First-party data becomes edge-eligible when it's tagged `_nio_ci_components`; the Edge Builder's output edges datasets are mapped to `graph_edge`, which is what makes them appear in the Graph Builder. If a source is missing from a picker, check that it carries the tag or mapping listed above. ## Data plane support Graph Studio runs on both **Snowflake** and **AWS** data planes. Both the Edge Builder and the Graph Builder are available in either environment — the Graph Builder uses the platform's [`LabelConnectedComponents` workflow task](/reference/workflows/tasks) for step 2, which is cross-platform. ## Related content How connected components and graph structure unify identifiers Step-by-step guide to creating your first graph Strengthen graph structure with third-party linkage data Map your data to Rosetta Stone attributes