Decoder · Continuously updated
The Salesforce marketing name chaos, decoded
Pardot is called Account Engagement, ExactTarget is called Engagement, the new platform is called Next, and the whole thing is now branded Agentforce Marketing — while your contract probably uses a fourth name. This page is the reference: every name, what it means today, and how to tell which product you actually own.
The decoder
| When someone says… | …today that means | What you need to know |
|---|---|---|
| Pardot | Marketing Cloud Account Engagement (MCAE / AE) | Same product, renamed 2022. When anyone says "Pardot", they mean AE — and vice versa. Everyone still says Pardot. |
| Account Engagement+ (AE+) | AE + the agentic MC Next layer | NOT a new product: your Pardot org stays, Agentforce capabilities are added on top. Full explainer. |
| ExactTarget | Marketing Cloud Engagement (MCE) | The classic B2C marketing cloud: Journey Builder, Email Studio, the home of AMPscript. |
| Marketing Cloud Next (MCN) | The new platform — editions "Growth" and "Advanced" | Built new on the core platform, AI-native. NOT the same as MCE — and no automated migration from it. |
| Agentforce Marketing | The new umbrella name for the marketing suite | Salesforce now brands the whole marketing portfolio this way; MC Next is the flagship under it. |
| Data Cloud | Data 360 | Renamed 2025. The data foundation under MCN, Agentforce and increasingly everything else. Previously also: CDP, Genie (2022). |
| Marketing Cloud Personalization | formerly Evergage / Interaction Studio | Real-time personalization; renamed twice. |
| Marketing Cloud Intelligence | formerly Datorama | The reporting/analytics acquisition; the old name refuses to die. |
| Growth vs. Advanced | The two MCN editions | Advanced = more testing, Einstein scope, scale. The comparison. |
| Flex Credits | The consumption currency for agents | Agent actions are metered — the honest cost math. |
The quick test
Which product do you actually own?
Three questions cut through any contract confusion:
The decisions behind the names
Frequent naming questions
Is Pardot dead?
No. The product is alive, actively developed, and named Marketing Cloud Account Engagement. No end-of-life has been announced. Only the name is dying — and even that slowly.
Is Marketing Cloud Next the successor to Pardot or to ExactTarget?
Both — and neither. MCN is a new platform intended to eventually inherit both worlds. AE teams get a no-migration bridge in AE+; for MCE teams it is a rebuild.
Why does Salesforce keep renaming things?
Acquisitions (ExactTarget, Pardot, Evergage, Datorama) met portfolio strategy, then the Agentforce rebrand. For buyers only one thing matters: identify products by capability, not by name — which is what this page is for.
What does our contract probably say?
Depending on purchase year: "Pardot", "B2B Marketing Automation", "Marketing Cloud Account Engagement", or edition names like "Growth". When in doubt, put your order form next to this page — or send it to me and I will translate it in a free intro call.
Contract unclear? Roadmap worse?
The free 30-minute intro call sorts out what you own, what it can do, and the next sensible step — no pitch.