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How the profile is tracked?

In Tracardi, customer tracking and identity resolution are done through a combination of profile IDs and session IDs. Here's a detailed explanation:

  1. Profile ID and Session ID Storage:

  2. The Profile ID and Session ID are key components in tracking a customer's journey.

  3. The Profile ID is stored in the local storage of a user's browser.

  4. The Session ID, representing a visit, is stored in the browser's cookies.

  5. Session Creation and Management:

  6. A session is initiated when a browser is opened and is terminated when it's closed. A new session is created upon reopening the browser.

  7. The Session ID remains constant throughout a browser session.

  8. In mobile applications, the session ID can be controlled more flexibly, for instance, by generating a new Session ID each time the app is opened or when certain events (like logging out) occur.

  9. Profile Creation Across Different Browsers:

  10. Customers might use multiple browsers (e.g., one at home and another at work), leading to the creation of different Profile IDs for each browser.

  11. Each action or click by the customer is tracked as an event and linked to the respective Profile ID and Session ID.

  12. Profile Merging and Identity Resolution:

  13. An important aspect of Tracardi's tracking system is the ability to merge profiles.

  14. When a customer is identified (e.g., through an email address) across different browsers or devices, Tracardi merges these profiles into a single profile.
  15. This merging process copies data from all detected profiles (say Profile A, B, and others) into one (say Profile B).
  16. After merging, while the Session IDs remain unique to each visit, the Profile ID becomes uniform across all browsers and devices.

  17. However, each profile still retains multiple IDs because these IDs cannot be replaced on devices not currently in use.

  18. Handling Multiple Profile IDs:

  19. Even after merging, the old Profile IDs are still relevant.

  20. When a customer accesses the service from a device using an old Profile ID, Tracardi uses this ID to find the current profile and then updates the device with the new Profile ID.

  21. Simplified Overview:

  22. Sessions represent visits: Each browser session or app use is tracked with a unique Session ID.

  23. Profiles represent the customer: Different Profile IDs created across devices or browsers are merged upon identification, creating a unified view of the customer.
  24. Merged profiles have multiple IDs: Merged profiles retain their old IDs to ensure continuity in tracking across all devices until they are updated with the new unified Profile ID.

This system allows Tracardi to provide a comprehensive view of a customer's journey, accounting for their interactions across various browsers and devices, and enabling effective identity resolution.