Visitor stitching example

First visit

A new visitor visits your website from their laptop.

1. An anonymous ID is assigned to the visitor and profile A is created. The anonymous ID allows one profile to be maintained for multiple visits.
2. When the visitor authenticates with a never before seen email address, user@example.com, the email address is assigned to a user identifier.
3. A visitor ID attribute in profile A is enriched with the value of the user identifier (the email address).

Second visit

The next day, the same person visits your website from their tablet.

1. An anonymous ID is assigned to the visitor and profile B is created.
2. The visitor logs in to the website using the same email address stored in profile A, user@example.com.
   A visitor ID attribute in profile B is set to the email address, user@example.com.
3. AudienceStream performs a visitor ID lookup on the email address. Profile A and profile B have a visitor ID attribute set to the same email address and the profiles are determined to be associated.
4. AudienceStream stitches profiles A and B together and creates profile C.
   
   • Profile C is now used for both the desktop and tablet and contains the following:
     • All the events and historical data from profiles A and B.
     • A replaces array that contains links to profile A and profile B.
   • The replaced by attribute in profiles A and B contains a link to profile C.
   • Lookup can still be performed on the anonymous IDs in profiles A and B.

Third visit

A few days later, a nurture campaign sends an email to user@example.com.

1. The user opens the email on their phone and taps the link to your website.
2. The email address is passed in a query string parameter in the URL, allowing AudienceStream to identify the user upon page load.
3. Profile D is created with a user identifier set to the email address.
   
   The email address in profile D matches the email address in the visitor ID attribute in profile C and the two profiles are stitched together, creating profile E.
   • Profile E is now used for the desktop, tablet, and phone and contains the following:
     • All the events and historical data from profiles C and D.
     • A replaces array that contains links to profile C and profile D.
   • The replaced by attribute in profiles C and D contains a link to profile E.
   • Lookup can still be performed on the anonymous IDs in profiles A, B, C, and D.