How to Change Your Primary Identifier
In the Flowcode ecosystem, the Primary Identifier is the cornerstone of your data. By default, this is set to Email. It is the specific data point used to uniquely identify an individual and link all of their interactions to a single consumer profile.
This identifier powers critical functions like identity resolution, FlowID assignment, and real-time personalization in your live flows.
Recommended Primary Identifiers
Choosing the right identifier is vital for maintaining a clean and actionable database. We recommend using data points that are unique to the individual and actionable in your downstream processes (followup communications, identifiable in your CRM, etc.).
Contact-Specific Identifiers: Email addresses, or phone numbers.
Unique Membership IDs: Loyalty IDs, or other account numbers.
Best Practice: Always ensure your chosen identifier is unique per individual to prevent data merging or profile collisions.
What Happens During the Switch?
When you initiate a change, the system enters a System Processing Phase.
Duration: The switch can take anywhere from several minutes up to several hours.
Lock-out Period: You cannot change the identifier again until the current process is complete.
Zero Downtime: Your live Flows will continue to function normally using the old identifier while the migration happens in the background. The system only switches to the new identifier once the migration is 100% complete, at which time you will receive an email notification.
Impact on Contacts and Personalization
Changing your primary identifier has significant effects on how Flowcode recognizes your audience.
1. Contact Table Impact
Known to Anonymous: Any contact that does not have the new identifier populated in their profile will become "Anonymous."
FlowID Removal: When a contact becomes anonymous, their associated FlowID is removed from the ‘Contacts’ table.
Restoration: If you switch back to the previous identifier, the original FlowIDs will be restored.
2. Live Flow & Personalization Impact
The Device Exception: We can still recognize "Anonymous" users if they are browsing on the same device previously associated with their profile.
Broken Personalization: Though unlikely, personalization fields (like "Hello, [Name]") may fail to populate for contacts that have transitioned to "Anonymous" status.
Recognition: In rare instances, live flows relying on specific contact properties may no longer recognize certain individuals.
Scenario Examples
Switching from Email to “ACME ID” (example identifier)
If you change your identifier from Email to ACME ID:
Any contact in your database without an ACME ID will immediately become anonymous.
Those contacts lose their FlowID entry on the contacts table.
The link between their past behavior and their identity is severed unless they have an ACME ID on file.