Identify a visitor

Last updated November 20, 2019

_hsq.push(["identify", { {identity details} }]);

Identify a visitor. This function can be used to identify a visitor by email address.  If there is an existing contact record with a matching email address, the existing contact will be updated.  Otherwise, a new contact record will be created.  In both cases, the analytics data collected for the visitor will be associated with the contact record.

This function can also be used to update other contact properties as well.

Note - There are a few things to keep in mind when using this function:
  • This function call stores the data in the tracker, but the data is not actually passed to HubSpot with this call.  The data will only be passed when tracking a pageview or an event (with either the trackPageView or trackEvent functions).
  • You must include an email address to tie the data to a contact.  Other contact properties, including custom properties, can be updated with this function, but only an email will associate the data with a contact.
  • This function will not restore previously deleted contacts. These contacts must be restored in-app.

In addition to identifying a record by email address, you can also use a custom external ID to identify a visitor, by simply using 'id' as the identifier.  As with email, identifying a record using 'id' will associate the analytics data for the visitor with that ID.  However, unlike with an email address, including an 'id' by itself will not create a contact. Also, this 'id' is treated as a completely external identity, so while analytics data can be associated with a specific contact record by the ID (if, for example, you've previously identified a record by ID and by email, or the record was previously identified by ID and the visitor also has a form submission), the contact record cannot be looked up by this ID.

Note: This external ID can only be used with the HubSpot tracking code. This ID cannot be used to retrieve or update any records through any other HubSpot tools or APIs.

 

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/* This example grabs the value of a query string parameter '?email=' and uses that to identify the visitor */ function getParameterByName(name) { var match = RegExp('[?&]' + name + '=([^&]*)').exec(window.location.search); return match && decodeURIComponent(match[1].replace(/\+/g, ' ')); } var _hsq = window._hsq = window._hsq || []; _hsq.push(["identify",{ email: getParameterByName("email") }]); /* This example sets the email, as well as a custom property favorite_color */ var _hsq = window._hsq = window._hsq || []; _hsq.push(["identify",{ email: getParameterByName("email"), favorite_color: 'orange' }]); /* This example sets the email, as well as a custom external id for the visitor. This assumes that your site includes a variable named 'user' that includes that user's id in an 'id' property, and their email in an 'email' property. */ var _hsq = window._hsq = window._hsq || []; _hsq.push(["identify",{ email: user.email, id: user.id }]);