Anonymous User
A visitor or app user you can track by device or browser but have not yet linked to a known identity such as an account, email address or user ID.
Definition
An anonymous user is someone using your website or app before you know who they are. Analytics and messaging tools still record their activity under a generated identifier, such as an anonymous ID, cookie or device ID, but there is no account, email or customer ID attached. When the person signs up or logs in, the tool identifies them and, ideally, merges the anonymous history into their known profile.
Why It Matters
Most visitors and many app users never sign in during their first sessions, and that is often when intent is highest. If anonymous activity is thrown away, you lose the browsing that led to a signup and cannot personalize onboarding. If it is merged carelessly, two people on a shared device end up with one profile. Getting anonymous-to-known identity right is the basis of accurate attribution, segmentation and lifecycle messaging.
How It Works
On first visit or launch, the SDK creates an anonymous ID and attaches it to every event. Channels that do not need identity, such as on-site messages and some web push, can already target this user. When the person signs in, the app calls identify with a stable user ID or email, and the platform links the anonymous ID to that profile, merging past events. On sign-out, the app resets the SDK so the next person on the device starts as a new anonymous user. Platforms differ in whether they let you message anonymous users at all.
Example
A shopper's path from anonymous to known:
- Monday: Browses three running shoes on the website as anonymous ID anon_81f.
- Wednesday: Installs the app, browses more as device ID dev_22a.
- Thursday: Creates an account in the app; identify links dev_22a to sam@example.com.
- Friday: Logs in on the website; anon_81f is merged too, and the welcome email features the shoes Sam viewed on Monday.
Best Practices
- 1Call identify as soon as the user signs in or gives an email, not later in a session
- 2Use a stable internal user ID as the main identifier and treat email as an attribute that can change
- 3Reset the SDK on sign-out so shared devices do not merge different people
- 4Decide which channels may target anonymous users and document it for consent purposes
- 5Avoid merging profiles on weak signals like IP address alone
Devices linked to contacts on sign-in
Sequenzy's SDKs register devices anonymously and link them to the contact when the app calls identify, so campaigns and journeys reach people once you know who they are.
Learn MoreIdentity States
| State | Identifier | What you can do |
|---|---|---|
| Anonymous | Device ID, cookie, anonymous ID | Track behavior, on-site or in-app guidance |
| Identified | User ID or email | Personal email, push and in-app journeys |
| Signed out | Reset to a new anonymous ID | Start fresh without merging profiles |