The process of merging profiles based on multiple unique identifiers is at the center of how BlueConic creates a single source of truth for each customer. When a profile property value in a profile changes, and that profile property is being used for profile merging, BlueConic determines whether there are other profiles among your profiles that match this new value.
Many BlueConic customers regard the submission of an email address, either through a webform or from a site login, as uniquely identifying behavior, and they designate the Email Address profile property as a unique identifier. Or you might choose to create a new profile if this unique identifier changes (for example, if someone else logs in with a different email address on the same device).
Profile merging guardrails
To ensure that profile merges happen accurately, in real time, and at scale, BlueConic has some guardrails in place, which are:
Look-up maximum
Maximum 1,000 merges for a single profile
Merge only on values at least 4 characters long
Maximum 20 matching profiles
Look-up maximum
Profiles merge based on configured merge rules for profile properties. BlueConic can have many of these rules, and profile properties can have multiple values.
BlueConic imposes a limit of 24 look-ups to check if a profile must merge with another existing profile. This is best explained in a few examples:
Maximum 1,000 merges for a single profile
BlueConic imposes a limit of 1,000 merges for a single profile.
If a matching profile if found based on a merge rule and that profile has already been merged 1,000 times, no merge will happen.
Merge only on values with at least 4 characters
Any profile property value that is used in a merge rule will only be considered for merging if it is at least 4 characters long. For example:
The value
abcdwill be used for finding matching profiles to merge.The value
abchas only 3 characters and therefore will not be considered for merging.
Maximum 20 matching profiles
BlueConic will try to find matching profiles for a merge rule. A merge will only take place if there are up to 20 matching profiles for the merge rule.
If there are 21 or more matching profiles, a merge will not take place.
Profile merging scenarios
Here are a few scenarios below to help you establish the optimal profile merging strategies.
Scenario A: Customer has 3 visits = 3 profiles
In this scenario, a customer named Josh visits your BlueConic channel from three separate devices:
Desktop computer
Laptop
Mobile phone
From these three separate visits, BlueConic creates three profiles for Josh. When Josh “identifies” himself on all three channels, he will have three separate BlueConic profiles. But if you set up profile merging rules around the Email Address profile property, all three of Josh’s profiles will be merged into a single profile. BlueConic now sees Josh as one profile across all three of his devices.
Scenario B: Merge rules recognize a user's IP address
Profile merge rules in BlueConic include options to enforce IP checking between profiles being merged. This enables to check whether the profiles being merged come from the same IP address. There are three options for IP checking:
No IP check: Neither profile’s IP address is checked by the merge rule.
Regular IP check: Profiles can be merged if either both profiles have an IP address in common, or at least one profile has no IP address (default choice).
Strict IP check: Profiles will be merged only if they have one IP address in common.
Let’s look back at Scenario A, only this time with the IP checking enabled.
Without IP checking: As Josh begins to identify himself from his devices, his three anonymous profiles are merged.
With IP checking enabled: Only Josh’s profiles that share a common IP address are merged.
Scenario C: New profile created for a new unique identifier or new email address
Next, let’s walk through a scenario where the option to “Create a new profile when the identifier changes” is enabled in BlueConic for the Email Address profile property.
Josh has a profile in BlueConic that contains his email address.
Josh lends his laptop to his sister Jodie.
Jodie logs into the site using her email address.
Note: The email address that BlueConic previously had now changes from Josh’s email address to his sister Jodie’s email address.With the setting to “Create a new profile when identifier changes” enabled, Jodie now has her own profile on Josh’s laptop.
In his next visit, Josh will need to log in again on his laptop in order to be connected back to his own profile.
Note: When you create (or edit) a profile property in BlueConic, you can specify in the Profile Property Expert settings area, under unique identifiers, that BlueConic should create a new profile when the unique identifier changes. Such a change signals that a different unique profile is created.
URLs with unique identifiers and profile merges
Many ESPs allow you to insert parameters into URLs (such as UTM codes). If your ESP allows it, you may also be able to insert a unique identifier as a URL parameter. After a recipient receives an email and clicks a link from that email, BlueConic can listen to the URL and store the unique identifier in the visitor’s profile. This identifier can then be used to link the profile in BlueConic back to the ESP.
Caution: If the person receiving the email forwards your email to another person, both people will be associated with the same unique identifier from the ESP.
Scenario D: Change in URL unique identifier prevents mistaken merges
Josh forwards your email to his sister Jodie.
Jodie clicks onto a link from the email from her personal laptop.
The URL contains a unique identifier, in this case Josh’s (because he was the original recipient of your email). Because Jodie arrives at your site with this unique identifier, and because this identifier is used to merge profiles, Josh's profile and Jodie’s profile are merged.
How can you prevent these two profiles from being merged?
Using one of the Profile property Expert settings in BlueConic titled “Create new profile when identifier changes” along with the IP check setting, you can prevent the undesired merge between Josh and Jodie’s profiles that might occur in Scenario D.
In Scenario D, Josh and Jodie’s profiles are merged because they share the same unique identifier. But by using an IP check option, you can prevent these profiles from being merged. Learn more about IP checking for profile merges.
Based on the settings for the Email Address profile property, Jodie would need to provide a new email address over the course of her visit in order to create a new profile.
When are merge rules triggered?
Merge rules are triggered when the value for the profile property in the main rule is changed, or if the IP address changes and you have enabled the IP check option. Merge rules are not triggered when the profile property in the subrule changes.
Example: The profile merge rules shown below are triggered when the 'Email' property changes or the IP address changes. It is not triggered if only the 'Mother_s Maiden Name' value changes.
Note: If you change a merge rule, it will be triggered when a profile is changed. But it will not proactively merge existing profiles that meet the new rule (until those profiles change). Profile merge rules are not retroactive.