Legacy : What is an Identify Call?

Last Updated: September 27, 2023

🔍 Please note: this article is for customers on Standard Bundle, Enrichment, or Clearbit Platform plans.

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What Is an Identify Call?

Identify calls are sent using a snippet of JavaScript that communicates with the Clearbit tag. They tell the Clearbit tag who the user is (e.g. their email address) so that it can attribute past and future browsing behavior to that user in the Clearbit platform. 

Clearbit_Identify_Call.png

Each identify call includes a unique User ID, their email address, and any optional traits you know about the user.

Are you a Segment customer? Clearbit's Segment integration allows you to import your identified user traits and page views directly into Clearbit! We recommend that Segment customers use the Segment Identify spec and send that data to Clearbit so that you get the full benefit of Segment's CDP and avoid having to manage redundant code.

Sending Identify calls allows you to track user behavior for activity-based segmentation, Contact Audience targeting, and accurately tracking conversions from ads.

  • Alert your sales reps when a high-value prospect visits the pricing page
  • Alert your customer success team when a customer reads a help center article
  • Measure conversions from your ad campaigns by sending server-side conversion events to your Facebook and Google Ad accounts

When to Send an Identify Call

We recommend that you make an Identify call whenever a user fills out a form, signs up, or updates their user information in your app.

For example...

Common marketing Identify calls

  • When a user fills out a contact form (e.g. a demo request)
  • When a user downloads content (e.g. an ebook) or registers for a webinar
  • When a user subscribes for a newsletter

Common in-app Identify calls

  • After a user first signs up
  • After a user logs in
  • When a user updates their info in your app (for example, they change or add a new address)
  • Upon loading any pages that are accessible by a logged in user (optional)

How Frequently Should I Send Identify Calls?

If possible, we recommend sending an Identify call whenever a user reveals their identity to you, even if you have identified them before. Why? Because most users access your website across multiple devices. And even if you manage to identify them across every device, local storage and cookies expire over time, meaning that tracking data will be lost unless you continue to re-identify users over time.

⏭  Next step: Set Up an Identify Call