Boomtrain Commerce is tracking website users based on Anonymous User IDs (AUIDs) stored in cookies.
In order to link the anonymous user id to a real user (identified by email / CRM user ID), it is required to receive, once per AUID's lifetime, information about the user's identity. This can be achieved in two ways:
- On site identification via JavaScript
- Pseudo-login via URL
On site identification via JavaScript
Sending the customer_id via the JavaScript api allows linking an AUID to a real user in your database. It is recommended to use the email address as customer_id, for an easier transition from non registered customers to registered.
The user identification API call is documented here: https://boomtrain.readme.io/docs/boomtrain-commerce-js-quick-start#section--identifying-users-
Note: if you're using Magento and the Boomtrain Commerce extension for Magento, this is done for you automatically.
Pseudo-login via URL
It is possible to simulate a login for a user coming to your site from an external system by adding the pleisty_u paramerer to the URL:
http://example.com?pleisty_u=CUSTOMER_ID
If you use the email address as CUSTOMER_ID, the URL will look like this:
http://[email protected]
Add this url parameter to all newsletter links sent from external systems (ex: logo link, footer links, other links), so your users will be properly identified when they land on your shop.