identify() call links events to real people so you can analyze behavior by user, segment, and cohort. Without it, Cano can tell you what happened but not who did it. Once you identify a user, every subsequent event tied to their user_id automatically enriches their profile in your dashboard.
How Identify Works
When you callidentify(), you send a user_id and an optional map of traits — descriptive attributes about that person. Cano merges all events sharing that user_id into a single unified user profile. Traits are stored on the profile and can be used to filter and segment your reports.
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Call identify() at sign-in
Fire
identify() as soon as you know who the user is — typically right after login or registration.2
Pass stable traits
Include traits that describe the user: their name, email, plan, and account creation date.
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Cano merges the profile
All past and future events with that
user_id are linked to this profile automatically.Identifying a User
identify() multiple times for the same user — Cano will merge new traits into the existing profile, overwriting any keys that have changed (for example, when a user upgrades their plan).
Anonymous Users
Cano automatically generates ananonymous_id for every unauthenticated visitor, so you capture behavior before you know who they are. When the user signs in, call identify() and Cano will alias the anonymous session to the real user — meaning all events from the anonymous session retroactively appear on their profile.
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Aliasing Two User IDs
If you need to explicitly merge two known identifiers — for example, a temporary ID from a third-party system and your internaluser_id — use cano.alias().
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anon_456 are merged into the usr_123 profile. Use alias sparingly and only when you have two distinct IDs that represent the same real person.
User Traits vs. Event Properties
It’s important to understand the distinction between traits and properties so your data model stays clean.
Use traits for persistent, descriptive attributes about a person. Use event properties for the context of a specific action.
GDPR & data deletion: You have the right to erase a user’s data on request. To delete all events and traits associated with a
user_id, use the Users API. Cano will permanently remove the profile and all linked events within 30 days, in compliance with GDPR Article 17.Next Steps
Custom Properties
Enrich your events and user profiles with typed properties that are fully queryable in charts.
Event Tracking
Go back to event tracking fundamentals — naming conventions, batch sending, and the real-time stream.