Adding a user creates a user profile. The profile a complete picture of the user - their email, onsite, purchase, mobile, predictions, and custom data all lives on the user profile.

A user profile is created the first time a user interacts with your brand in a number of ways. A user is added to your account (and, typically, to a Natural List) upon signing up for email updates or making a purchase. You can also create and update user profiles directly through the API or by uploading a spreadsheet or other data file.

The system records an array of information to each user profile, such as contact information, interests, viewed items on your site, purchased items -- all information that is available through recorded user interactions. You can also include custom data types, called vars, with your user profiles to store additional information. You can then use this wealth of information to segment users, target each user with optimal personalized content, and much more. In this section you'll find various ways you can add, update, and view user data.

Initial Upload

For your initial upload of users, and any subsequent imports, you can upload a CSV file using My Sailthru or upload users via the API. Users may also be added through other acquisition methods like Facebook and Hosted Pages. For more information on ways to add users, see Adding Users to a List.

After initial upload, lists can be segmented using Audience Builder. Visit Managing Lists to learn more about managing user groups as lists.

User Profiles and Variables

Each user profile contains two classifications of data:

• Fields - Set by the system, for example:
  • Site activity logged by the Personalize JavaScript
  • Email activity logged through beacon and link tracking
  • Data you have uploaded
    • Primary email address
    • Purchase data
  • Predictions

For a list of the fields viewable on a User Profile page in My Sailthru, see the User Profile Data Glossary.

• Variables - Custom variable (a.k.a. var) names and values determined by you, for example:
  • Personally identifiable information (name, address, etc.)
  • Membership type
  • Birthday

For a list of recommended vars and formats, please see Set Variables on Users.

Each user has one or more implicitly tracked data point that serves as a key. This is typically an email address, and helps to identify this user in your lists. As noted above, some data points are set based on basic information or user behavior. Data Fields relate to data points that are implicitly tracked, such as opens, pageviews, geolocation, etc. You can also use custom variables - often referred to as vars - to track additional data points.

Again, as noted above, vars are custom data points that you can add to your user profiles. They enable you to easily personalize your communications and segment your lists for sends and reporting. You can include vars in your initial upload, then add or update them in a number of ways, including via the API. Similarly, you can export lists including collected vars.

NOTE: When adding users, work with your Account Manager to ensure you upload all proper variables you have available, such as First_Name, Last_Name, City, State, etc.

For more information, see the other pages listed in the left-side menu for Managing Users.