Identity profile variables

Identity profile variables are unique to each member and may contain Personally Identifiable Information (PII). Keep the following considerations in mind when creating, updating, and deleting Identity variable values.

Identity profile variables are used to record information about a member, such as a:

Twitter handle
Loyalty card number
Customer ID
Phone number

Identity variable values are historical

Community keeps a history of a member's Identity data even after a variable value is updated.

Example: Update Identity variable values
A member responds to a Profile action question in a survey to update their phone number. After the member completes the survey, Community keeps a record of both the old and new phone numbers. For more information, see Create a Profile action.

Identity variable values cannot be recycled

Identity variable values are unique to each member and cannot be recycled, regardless of whether the value is associated with a member. Importing an Identity variable value that already exists in the systems will cause an error.

Example: Import Identity profile variables
Your Community contains an Identity variable named `Phone Number`. Member `John.Smith@email.com` changes their phone number from `555-1234` to `555-5678`. At a later date, you attempt to import profile variables for member `Jane.Doe@email.com` whose phone number is `555-1234`. An error message appears. The duplicate variables are identified in the error report. Because Identity values are unique and historical, Community continues to associate the phone number `555-1234` with `John.Smith@email.com` even though the number was re-issued to a different person. In the example above, `Jane.Doe@email.com` would need to provide an alternate phone number.

Example: Import Identity profile variables

Your Community contains an Identity variable named Phone Number.

Member John.Smith@email.com changes their phone number from 555-1234 to 555-5678.
At a later date, you attempt to import profile variables for member Jane.Doe@email.com whose phone number is 555-1234.
An error message appears. The duplicate variables are identified in the error report.

Because Identity values are unique and historical, Community continues to associate the phone number 555-1234 with John.Smith@email.com even though the number was re-issued to a different person. In the example above, Jane.Doe@email.com would need to provide an alternate phone number.

Example: Empty values
Since Identity variables are unique to each member, only one member can have an empty value at a time. Building on the `Phone Number` example above, when you import a CSV file that contains multiple empty cells in the `Phone Number` column: Community records the first instance of an empty cell as an empty value. Subsequent empty cells are treated as a duplicate value. Furthermore, if you attempt to use the application to update an existing value with an empty value, an error message will appear. For more information, see View or manage member details.

Example: Empty values

Since Identity variables are unique to each member, only one member can have an empty value at a time.

Building on the Phone Number example above, when you import a CSV file that contains multiple empty cells in the Phone Number column:

Community records the first instance of an empty cell as an empty value.
Subsequent empty cells are treated as a duplicate value.

Furthermore, if you attempt to use the application to update an existing value with an empty value, an error message will appear. For more information, see View or manage member details.

Identity variable values are sensitive data

Identity variable values belong to the member. When a member leaves your Community, Community keeps a record of the member's Identity variable values, including historical data, even when an Admin purges the member from the Community.

To permanently overwrite a member's Identity values, including their history, enable the Sensitive Data feature. For more information, see Sensitive Data.