# Visitor identity

INSIDE recognises a returning browser so its visits can continue under the same visitor record.

*Release 3.3 · developer, operator, visitor*

**Floor**

## What it is

INSIDE can recognise a browser when it returns to your website and reconnect it to its visitor record. This lets operators see saved context alongside new activity. Recognition depends on the browser's saved identity and the website integration.

## Who uses it and why

- Operators use recognised visitors to understand earlier activity.
- Developers set up tracking and, where needed, member identification.
- Visitors can return in the same browser with their earlier context available to INSIDE.

## Where to find it

Identity recognition runs through the website integration. Select a visitor on the floor to see the context available for that visitor. There is no separate identity editor in Settings.

## How it works

1. The tracker looks for a saved browser identity in a cookie, with browser local storage as a fallback. It can also recognise an older saved identity.
2. INSIDE checks whether that identity matches a visitor for the website.
3. If the identity is valid, tracking continues under that visitor. Otherwise, INSIDE creates a new visitor record.
4. With persistent tracking enabled, the tracker saves the identity for later page loads and visits. The standard browser cookie has a 365-day lifetime when written.

Where the integration supplies a member identifier and no browser identity is available, INSIDE can look for an existing visitor associated with that member in the same website. This depends on the integration supplying member information.

## Configure it

Use the tracking integration configured for your website. Ask Powerfront to review recognition across subdomains or pages with different cookie boundaries. Custom identity storage needs a matching read and write integration.

Consent settings determine whether persistent recognition is available. Memory-only tracking does not provide the same saved-browser continuity.

## Limits and good to know

- Browser recognition does not identify a person across every browser or device. Contact matching is a separate feature.
- Clearing both cookies and local storage can remove the saved identity. Clearing cookies alone may leave the local-storage fallback available.
- Invalid identities and visitors marked not to be tracked cannot restore the old record through ordinary recognition.
- The standard tracker tests first-party cookie support before configuring tracking. Blocking cookies can therefore stop tracking even when memory-only tracking was requested.

## Depends on and works with

### This feature uses

- **Requires** Website accounts (managed by Powerfront): Visitor recognition needs an active website account to create or restore its visitor records.
- **Configured in** [Cookie consent and opting out](VIS-018.md): Consent and memory-only tracking determine whether browser identity is saved and restored.
- **Works better with** [Visitor data mapping for customer identity](CRM-002.md): An integration can supply a member identity that helps restore an existing visitor.
- **Related** [Contact matching](CRM-003.md): Contact matching associates customer profiles across visits, separately from recognising a returning browser.
- **Related** [Visits and returning visitors](VIS-002.md): Visits distinguish separate periods of activity for the same recognised browser.

### Used by

- **Required by** [Visits and returning visitors](VIS-002.md): Saved browser identity provides continuity between visits.
- **Required by** [Visitor page and product tracking](VIS-003.md): Page activity is associated with a visitor identity for the website.
- **Required by** [Visitor flags and custom scores](VIS-008.md): Flags and scores belong to a visitor record.
- **Required by** [Visitor actions and events](VIS-010.md): Captured actions and custom triggers need a current visitor context.
- **Required by** [Visitor activity and availability](VIS-011.md): Connections and browser tabs are associated with a visitor identity.
- **Required by** [Visitor browsing and activity history](VIS-020.md): Recorded history is associated with a visitor identity.
- **Required by** [INSIDE visitor CLI](VIS-024.md): Profiles retain the visitor identity used by tracking and browser restore.
- **Required by** [Proactive chat control group settings](ENG-005.md): The assignment is stored against the recognised visitor.
- **Required by** [Customer and order access](COM-012.md): Live authorisation belongs to the current visitor session.
- **Required by** [Basket tracking](COM-019.md): Basket observations belong to a website and visitor identity.
- **Enhances** [Cookie consent and opting out](VIS-018.md): Accepting cookies allows the browser to use persistent visitor recognition on later visits.
- **Enhances** [Visitor connection recovery](VIS-022.md): Visitor recognition supports continuity when a browser reconnects.
- **Enhances** [Pre-chat survey for visitors](VX-008.md): Browser recognition lets returning visitors reuse valid survey completion and saved details.
- **Enhances** [Browser API requests](EXT-020.md): Visitor requests can carry identification for the current visitor session.
- **Enhances** [Media callbacks and embedded form results](EXT-021.md): Embedded-form callbacks use visitor identity to find the visitor whose workflow should continue.

## FAQ and troubleshooting

### Why does the same customer appear as a new visitor?

Check whether they used another browser or device, cleared browser storage, or changed consent. Also check that all relevant pages use the intended website integration.

### Does recognising a browser prove who is using it?

No. A browser record and an identified customer profile are different things. A shared browser may be used by more than one person.

### Why does recognition work on one page but not another?

Ask your developer and Powerfront to check the website account, allowed domains and cookie boundaries used by both pages.

### Will a brief connection loss create a new visitor?

A connection loss alone does not remove a valid saved browser identity. INSIDE can reconnect the browser to the same record.