WebID +Person

I am running WebID +Person on an application where the users log in. Why would the login email not match the Identified user email?

 Expectation:  WebID +Person Identifies the user logging in by the email address they use to log in.

The explanation why this is generally not the case.


  • People (1 Person)
    • Profile (3 - 6 Profiles)
      • Device (3 to 9 possible devices)
        • Profile * Device Combinations means 9 to 54 possible combinations


"People" use your system by logging in with an email address.  However, every person has multiple "Profiles" (defined by email address).  Most people have 3 to 6 profiles. If these profiles are not linked in an identity graph, it may appear you have the wrong person being identified. This is generally not the case.


  • Types of profiles
    • Professional Profiles
      • Your current employer
      • Your former employer(s)
      • A former employee that used your computer in the past (if not wiped clean)
    • Personal Profiles
      • Your Primary Personal 
      • Your old/former profile(s) (that old AOL you still have, for instance)
      • Your spouse's email (If you have ever shared computers)
    • Stealth Profiles
      • Your Side Hustle
      • Temporary Email addresses
      • Your Shopping Profile
      • That social media profile you tested on that 'New Social platform."
      • Your "other" profiles (we won't talk about this one)


Additionally, each of those profiles uses one or more of many devices:


How many Devices do you have?

  • Work laptop
  • Work Tablet
  • Work Phone
  • Personal laptop
  • Your Spouse's Laptop
  • Personal Tablet
  • Your Spouse's Tablet
  • Your Persona Cell Phone
  • Connected TV (several per household)
  • Gaming Devices
  • Other Devices (several per household)


Other Factors:

  • USA Only
  • Household-level
  • No Children identified
  • Every email you have or ever had could become a 'Profile".


With over 54 different Profile Combinations, having an identification tool identify the ONE profile you expect is simply not likely.


While you are hoping that the email logging in is the same as the identified email, without a way to reconcile the unknowns to the knowns (such as an identify graph), this exercise is not recommended solution for determining the success of Identification.


The best way to reconcile and determine success is through marketing response rates (typically email).


    • Related Articles

    • Email Marketing Open Rates

      Open rates are one of the best ways to tell whether your email strategy is working. This number shows what percentage of your audience opens the emails you send them. If you have a higher open rate, it usually means your subject lines resonate with ...
    • +Person Zapier Integration

      What is Zapier? Zapier is a no-code automation tool that allows end users to integrate the web applications they use and automate workflows. This allows you to easily automate your work across 5,000+ applications without having to have coding skills ...
    • Types of WebID Comparison

      Website Visitor Identification, aka WebID, is a process by which we uncover the names of your website visitors and other pertinent details you can use to qualify and reach out to them. At Visual Visitor, we understand that there is no "one size fits ...
    • What is an appropriately-sized email list?

      The size of your email list matters and it will determine how many emails you send per person in a certain span of time. Like with email open rates, the size of your email list should ultimately depend on your industry, as well as the size of your ...
    • Validating the Contact Records - Breaking Down the Email Scores

      Have you noticed numbers next to a contact you searched? Each lead for Visual Visitor comes with an email score between 0-100. This scale is basically a database confidence level of the email contact you have looked up. Why Do I See Two Numbers? When ...