Product workflows2026-10-272 min read

Validate Amplitude User Identity

Trace controlled journeys across anonymous and signed-in states and verify the intended profile association. A stable identity contract is essential before interpreting unique-user counts or comparing cohorts.

Before you start: Have SDK or integration access, a synthetic user and known device contexts. Follow the relevant SDK’s identity guidance for sign-in and sign-out.

Worked example: One person visits anonymously, signs in and later returns on another device. The analysis should reflect the intended user association without merging a different person who shares the first device.

Step-by-step guide

01

Document the identifier contract

Choose a stable user identifier and explain when it is set. Avoid changing the identifier scheme because an email or display name changed.

02

Test anonymous entry

Perform a known action before authentication and record the device context. Confirm where those events appear.

03

Test authentication

Sign in and perform another action. Inspect how the anonymous and known histories relate under the current integration.

04

Test another device

Repeat with the same synthetic user on a second device. Check that the intended person is recognized rather than counted as an unrelated user.

05

Test account switching

Follow documented logout/reset behavior and use a different synthetic account. Confirm that shared-device history does not attribute new actions to the wrong person.

06

Review downstream effects

Check the relevant unique-user and cohort reports. Record the verified behavior and any historical identity limitations.

Common mistakes

Changing user IDs casually

A new identifier can represent a separate user rather than an update.

One device equals one person

Shared devices and multiple devices complicate that assumption.

Only signed-in tests

Anonymous and account-switching paths often reveal identity problems.

Tips

Use synthetic accounts for identity testing.

Record SDK and integration versions with the check.

Review identity before interpreting sudden user-count changes.

Sources and verification

Based on product documentation checked on 2026-10-24. This is a documentation-based guide, not a hands-on benchmark. Features and availability can change.

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