User tracking

User identification connects anonymous activity to a known user profile. Instead of treating every visit as a nameless session, you link events, page views, and sessions to a real person-someone you can look up, follow over time, and understand in context.

With OpenPanel, identification works like this:

1. A visitor arrives and generates anonymous events
2. When they sign up or log in, you call identify() with an ID and optional properties
3. OpenPanel merges their anonymous history with the identified profile

From that point on, you have a complete picture: when they first appeared, when they were last active, every event they triggered, and any properties you attached (plan, company, role, etc.).

This is how modern product teams answer questions like:

• When did this user first show up, and what led them to sign up?
• What did they do in the last 7 days?
• Which features does this account actually use?
• Is this user at risk of churning?

Unlike traditional analytics that reduce users to anonymous metrics, OpenPanel gives you individual-level visibility without compromising privacy. You control what data you send. No third-party cookies, no fingerprinting, no data sold to advertisers. You get user profiles that help your support, sales, and product teams-without the surveillance.