Understand the authenticatedState in WebSDK

[bestImv]

Hi Community,

I'm having trouble finding good information about the `authenticatedState` property in the `identityMap` object of the Adobe Experience Platform (AEP) Web SDK. Could someone please explain this concept in simpler terms and provide a real-world example of what the "Ambiguous", "Authenticated", and "Logged Out" states mean?

It seems like the `authenticatedState` is always being written to the user's profile, regardless of what value we set. So I'd like to understand the actual differences between these three states.

Any guidance or helpful links would be greatly appreciated!

Thanks,
Imv

[ccg1706 · Accepted solution]

Hi @bestImv,

The authenticated state property indicates the level of authentication associated with a user's identity when interacting with your website or application. This helps AEP to determine how to treat the data associated with that identity.

The Three States Explained:

1. Ambiguous: 

- Definition: The user's authentication is unclear and hasn't been determined , This might happen if the user hasn't logged in , or the system isn't sure if the suer is authenticated.

-Real example: A visitor browsing your website without logging in . They might have a cookie identifying them, but heir authentication status is not confirmed.

2. Authenticated:

-Definition: The user is confirmed to be logged in and authenticated. Their actions are directly associated with a known and verified identity.

- Real example: A user who has logged into your website or app . Ex: a returning customer accessing their account details after signing in.

3.Logged Out:

-Definition: The user has explicitly logged out, and their session is no longer authenticated. While their identity might still be recognised through cookies or other means , they are not considered authenticated.

-Real example: A user who has previously logged in but has now logged out. Ex: A user who signed out for their account after making a purchase.

How 'authenticatedState' affects user Profiles:

When you set the authenticatedState in the identityMap, AEP utilizes this information to adjust how data is collected and linked to the user’s profile:

Ambiguous: Data might be stored with a lower confidence level since the user's identity isn't fully confirmed.
Authenticated: Data is confidently linked to the user's profile, providing a complete and reliable view of their interactions.
Logged Out: This state might trigger processes to disassociate certain data from the authenticated profile, depending on your configuration.

Addressing the Behaviour You're Seeing:

Mentioning by your side that the authenticatedState seems to always be written to the user's profile regardless of the value. This could be by design, as AEP needs to track the state transitions of a user's identity for accurate data management. However, the way the platform processes and uses that data will differ based on the specific state.

Example: Data associated with an "Authenticated" state may be treated as high confidence, whereas data with an "Ambiguous" or "Logged Out" state might be handled more cautiously, or even excluded from certain analyses.

Finally if you are seeing unexpected behaviours review your SDK implementation or contact support.

For more info you can check here.

¡Hope this helps!

Regards,

Celia

@jpetermarias 

[bestImv]

Hi @ccg1706 ,

I'm trying to understand the real-world impact of the different `authenticatedState` values in Adobe Experience Platform (AEP) Web SDK, specifically on Segmentation and Profile.

Segmentation:

From what I've observed, the `authenticatedState` doesn't seem to affect segment membership. Even if a user is marked as "Ambiguous," they still qualify for segments based on their event data. It's like the segmentation engine doesn't differentiate between "Ambiguous" and "Authenticated" states when evaluating segment criteria. Could you confirm if my understanding is correct?

Profile:

My main question is around profile stitching. Does the `authenticatedState` influence how events are stitched to a user profile?

For example:

1. Ambiguous: If a user is marked as "Ambiguous," seems their events still be stitched to a known profile (e.g., an email-identified profile)
2. Authenticated: How does the behavior change when the user is explicitly marked as "Authenticated"?

Still quite confused the impact.

Essentially, I'm trying to figure out if "Ambiguous" acts as a weak link in the profile stitching process.

Any insights on how these states actually affect segmentation and profile stitching would be incredibly helpful!

Thanks,
Imv

[ccg1706]

Hi @bestImv,

Sorry for my delay in the response.

I'll try to clarify how this value impacts segmentation and profile stitching:

1. Segmentation:

The authenticatedState value generally does not impact the inclusion of a user in a segment directly. Segments in AEP are typically based on a combination of attributes, behaviors, and events. As you've observed, even if a user is marked as "Ambiguous," they can still qualify for segments if their event data meets the segment criteria.

This is because segmentation in AEP is primarily focused on the data points that meet the segment conditions rather than the user's authentication state. The segmentation engine does not inherently differentiate between "Ambiguous" and "Authenticated" states unless you explicitly include authenticatedState as a condition in your segment definition.

2. Profile Stitching:

Profile stitching in AEP is more nuanced and does take authenticatedState into account, albeit in a more indirect manner.

Ambiguous: When a user is marked as "Ambiguous," the profile stitching process may be less deterministic. For example, if the identity associated with the "Ambiguous" state is not strongly linked to a known user (such as a hashed email or other identifier), the platform might stitch the events to a broader or less defined profile. However, if the system later identifies the user with a more deterministic identity (e.g., via a logged-in event with an email), those past events might be stitched to the more definitive profile.

Authenticated: When a user is explicitly marked as "Authenticated," the profile stitching process tends to be more confident, linking events to a specific known profile. This is because the "Authenticated" state typically involves a strong identifier (like an email or login ID) that the system can reliably use to associate all relevant events with a single user profile.

Impact of "Ambiguous" on Profile Stitching:

The "Ambiguous" state can indeed act as a weak link in the profile stitching process. Here's why:

Uncertain Identity: When a user is marked as "Ambiguous," it suggests that the system has not definitively determined the user's identity. This could result in events being stitched to a broader or more generic profile until more concrete identification occurs.

Delayed Stitching: Events tied to an "Ambiguous" identity might later be re-evaluated and re-stitched once a more confident identity is established. This means that the segmentation and personalization efforts could be slightly delayed or less accurate until that stronger identity is confirmed.

Hope this clarifies you more!

Regards,

Celia

@jpetermarias 

[bestImv]

Hi Celia @ccg1706,

Thank you again for your detailed explanation! ^.^

I wanted to add that I was hoping the `authenticatedStatus` could assist in managing split profiles on shared devices using ECID. i.e.  that will avoid profile collapsing, and the `authenticatedStatus` might help us split profiles by providing an option to link events only with authenticated states.

Best,
Imv