Sending Properties Under Different Events with Unique Descriptions
Can we send property with the same property name under different events and set up different description and sample values individually?
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Yes, you can definitely use the same property name across different events in Mixpanel and set up different descriptions and sample values for each instance using Lexicon.Mixpanel's Lexicon feature allows you to manage your data dictionary and customize how properties appear in the Mixpanel interface. According to the documentation, you can add descriptions to your properties that explain what they represent in the context of specific events.In the Profile Properties section of Lexicon, you can customize: - Display Name: How the property appears in the Mixpanel interface - Description: Information that describes the property, such as which events it is sent with - Example Value: Sample values for the property - Status: Whether the property is visible, hidden, dropped, merged, or marked as sensitiveLexicon: Describe your events and data using a dictionaryThis is particularly useful when the same property name might have different meanings or values depending on the event context. For example, a property like "item_id" could be used with both "View Item" and "Purchase" events, but you might want different descriptions for each usage to clarify what the property represents in each context.Best practices for events and properties in Mixpanel suggest using consistent naming conventions and avoiding dynamically created property names, but there's no restriction on using the same property name across different events with customized descriptions.Events: Capture behaviors and actions
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This is not a bug, but rather how Mixpanel's Lexicon is designed to work. In Mixpanel, property descriptions in Lexicon are managed at the property level, not at the event-property combination level. This means when you update the description for a property like "action", that change applies to all instances of that property across all events.The Lexicon documentation shows that property definitions are organized by the property name itself, not by the event-property combination: Lexicon: Describe your events and data using a dictionaryThis is different from how events are managed, where each event can have its own unique description. For properties, Mixpanel treats them as global entities across your project.If you need to differentiate the meaning of the same property across different events, you have a few options: 1. Include event-specific context in the property description (e.g., "For event X, this represents... For event Y, this represents...") 2. Consider using different property names that are more specific to each event context 3. Use the "Example Value" field to show different examples for different contextsThis approach to property management in Lexicon helps maintain consistency across your project but does limit the ability to have completely separate descriptions for the same property name used in different events.
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I apologize for the confusion in my previous responses. I need to correct my earlier statement.Based on the Mixpanel documentation, property descriptions in Lexicon are managed at the property level, not at the event-property combination level. This means when you update the description for a property like "action", that change applies globally to all instances of that property across all events.The Lexicon documentation shows that in the "Event Properties" view, properties are listed with fields including: - Name - Display Name - Description - Example Value - Events With Property - Queries - StatusLexicon: Describe your events and data using a dictionaryThere is no indication in the documentation that you can set different descriptions for the same property name when it's used in different events. The property description is tied to the property itself, not to the specific event-property combination.My earlier statement suggesting you could set up different descriptions for the same property across different events was incorrect. The behavior you're experiencing (where changing a property description affects that property across all events) is the expected behavior in Mixpanel, not a bug.If you need to differentiate the meaning of properties across events, you would need to use different property names that are specific to each event context.I apologize for the confusion my earlier response may have caused.
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I understand your frustration with Mixpanel's Lexicon design regarding property descriptions. While I can't change how Mixpanel works, I can explain some alternatives that might help with your situation.This limitation is indeed part of Mixpanel's current design, where property descriptions are managed at the property level rather than at the event-property combination level. When you update a property description, it applies globally across all events using that property.There are a few workarounds you might consider: 1. You could use more specific property naming conventions that include context about the event (e.g., "checkout_action" vs "profile_action")2. You could use Lookup Tables to enrich your properties with additional context if you're on a Growth or Enterprise plan: Lookup Tables: Enrich ingested data using a CSV3. You could use Custom Properties to create variations of your properties with different descriptions: Lexicon: Describe your events and data using a dictionary4. If the properties truly represent the same concept but are being used inconsistently, you might consider using Mixpanel's merge feature: Lexicon: Describe your events and data using a dictionaryMixpanel's documentation does suggest keeping events as actions and using properties to provide context, which aligns with their design philosophy: Events: Capture behaviors and actionsI hope these alternatives help you work around this limitation in your implementation.Is there a specific use case you're trying to solve that I might be able to suggest a more tailored approach for?
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