if i want to see a funnel of 3 events, but the distinct ids changes for the SAME user in ALL 3 events, can i still see the whole funnel for THAT user? even if their distinct ID is different in all three event due to onboarding steps?
Yes, but only if those different distinct IDs are merged into a single identity cluster via Mixpanel's ID Merge system. Here's why this matters for funnels:
"Distinct IDs are used to follow a user through a conversion journey. If a user tracks events with inconsistent Distinct IDs between steps, they will be counted as a drop-off." [Identity Management Overview]
So if the three events have three completely unlinked distinct IDs, Mixpanel will treat them as three separate users, and the funnel will show drop-offs. How to fix this You need to use ID Merge to group all three distinct IDs into one identity cluster. Once merged, Mixpanel will attribute all events — regardless of which distinct ID they were sent with — to the same user, and the funnel will reflect the full conversion. [Identity Management Overview] For Simplified ID Merge Include both $device_id and $user_id on the event where the user becomes identified. A single such event triggers the merge retroactively. [Identifying Users (Simplified)] For Original ID Merge Call .identify(userId) at login/registration to send an $identify event that links the anonymous and identified IDs. [Identifying Users (Original)] One important caveat: timing Even after identity merging is triggered, there can be up to a 24-hour delay for the mapping to propagate across all Mixpanel reports. So if you're looking at a funnel in real-time shortly after ingestion, the user may still appear as dropped off temporarily. [Funnels FAQ] Bottom line: If the distinct IDs across your 3 onboarding events are properly merged into one identity cluster, the funnel will correctly show that user as converted. If they are not merged, the user will appear as dropped off.
ℹ️ Tip: Mention @kapa.ai in the thread for follow-ups or DM the app for 1-to-1 help.
can i merge these on the mixpanel UI and not the dev side? kapa.ai
Based on the knowledge sources available, the answer depends on what you mean by "merging" in the Mixpanel UI:
Merging Events/Properties in Lexicon (UI) — Not what you need
Mixpanel's UI does allow merging in Lexicon, but this is for combining event names (e.g., merging "Purchase" and "purchase item" into one event for reporting purposes). This does not merge user identities or distinct IDs. [Lexicon Merging Data]
Merging User Identities — Requires dev-side implementation
Identity merging (linking distinct IDs belonging to the same user) cannot be done through the Mixpanel UI. It requires implementation on the tracking/dev side:
Simplified ID Merge: Send events with both $device_id and $user_id properties.
Original ID Merge: Use the $identify, $create_alias, or $merge events/API calls.
The $merge event, for example, can only be sent via the /import API — it cannot be triggered from the UI. [Identifying Users (Original)]
Bottom line: Unfortunately, there is no way to merge user identities (distinct IDs) directly from the Mixpanel UI. This requires changes on the development/tracking implementation side.
ℹ️ Tip: Mention @kapa.ai in the thread for follow-ups or DM the app for 1-to-1 help.
