Generating Device ID for Client-Side and Server-Side Mixpanel
device id how to generate this for client side Mixpanel and device id for server side in Mixpanel
device id how to generate this for client side Mixpanel and device id for server side in Mixpanel
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For Mixpanel, the way you generate and manage the device ID depends on whether you are using client-side or server-side tracking: ---
Client-side (Web/Mobile SDKs)
- Automatic Generation: Mixpanel’s client-side SDKs (JavaScript, Android, iOS, etc.) automatically generate a $device_id for each new user/session. This ID is local to the device and is persisted until you call .reset(), which will generate a new $device_id for the session.
- No Manual Generation Needed: You do not need to manually generate or assign the $device_id when using Mixpanel’s client-side SDKs. The SDK handles this for you and attaches the $device_id to all events automatically.
- Behavior: If you call .reset(), the SDK will clear the local storage and generate a new $device_id for the next session.> “Mixpanel’s SDKs will generate a $device_id and set that to distinct_id to associate these events to the same anonymous user.”
“Calling .reset will clear the local storage (which contains the $user_id and $device_id), and generate a new $device_id for the session.”
Identifying Users (Simplified) – Client-side Identity Management---
Server-side (APIs and Server SDKs)
- Manual Generation Required: Mixpanel’s server-side SDKs and HTTP API do not generate IDs automatically. You are responsible for generating a unique device ID (commonly a UUID) and persisting it (e.g., in a cookie or session).
- How to Generate: The recommended approach is to generate a UUID (universally unique identifier) and store it in a cookie or session variable for each user/session.
- Usage: Set this value as the $device_id property in your event payloads. If you do not know the user’s identity (anonymous user), only set $device_id. When the user logs in, include both $device_id and $user_id in your events to allow Mixpanel to merge the identities.> “Mixpanel’s server-side SDKs and HTTP API do not generate IDs automatically, meaning your server is responsible for generating IDs and maintaining ID persistence.”
Server-Side Best Practices – Identifying Users> “We recommend generating a UUID and storing that value in a cookie. All common server frameworks provide a simple way to set and retrieve cookies per request.”
Identifying Users (Simplified) – Server-side Identity Management---**Summary Table:**| Environment | Who Generates $device_id? | How is it Generated? |
|---------------|-----------------------------|-------------------------------------|
| Client-side | Mixpanel SDK | Automatically, per device/session |
| Server-side | You (the developer) | Generate UUID, store in cookie/etc. |If you need code examples or further details, let me know your specific environment (e.g., Python, Node.js, etc.)!
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