Question

Can you add a second priority 1 identifier or replace existing user_id values when migrating to a new authentication provider?

Product

Twilio Segment

Environment

Segment Console

Answer

No, you cannot set multiple priority 1 identifiers simultaneously, and existing identifier values cannot be directly edited or mutated in Segment. Only one priority 1 identifier can be active in your identity resolution settings at any given time.

However, you can successfully transition your users to a new authentication provider using the following strategy:

1. Add the New Identifier: Introduce the new unique identifier (e.g., new_user_id) into your identity resolution settings and set the priority for that identifier. You could also choose to increase the limit of user_id if your identity resolution strategy would allow.

2. Link the Identifiers: Execute an identify call to map and match the new_user_id to the existing user_id on the user profile.

3. (Optional)Remove the Old Identifier: Use the Delete Profile Identifier API to remove the old value. This is permissible as long as at least one valid user_id remains on the profile.

To update your existing user profiles at scale during a migration, you can utilize Reverse ETL, the Profile API, or a CSV upload.

Additional Information 

Before executing this transition, verify the configuration of your downstream tools. Downstream mapping behavior depends entirely on the specific destination setup; some tools may require manual remapping to recognize the new identifier format.

Additional Resources

• Segment Documentation: Identity Resolution

• Segment Documentation: Profile API

• Segment Documentation: Delete Profile Identifier API

• Segment Documentation: Profiles Sync

• Segment Documentation: Reverse ETL