Bulk identifier deletion with Profile Identifier API – Twilio Support

Question

Can I use the Delete Profile Identifier API to perform bulk deletion of identifiers in my Unify space? As an alternative, can I provide a CSV file for the Segment team to perform the cleanup server-side?

Product

Twilio Segment

Environment

Segment Console

Answer

Yes, you can use the Delete Profile Identifier API for bulk remediation to clean up mistakenly imported identifiers, such as incorrect email addresses. Note that batch requests are not supported, however you can loop through an array of users and send individual deleteion requests. The API supports a rate limit of up to 100 deletion requests per second per space, allowing for efficient processing of large-volume cleanups.

Segment does not perform backend identifier deletions via CSV uploads. The Profiles CSV Uploader is designed specifically for adding or updating profiles and custom traits, not for deleting specific identifiers. Therefore, executing the cleanup via the Delete Profile Identifier API is the required approach.

When building your script to execute the API, keep the following requirements and best practices in mind:

Valid Lookup Identifier: The API requires a valid user_id to locate the profile. If you only have segment_id and email pairs, you must map those to the appropriate user_id to format your API request URLs correctly.
One Identifier per Request: The API request body only accepts one identifier for deletion per call.
Deletion Scope: The API removes identifiers from Unify systems, including Identity Resolution, Profile Storage, and Profiles Sync. It does not delete identifiers from downstream destinations like Braze, Amplitude, Engage Audiences, or Journeys. You must update those downstream systems separately.
Profiles Sync Adjustments: If you use Profiles Sync, you must add the __operation column to your external_id_mapping_updates table schema. Deleted identifiers are flagged with a REMOVED value, so verify that your data pipelines, BI tools, and models are configured to account for this flag.
Preventing Reintroduction: Replaying events from the Event Archive that reference the deleted identifiers will reintroduce them back onto the user profiles.