Skip to main content

Adding People

People represent the individuals you communicate with—customers, users, or leads.
Before you can send messages, track events, or build segments, those people need to exist in your workspace.

You can add people in two main ways:

  • CSV import (recommended for bulk onboarding)
  • API or SDKs (recommended for real-time or automated identification)

Adding people via CSV​

The primary way to add people is through CSV import. This method is more efficient for multiple people and provides more options:

  1. Go to People in the navigation menu
  2. Click Add people button
  3. Choose your identifier type (ID or Email)
  4. Upload a CSV file with person data
  5. Configure import settings
  6. Preview and complete the import

See Importing People for detailed instructions on CSV imports.

Adding people via API​

For programmatic addition, you can use the API to add people:

Using the identify endpoint​

// Example: Identify a person via API
POST /data-gateway/v1/persons/identify

{
  "identifier": {
    "email": "[email protected]"
  },
  "attributes": {
    "first_name": "John",
    "last_name": "Doe",
    "subscription_tier": "premium"
  }
}

Using SDKs​

If you're using one of our SDKs, you can identify people directly:

// JavaScript SDK example
cdp.identify('user_123', {
  email: '[email protected]',
  first_name: 'John',
  last_name: 'Doe',
  subscription_tier: 'premium'
});

When you identify a person:

  • If they don't exist, a new person profile is created
  • If they already exist, their profile is updated with new information

The CDP accepts common field name variations (e.g. firstName, first_name, emailAddress) and normalizes them automatically. See Person Field Mapping for the full list of accepted names and format requirements.

Updating existing people​

When you add a person who already exists (same external ID or email):

  • New attributes are added to their profile
  • Existing attributes are updated with new values
  • Empty values can be deleted if configured in import settings

This ensures your person data stays current and accurate.

Best practices​

  1. Use consistent identifiers - Always use the same ID or email for the same person
  2. Include email when possible - Email addresses enable email messaging and better identification
  3. Add meaningful attributes - Include attributes that will be useful for segmentation and personalization
  4. Validate data first - Ensure email addresses are valid and IDs are unique before importing
  5. Start with a small test - Test with a few people first to ensure your data format is correct

Next steps​

After adding people, you can:

  • View their profiles in the People table
  • Add them to segments manually
  • Include them in campaigns and broadcasts
  • Track events for them via API
  • Export their data for analysis

🎉 That's it!
You've successfully added people to your workspace. They're now ready to be included in segments, campaigns, and messaging workflows.