Identity Graph
Map connecting customer identifiers across devices and channels.
Related Terms
Frequently Asked Questions
What is an Identity Graph?
An Identity Graph is a foundational data asset in marketing technology that creates a unified, persistent view of a customer by linking all their disparate identifiers across various devices and channels. It acts as a master map, stitching together data points like email addresses, phone numbers, cookies, device IDs, and physical addresses into a single, comprehensive customer profile. This unified view is critical for accurate cross-channel attribution, personalization, and audience targeting. By resolving fragmented data, the Identity Graph enables brands to recognize a customer regardless of the touchpoint, which is essential for making data-driven decisions and optimizing marketing spend in the privacy-first landscape.
How do marketers use an Identity Graph to improve customer experience and attribution?
Marketers use an Identity Graph primarily for identity resolution, which is the process of accurately matching customer data points to a single individual. This capability is vital for two main applications. First, it powers cross-channel attribution by ensuring that every touchpoint in a customer's journey, from a mobile ad view to a desktop purchase, is correctly credited to the right person. This leads to more accurate ROAS calculations and better budget allocation. Second, it enables hyper-personalization by providing a complete customer history, allowing brands to deliver consistent, relevant messaging and offers across all platforms, significantly improving the overall customer experience and increasing lifetime value.
What is the difference between an Identity Graph and a Customer Data Platform (CDP)?
The Identity Graph is a core technology component, whereas a Customer Data Platform (CDP) is a software application that utilizes an Identity Graph. The Identity Graph's sole function is to perform identity resolution—it is the underlying database structure that links all customer identifiers. The CDP, on the other hand, is a system that collects, cleans, and unifies customer data, and then *activates* that data for marketing purposes. A CDP relies on a robust Identity Graph (either built-in or external) to create its unified customer profiles. Therefore, the Identity Graph is the 'engine' that provides the single source of truth, while the CDP is the 'vehicle' that uses that truth for segmentation, orchestration, and campaign execution.
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