# Identify a Subscriber

The `RH.identify` function is used to identify a subscriber so that they don’t need to manually enter their information again, such as their email address or name. This function is particularly useful for displaying embeddable widgets on internal pages of your website where you already have the subscriber’s unique identifier.

```javascript
RH_MFxxxxxxxxxx.identify(data, force, callback);
```

{% hint style="info" %}
**Note:** The `RH.identify` function is an advanced version of the '[Add a Subscriber](https://berylsystems.gitbook.io/referral-hero-documentation/integrations/javascript-web-api/add-a-subscriber)' function and offers additional properties like `upsert`, `force identification`, and more. It is not always necessary to call `RH.identify` if you have already used an '[Add a Subscriber](https://berylsystems.gitbook.io/referral-hero-documentation/integrations/javascript-web-api/add-a-subscriber)' function, as 'Add a Subscriber' will also identify the subscriber.
{% endhint %}

## Parameters <a href="#parameters" id="parameters"></a>

1. **Data** (Object, Required): An object containing user data. At a minimum, this object must include the unique identifier of the user. Additional fields can be included as needed.
2. **Force** (Boolean, Optional): Determines whether to override an existing session. The default value is `false`. Set this to `true` to force identification even if the user is already identified.
3. **Callback** (Function, Optional): A callback function that is executed if the identification succeeds. This function receives the subscriber data as a parameter.

```javascript
var myFunc = function(data) {
   console.log(data);
}

var data = {
  email: "john@smith.com",
  name: "John Smith",
  extra_field: "USA",
  extra_field_2: null,
  upsert: true
}

RH_MFxxxxxxxxxx.identify(data, false, myFunc);
```

{% hint style="danger" %}
**Important:** Replace `'MFxxxxxxxxxx'` with your actual campaign UUID.
{% endhint %}

### Implementation Example <a href="#implementation-example" id="implementation-example"></a>

Here’s how you might use the `RH.identify` function with a form submission:

{% tabs %}
{% tab title="JavaScript" %}

```html
<script type="text/javascript">
    window.RHConfig = {
      callbacks: {
        ready: function() {
          var form = document.getElementById('form');
            form.addEventListener("submit", function(e){

              var data = {
                email: form.querySelector('#email').value,
                name: form.querySelector('#name').value,
                upsert : true
              };
              
              var myCallback = function(responseData) {
                console.log("Identification successful:", responseData);
              };

              if (RH_MFxxxxxxxxxx) {
                RH_MFxxxxxxxxxx.identify(data, false, myCallback);
              }
            });
          }
        }
      };

</script>
```

{% endtab %}
{% endtabs %}

## Detailed Behavior <a href="#detailed-behavior" id="detailed-behavior"></a>

1. **Automatic Subscriber Creation**: When the `RH.identify` function is called, ReferralHero will check if a subscriber with that specific unique identifier exists.

   * **If a subscriber is not found**, a new subscriber is automatically created using the data sent over, bypassing the verification method.
   * **If the subscriber with that unique identifier already exists**, ReferralHero simply returns the existing subscriber data.

   If you don’t want to automatically create a new subscriber when one isn't found (e.g., to allow manual opt-in), set the `upsert` property to `false`.
2. **Load Callback**: The ReferralHero Tracking Code loads asynchronously. If you intend to execute any `RH` functions on page load, you must wait until the library has completely loaded. Use the `callbacks.ready` method to ensure that the code runs only after ReferralHero has finished loading.
3. **Force Identification**: By default, if a cookie session is already present (e.g., the user has already been identified in the past), ReferralHero will not attempt to identify the user again to improve the user experience. This avoids unnecessary delays (typically around 1 second).

   If you want to identify users every time regardless of an existing session, set the `force` parameter to `true`.

{% hint style="danger" %}
**Note:** Our recommendation is to **not force identification**, as it can degrade the user experience. If you force identification, ReferralHero will check the existence of the subscriber every time a person visits that page, which can slow down your website.
{% endhint %}

{% hint style="info" %}

**Important**

* If you have already called the `RH.form.submit()` function on a portal signup/login form, there is no need to call `RH.identify()` again on an internal page as the subscriber is already identified.
* The `upsert` property allows you to update an existing subscriber's information or create a new subscriber if one does not exist. Setting `upsert` to `false` prevents the automatic creation of a new subscriber.
* The `force` parameter can be used to override an existing session and re-identify the user if needed. However, avoid using it to prevent impacting user experience.
* The `callback` parameter allows you to execute custom code upon successful identification, making it easier to handle responses or perform additional actions.
  {% endhint %}

## ReCaptcha <a href="#recaptcha" id="recaptcha"></a>

Unfortunately, if you're using ReCaptcha, `RH_MFxxxxxxxxxx.identify()` will not work.