> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://docs.scentxp.com/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# Sessions & User Identity

## Sessions and user identity

Sessions provide the foundation for consistent personalization. By initializing a session, user interactions and recommendations can be linked to a stable identifier — enabling long-term analytics, segmentation, and CRM activation.

## Initializing a session

Use `initSession` to establish a user identity at the start of each interaction.

<CodeGroup>
  ```graphql Query theme={null}
  mutation InitSession {
    initSession(
      userId: "4ad05833-01e9-412f-b6fd-a02c2ce1f7cd"
      timestamp: 1706000000
    ) {
      userId
      timestamp
    }
  }
  ```

  ```json Response theme={null}
  {
    "data": {
      "initSession": {
        "userId": "4ad05833-01e9-412f-b6fd-a02c2ce1f7cd",
        "timestamp": 1706000000
      }
    }
  }
  ```
</CodeGroup>

The returned `userId` and `sessionId` should be reused throughout the session and across subsequent API calls.

## Why sessions matter

Sessions connect the dots between exploration, preference capture, and recommendations:

* **Recommendations improve over time** — passing `userId` to recommendation queries lets the API learn from prior interactions
* **Preferences persist across sessions** — the same `userId` links behavior across visits, devices, and channels
* **CRM activation** — session data can be exported for email campaigns, lifecycle journeys, and segmentation

## Anonymous vs identified users

You can initialize sessions with or without a known user identity:

* **Identified users**: Pass your platform's user ID (UUID, email hash, or CRM identifier) to link sessions to a known profile
* **Anonymous users**: Generate a temporary identifier for the session. If the user later registers, you can re-initialize with their permanent ID to merge behavior

## Using session data in queries

Once a session is initialized, pass the `userId` to queries that support personalization:

<CodeGroup>
  ```graphql Query theme={null}
  query PersonalizedRecommendations {
    recommendedPerfumes(
      userId: "4ad05833-01e9-412f-b6fd-a02c2ce1f7cd"
      search: { lang: "EN", perfumes: "424" }
    ) {
      id
      name
      brand {
        name
      }
    }
  }
  ```

  ```json Response theme={null}
  {
    "data": {
      "recommendedPerfumes": [
        {
          "id": "734",
          "name": "HYPNOTIC POISON",
          "brand": {
            "name": "Dior"
          }
        },
        {
          "id": "36141",
          "name": "GUCCI GUILTY ABSOLU DE PARFUM POUR FEMME",
          "brand": {
            "name": "Gucci"
          }
        }
      ]
    }
  }
  ```
</CodeGroup>

See [Recommendations](/wikiparfum-api/guides/recommendations) for the full recommendation guide, and [CRM & Personalization](/wikiparfum-api/guides/crm-personalization) for how to extend sessions beyond the website.