Track users (synchronous)
Use this endpoint to record custom events and purchases and update user profile attributes synchronously. This endpoint functions similarly to the
/users/trackendpoint, which updates user profiles asynchronously.
This endpoint is currently in beta. Contact your Braze account manager if you’re interested in participating in this beta.
Synchronous and asynchronous API calls
In an asynchronous call, the API will return the status code 201, indicating that your request was successfully received, understood, and accepted. However, this does not mean that your request has been fully completed.
In a synchronous call, the API will return a status code 201, indicating that your request was successfully received, understood, accepted, and completed. The call response will show select user profile fields as a result of the operation.
This endpoint has a lower rate limit than the /users/track endpoint (see rate limit below). Each /users/track/sync request can contain only one event object, one attribute object, or one purchase object. This endpoint should be reserved for user profile updates where a synchronous call is needed. For a healthy implementation, we recommend using /users/track/sync and /users/track together.
For example, if you’re sending consecutive requests for the same user over a short period of time, race conditions are possible with the asynchronous /users/track endpoint, but with the /users/track/sync endpoint you can send those requests in sequence, each after receiving a 2XX response.
Prerequisites
To use this endpoint, you’ll need an API key with the users.track.sync permission.
Customers using the API for server-to-server calls may need to allowlist rest.iad-01.braze.com if they’re behind a firewall.
Rate limit
We apply a base speed limit of 500 requests per minute to this endpoint for all customers. Each /users/track/sync request can contain up to one event object, one attribute object, or one purchase object. Each object (event, attribute, and purchase arrays) can update one user each.
Request body
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Content-Type: application/json
Authorization: Bearer YOUR_REST_API_KEY
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{
"attributes": (optional, one attributes object),
"events": (optional, one event object),
"purchases": (optional, one purchase object),
}
Request parameters
For each request component listed in the following table, one of external_id, user_alias, braze_id, email, or phone is required.
| Parameter | Required | Data Type | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
attributes |
Optional | One attributes object | See user attributes object |
events |
Optional | One event object | See events object |
purchases |
Optional | One purchase object | See purchases object |
Responses
When using this endpoint’s request parameters, you should receive one of the following responses: a successful message or a message with fatal errors.
Successful message
Successful messages will return the following response, which includes information about the user profile data that was updated.
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{
"users": (optional, object), the identifier of the user in the request. May be empty if no users are found and _update_existing_only key is set to true,
"custom_attributes": (optional, object), the custom attributes as a result of the request. Only custom attributes from the request will be listed,
"custom_events": (optional, object), the custom events as a result of the request. Only custom events from the request will be listed,
"purchase_events": (optional, object), the purchase events as a result of the request. Only purchase events from the request will be listed,
},
"message": "success"
Message with fatal errors
If your message has a fatal error, you’ll receive the following response:
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{
"message": <fatal error message>,
"errors": [
{
<fatal error message>
}
]
}
Example requests and responses
Update a custom attribute by external ID
Request
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curl --location --request POST 'https://rest.iad-01.braze.com/users/track/sync' \
--header 'Content-Type: application/json' \
--header 'Authorization: Bearer YOUR_REST_API_KEY' \
--data-raw '{
"attributes": [
{
"external_id": "xyz123",
"string_attribute": "fruit",
"boolean_attribute_1": true,
"integer_attribute": 25,
"array_attribute": [
"banana",
"apple"
]
}
]
}'
Response
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{
"users": [
{
"external_id": "xyz123",
"custom_attributes": {
"string_attribute": "fruit",
"boolean_attribute_1": true,
"integer_attribute": 25,
"array_attribute": [
"banana",
"apple",
]
}
}
],
"message": "success"
}
Update a custom event by email
Request
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curl --location --request POST 'https://rest.iad-01.braze.com/users/track/sync' \
--header 'Content-Type: application/json' \
--header 'Authorization: Bearer YOUR_REST_API_KEY' \
--data-raw '{
"events": [
{
"email": "[email protected]",
"app_id": "your_app_identifier",
"name": "rented_movie",
"time": "2022-12-06T19:20:45+01:00",
"properties": {
"release": {
"studio": "FilmStudio",
"year": "2022"
},
"cast": [
{
"name": "Actor1"
},
{
"name": "Actor2"
}
]
}
}
]
}'
Response
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{
"users": [
{
"email": "[email protected]",
"custom_events": [
{
"name": "rented_movie",
"first": "2022-01-001T00:00:00.000Z",
"last": "2022-12-06T18:20:45.000Z",
"count": 10
}
]
}
],
"message": "success"
}
Update a purchase event by user alias
Request
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curl --location --request POST 'https://rest.iad-01.braze.com/users/track/sync' \
--header 'Content-Type: application/json' \
--header 'Authorization: Bearer YOUR_REST_API_KEY' \
--data-raw '{
"purchases" : [
{
"user_alias" : {
"alias_name" : "device123",
"alias_label" : "my_device_identifier"
}
"app_id" : "11ae5b4b-2445-4440-a04f-bf537764c9ad",
"product_id" : "Completed Order",
"currency" : "USD",
"price" : 219.98,
"time" : "2022-12-06T19:20:45+01:00",
"properties" : {
"products" : [
{
"name": "Monitor",
"category": "Gaming",
"product_amount": 19.99
},
{
"name": "Gaming Keyboard",
"category": "Gaming ",
"product_amount": 199.99
}
]
}
}
]
}'
Response
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{
"users": [
{
"user_alias" : {
"alias_name" : "device123",
"alias_label" : "my_device_identifier"
},
"purchase_events": [
{
"product_id": "Completed Order",
"first": "2013-07-16T19:20:30+01:00",
"last": "2022-12-06T18:20:45.000Z",
"count": 3
}
]
}
],
"message": "success"
}
Frequently asked questions
Should I use the asynchronous or synchronous endpoint?
For most profile updates, the /users/track endpoint will work best because of its higher rate limit and flexibility to let you batch requests. However, the /users/track/sync endpoint is useful if you’re experiencing race conditions due to rapid, consecutive requests for the same user.
Does the response time differ from the /users/track endpoint?
With a synchronous call, the API waits until the request is completed to return a response. As a result, synchronous requests will take longer on average than asynchronous requests to /users/track. For the majority of requests, you can expect a response within seconds.
Can I send multiple requests at the same time?
Yes, as long as the requests are for different users, or each request updates different attributes, events, purchases for one user.
If you’re sending multiple requests for a user, for the same attribute, event, or purchase, Braze recommends waiting for a successful response between each request to prevent race conditions from occurring.
Why doesn’t the response value match the one in my original request?
Although your request is completed, it’s possible your custom attribute value didn’t update. This can happen when your custom attribute update exceeds the maximum number of characters, exceeds array limits, or if the user does not exist in Braze and you have _update_existing_only = true.
In these cases, treat the response as an indication that your request, while completed, your desired update has not been made. Troubleshoot with the reasons why this may happen from above.
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