# New vs Returning User

**URL:** <https://community.dynatrace.com/t/new-vs-returning-user/17201>\
**Category:** Real User Monitoring\
**Tags:** real-user-monitoring-classic, oneagent\
**Created:** [November 21, 2018, 12:42pm UTC](https://community.dynatrace.com/t/new-vs-returning-user/17201 "2018-11-21T12:42:59Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 8\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![boban\_josipovic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/b9bd4f/32.png) [@boban\_josipovic](https://community.dynatrace.com/u/boban_josipovic)\
**Post date:** [November 21, 2018, 12:42pm UTC](https://community.dynatrace.com/t/new-vs-returning-user/17201/1 "2018-11-21T12:42:59Z")

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How does dynatrace categorize new vs returning users? Based on cookies?

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**Author:** ![gary\_spencer](https://dub1.discourse-cdn.com/dynatrace/user_avatar/community.dynatrace.com/gary_spencer/32/20876_2.png) [@gary\_spencer](https://community.dynatrace.com/u/gary_spencer)\
**Post date:** [November 21, 2018, 12:49pm UTC](https://community.dynatrace.com/t/new-vs-returning-user/17201/2 "2018-11-21T12:49:10Z")

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Hi [@Boban J.](https://answers.dynatrace.com/users/26806/view.html), yes exactly based on cookies.

We drop a persistent cookie to track new vs returning. If we are just now creating the persistent cookie then we know they are new, if we are reading already the persistent cookie and have seen it in Dynatrace, Dynatrace knows this is a returning user.

Bit more detail is available here: [https://www.dynatrace.com/support/help/shortlink/c…](https://www.dynatrace.com/support/help/shortlink/configure-rum-privacy#user-tracking)

Hope it helps you out!  
Gary

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**Author:** ![boban\_josipovic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/b9bd4f/32.png) [@boban\_josipovic](https://community.dynatrace.com/u/boban_josipovic)\
**Post date:** [November 21, 2018, 1:00pm UTC](https://community.dynatrace.com/t/new-vs-returning-user/17201/3 "2018-11-21T13:00:19Z")

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Thanks for the explanation!

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**Author:** ![gary\_spencer](https://dub1.discourse-cdn.com/dynatrace/user_avatar/community.dynatrace.com/gary_spencer/32/20876_2.png) [@gary\_spencer](https://community.dynatrace.com/u/gary_spencer)\
**Post date:** [November 21, 2018, 1:04pm UTC](https://community.dynatrace.com/t/new-vs-returning-user/17201/4 "2018-11-21T13:04:59Z")

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A pleasure! 🙂

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**Author:** ![walter\_bermudez](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/7ba0ec/32.png) [@walter\_bermudez](https://community.dynatrace.com/u/walter_bermudez)\
**Post date:** [October 21, 2019, 1:45pm UTC](https://community.dynatrace.com/t/new-vs-returning-user/17201/5 "2019-10-21T13:45:48Z")

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Hi Gary, What about if a user clear all the cookies but the users is already tagged before? it count as new users?

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**Author:** ![Lorena\_LaRosa](https://dub1.discourse-cdn.com/dynatrace/user_avatar/community.dynatrace.com/lorena_larosa/32/28978_2.png) [@Lorena\_LaRosa](https://community.dynatrace.com/u/Lorena_LaRosa)\
**Post date:** [October 29, 2019, 6:57pm UTC](https://community.dynatrace.com/t/new-vs-returning-user/17201/6 "2019-10-29T18:57:07Z")

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Hi Walter,

Yes, if the users clear their cookies and they’re tagged, they will count as a new user. Also, cookies are only valid for 30 days. So even if the user doesn’t clear their cookie, after 30 days they will be considered a new user (if they come back).

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**Author:** ![SB\_12](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/3ab097/32.png) [@SB\_12](https://community.dynatrace.com/u/SB_12)\
**Post date:** [March 5, 2020, 8:31am UTC](https://community.dynatrace.com/t/new-vs-returning-user/17201/7 "2020-03-05T08:31:57Z")

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hi [@Lorena L.](https://answers.dynatrace.com/users/33343/view.html) is the cookie valid for 30 days or 2 years?

Thanks

Swati

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**Author:** ![Lorena\_LaRosa](https://dub1.discourse-cdn.com/dynatrace/user_avatar/community.dynatrace.com/lorena_larosa/32/28978_2.png) [@Lorena\_LaRosa](https://community.dynatrace.com/u/Lorena_LaRosa)\
**Post date:** [April 16, 2020, 6:59pm UTC](https://community.dynatrace.com/t/new-vs-returning-user/17201/8 "2020-04-16T18:59:04Z")

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Hi [@Swati B.](https://answers.dynatrace.com/users/20577/view.html)

Cookies are only valid for 30 days.

Regards,

LL.