If you notice that most of your push notification subscribers don't have a name or email address, this is completely normal. Here is why.
How push subscriptions work
When a customer subscribes to push notifications, the only thing their browser shares with Firepush is a unique subscription token. The browser does not share the customer's name, email, or any personal information.
This means a subscriber is identified by their device and browser — not by who they are.
When do subscribers get identified?
A push subscriber becomes identified (linked to a name and email) only when they also exist as a Shopify customer — for example, when they:
- Place an order on your store
- Create an account
- Start a checkout and enter their email
At that point, Firepush can match the push subscription to the Shopify customer profile.
Does this affect delivery?
No. Anonymous subscribers receive push notifications exactly the same way as identified subscribers. The subscription token is all that is needed to deliver a notification. You can send campaigns, automations, and alerts to all subscribers regardless of whether they are identified.
SMS subscribers are different
Unlike push subscribers, SMS subscribers always have a phone number (and usually a name) because this information comes from Shopify customer data. That is why your SMS subscriber list will have more complete customer profiles than your push subscriber list.
Tips to identify more subscribers
- Encourage visitors to create an account or start a checkout before subscribing
- Use welcome push notifications with an incentive that drives a first purchase
- Over time, as subscribers make purchases, their profiles will be linked automatically
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