User Identification Settings

Recognizing unlogged (anonymous) users is crucial in ensuring that votes and reactions are accurately recorded without duplicates, and allowing visitors to modify or remove their votes. The DaReactions plugin offers several methods to identify unlogged users, which can be configured in the general settings.

Configuring User Identification Methods

Navigate to General Settings:
- Go to Reactions > General Settings in your WordPress dashboard.
Open the Preferences Tab:
- Click on the Preferences tab where you can adjust settings related to user identification.
Select an Identification Method:
- Choose from the following methods to identify unlogged users:
  - Only via IP address: This method uses the IP address of the user to track reactions and votes.
  - Only via cookie: This method places a cookie on the user’s device to remember their interactions.
  - Both IP and cookies: This method combines both IP addresses and cookies for a more reliable identification process.

Important Considerations

Privacy Compliance: It is essential to update your privacy policy to reflect the method you use for tracking unlogged user interactions. This is necessary to comply with privacy laws in many countries, which require transparency about the tracking technologies used on your website.
Effectiveness and Privacy: Each method has its strengths and trade-offs:
- IP addresses can change or be shared among multiple users (e.g., users in the same company or household).
- Cookies can be deleted by the user, and their effectiveness is dependent on browser settings and permissions.
User Experience: Ensure that the method chosen does not intrude on or degrade the user experience. Transparent communication about how reactions are tracked will help in maintaining trust with your audience.

By setting up user identification effectively, you can ensure that reactions and votes are accurately tracked and managed, enhancing the integrity of your content interaction data while respecting user privacy.