E-mail Tracker
Problem
All I want is a form field that requests visitors email address when they want to watch video clips, and then once they enter their email once, they get immediate access everytime them visit our site. JPost.com is set up that way. You can read the headlines, but the first time you want to read an article, they ask for your email. From them on, everytime you visit their site (unless you delete cookies) you get immediate access.
Solution
This page demonstrates how a cookie with a unique identifier can be placed in a browser client and connected back with a record in a database. In this demonstration, the visitor is presented with a form until a validly-formatted e-mail address is sentered. The cookie is set to persist for one year, so on return visits, the visitor is remembered and not presented with the form again. If the cookies are deleted or the visitor decides to use a different browser, they are prompted with the form until they enter their e-mail address. If the record for the e-mail address is found in the database, the visit count is merged, and the unique identifier from the database is set in the current browser's cookie. This is helpful in the event that a person visits the site from work and home. The records can be maintained for the individual, not the browser.
I have developed a non-database version that can be used to perform some of the same functions, but would not be able to connect a single visitor with several browsers or recover gracefully if the visitor's cookies are deleted.
As best I can tell, this is your first visit.
To register, please enter an e-mail below. Note that the program checks to make sure that the e-mail address is in a valid format, but it does not check to make sure it actually works. For this demo, enter a fake address.
A snapshot of the data
| Cookie | E-mail Address | First Visit | Last Visit | Total Visits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| cf04d64f0595e59047e7391597dcc406 | 2007-12-17 20:05:40 | 2007-12-17 22:07:38 | 3 | |
| d84257551fda89e276dd4495c0d82dd9 | 2007-12-19 16:33:29 | 2007-12-19 18:33:29 | 1 | |
| 98b2084fb554fd2d86cd8e9eb0db2e4a | 2007-12-24 00:39:18 | 2007-12-24 02:39:18 | 1 | |
| 81de0fd8112c157ad2f6a86577d6d2f8 | 2007-12-26 05:14:01 | 2007-12-26 07:14:01 | 1 | |
| 64b6725f22ea2dcfd541efe9577fa62a | 2007-12-27 18:19:30 | 2007-12-27 20:19:30 | 1 | |
| f4c9a350e17d8baa083f320dadba80b2 | 2008-01-01 10:18:45 | 2008-01-01 12:18:44 | 1 | |
| f2d0794d6841b3f07f86e41d4b9a0b7c | 2008-01-03 19:00:59 | 2008-01-03 21:00:59 | 1 | |
| abed315860b9720e250789ed7914e7cb | 2008-01-06 06:24:57 | 2008-01-06 08:24:57 | 1 | |
| db77756546419d7d8777d0c6d51425ee | 2008-01-07 17:41:07 | 2008-01-07 19:41:07 | 1 | |
| fe6158a0d18351a41d969ad01abf7299 | 2008-01-09 20:53:57 | 2008-01-09 22:53:57 | 1 | |
| acaf18d77fcdd33ddcb20f77d453748f | 2008-01-11 17:38:20 | 2008-01-11 19:38:20 | 1 | |
| 4853952faf470e3ec1e4e52eb295c8b5 | 2008-01-12 02:42:54 | 2008-01-12 04:42:54 | 1 | |
| ba2dc9558517343c8254c78bd4b2ac3d | 2008-01-12 22:05:40 | 2008-01-13 00:05:40 | 1 | |
| 38d4c2b62f2e4515ce88f19452b9a226 | 2008-01-14 22:08:18 | 2008-01-15 00:08:18 | 1 | |
| 174c7592f8d4f43147ad0ee3a3a2028a | 2008-01-21 04:37:47 | 2008-01-21 06:37:47 | 1 | |
| 8a08445e65a3ff8c6ca7987b30f78d08 | 2008-01-25 19:22:24 | 2008-01-25 21:22:24 | 1 | |
| acbc99d32fbbfcc2c292d294db591f6f | 2008-01-26 01:37:25 | 2008-01-26 03:37:25 | 1 | |
| 50267badd075f1cb13df17351178d2f9 | 2008-02-02 16:44:40 | 2008-02-02 18:44:40 | 1 | |
| 2495613723d15e7e40257b4fc9caf21f | 2008-02-05 16:20:38 | 2008-02-05 18:20:38 | 1 | |
| d2675ade6247bd3f5862321785033b31 | 2008-02-11 19:51:18 | 2008-02-11 21:51:18 | 1 | |
| 026088e33889452ebd0664b4e40d5959 | 2008-02-16 01:15:31 | 2008-02-16 03:15:31 | 1 | |
| ac88df3becde9fa5387c4c8f4e7d6c4d | 2008-02-19 03:50:28 | 2008-02-19 05:50:28 | 1 | |
| b964706cd0e4e1cf980c2c4c9d5056d4 | 2008-02-21 18:39:10 | 2008-02-21 20:39:10 | 1 | |
| cf80424684f4c8e09d6f7f145fdfcae0 | 2008-02-22 16:33:08 | 2008-02-22 18:33:07 | 1 | |
| 64e77b52d20cec17bdecb9c5e188dffe | 2008-02-25 20:34:02 | 2008-02-25 22:34:02 | 1 | |
| 67560904f9cc5be5da5ba61018cb2fe5 | 2008-02-26 06:01:36 | 2008-02-26 08:01:36 | 1 | |
| 857b42c76f35b618db1c19e5163312c7 | 2008-02-26 23:23:36 | 2008-02-27 01:23:36 | 1 | |
| 1dfe3a8b34ba88e89772d18378f16d4a | 2008-02-27 05:54:41 | 2008-02-27 07:54:41 | 1 | |
| 40150808f5bd9afd5ec0a8348242bcbe | 2008-03-01 20:49:02 | 2008-03-01 22:49:02 | 1 | |
| 2120152430e5274d65ad299b93f224bb | 2008-03-03 17:25:24 | 2008-03-03 19:25:24 | 1 | |
| 5775c2ab0e12ef783ebd351d7b9cc5af | 2008-03-03 17:25:25 | 2008-03-03 19:25:25 | 1 | |
| d6fa2fbdb633b70780089611d15b3032 | 2008-03-03 17:25:27 | 2008-03-03 19:25:27 | 1 | |
| ef2ca0f075face1d6d6ba2ecf098a6da | 2008-03-03 17:25:28 | 2008-03-03 19:25:28 | 1 | |
| 88d24cc9333d2e72171b2cee1ce63366 | 2008-03-03 17:25:29 | 2008-03-03 19:25:29 | 1 | |
| 7f3e396acb7e373b4cd2f598cc7714bb | 2008-03-03 17:25:30 | 2008-03-03 19:25:30 | 1 | |
| aa98e7a37e0731faa5cec209b2f4ce74 | 2008-03-03 17:25:31 | 2008-03-03 19:25:31 | 1 | |
| c1cae20ee928e6ccba086ecf6cf570b0 | 2008-03-05 20:09:31 | 2008-03-05 22:09:31 | 1 | |
| 5ca168b86ebe2e43b2ce276450084e00 | 2008-03-10 20:38:02 | 2008-03-10 22:38:02 | 1 | |
| d747d08115fd557e082093e18fab8d0c | 2008-03-10 21:04:41 | 2008-03-10 23:04:41 | 1 | |
| ff7d9f2f0dcd339aabd1b5a127755237 | 2008-03-10 21:07:45 | 2008-03-10 23:07:45 | 1 | |
| 1b39d8d8b9f9d8595511e179b4ab311e | 2008-03-12 09:49:31 | 2008-03-12 11:49:31 | 1 | |
| a25f4a36f8a1dfca25048c5aee1ce852 | 2008-03-15 13:42:21 | 2008-03-15 15:42:21 | 1 | |
| 4ed8f45f28f17fd3b5658dba9182a431 | 2008-03-27 06:58:20 | 2008-03-27 08:58:20 | 1 | |
| 2ff5362d0296cd5b86fcdf99f6e62b06 | 2008-03-27 06:58:21 | 2008-03-27 08:58:21 | 1 | |
| 5386d5d6ae3d654b9f7da28926e29799 | 2008-03-27 07:29:20 | 2008-03-27 09:29:20 | 1 | |
| 2043701cf5e8897512c2e3a11cfa9f8a | 2008-04-01 03:10:48 | 2008-04-01 05:10:48 | 1 | |
| a112eaea0ae9d9bc77ac7baf312889b0 | 2008-04-03 07:31:05 | 2008-04-03 09:31:05 | 1 | |
| 27a8c5882258fb2dc88bddd918e9777a | 2008-04-03 10:41:26 | 2008-04-03 12:41:26 | 1 | |
| da698243cdf61bab34aac886d690eb9d | 2008-04-10 07:56:21 | 2008-04-10 09:56:21 | 1 | |
| 5f91f70a98162e80bf4fe270762035db | 2008-04-10 23:29:49 | 2008-04-11 01:29:49 | 1 | |
| 36cfc68c85bd7d3fec7db737873a8026 | 2008-04-13 06:15:30 | 2008-04-13 08:15:30 | 1 | |
| ef1fa5807eebf97d5ec3475ea38a9ae1 | 2008-04-17 08:16:26 | 2008-04-17 10:16:26 | 1 | |
| e75415620c660d8552e255aa422e057f | 2008-04-20 10:58:19 | 2008-04-20 12:58:19 | 1 | |
| 0404159aa85768e40ba1f2c4fd126864 | 2008-04-25 10:32:14 | 2008-04-25 12:32:14 | 1 | |
| a17519c0c80b21c3d5076be077f12f69 | 2008-04-29 15:15:40 | 2008-04-29 17:15:40 | 1 | |
| 45961384338365105a2b08372bb6a0e4 | 2008-05-08 10:58:35 | 2008-05-08 12:58:35 | 1 | |
| 971abc1df4b619cd992fad216b958336 | 2008-05-08 10:58:37 | 2008-05-08 12:58:37 | 1 | |
| 166916716ef343ad339941a311fba707 | 2008-05-11 01:50:14 | 2008-05-11 03:50:14 | 1 | |
| dcf31d2925d0402e0a65796449777966 | 2008-05-11 01:50:16 | 2008-05-11 03:50:16 | 1 | |
| b1721bfa125dca64d991b13af244c222 | 2008-05-15 02:32:08 | 2008-05-15 04:32:08 | 1 | |
| 96e008e3cbccf9f6952c3e8530c76f0a | 2008-05-16 14:00:33 | 2008-05-16 16:00:33 | 1 | |
| de3fae7a3982219091a289051aa76dec | 2008-05-25 10:34:44 | 2008-05-25 12:34:44 | 1 | |
| 368110ee0789105d36c7704ed5825613 | 2008-06-09 08:39:27 | 2008-06-09 10:39:27 | 1 | |
| 29bc63ec4cccf90af406194998c613b8 | 2008-06-14 13:16:04 | 2008-06-14 15:16:04 | 1 | |
| 981a222fc8945ced5f2a75e8ca7ac0af | 2008-06-14 18:03:14 | 2008-06-14 20:03:14 | 1 | |
| 375e0502339c2266ee06de1222eae4ca | 2008-06-24 04:25:01 | 2008-06-24 06:25:01 | 1 | |
| 3d7c90175399c42d5b2448cbb2ab142c | 2008-06-25 07:41:22 | 2008-06-25 09:41:22 | 1 | |
| 54b63251732cecbd6da3d8d516ef2f2a | 2008-07-02 10:54:34 | 2008-07-02 12:54:34 | 1 | |
| 16c43443c407f6a1f07bb07a52cc3af1 | 2008-07-05 02:24:10 | 2008-07-05 04:24:10 | 1 | |
| 692cc2d332962b947d9c0f07b43df378 | 2008-07-07 05:48:27 | 2008-07-07 07:48:27 | 1 | |
| d1731119f125fb9c6f487f0c1dd53a86 | 2008-07-08 02:34:39 | 2008-07-08 04:34:39 | 1 | |
| 6de1d04dcb26efdaad4cdd7f6ff76a73 | 2008-07-15 01:34:36 | 2008-07-15 03:34:36 | 1 | |
| 13c4af8d9ade02859a8fcda6b523b7cf | 2008-07-22 00:45:52 | 2008-07-22 02:45:52 | 1 | |
| 71740c087fb99f0bd7ca0ca8966b5dcc | 2008-07-22 00:48:00 | 2008-07-22 02:48:00 | 1 | |
| 2ed8a7f74fae5233da1e121db1efba57 | 2008-07-25 08:03:57 | 2008-07-25 10:03:57 | 1 | |
| a5e4677cfaa516996ac0e052399523df | 2008-07-26 15:07:50 | 2008-07-26 17:07:49 | 1 | |
| 45fe2e7174d84d4bbdb4bbe2362c1391 | 2008-08-05 21:04:40 | 2008-08-05 23:04:40 | 1 | |
| 19e368f397c5f559a7600e4c8fd6eaf5 | 2008-08-07 21:25:34 | 2008-08-07 23:25:34 | 1 | |
| f1689549379480ce5459bbfeca67bdba | 2008-08-11 20:36:34 | 2008-08-11 22:36:34 | 1 | |
| 1926b28c184d48525d031d4f5c9ad368 | 2008-08-16 18:42:50 | 2008-08-16 20:42:50 | 1 | |
| 2e88db998c23c54a056259e4ce88b05e | 2008-08-16 20:01:51 | 2008-08-16 22:01:51 | 1 | |
| a7f409eb781db97eb2863980d403d3cf | 2008-08-19 02:46:36 | 2008-08-19 04:46:36 | 1 | |
| 5f46b759f5d5b5a765d456b2c12eaccd | 2008-08-19 02:54:21 | 2008-08-19 04:54:21 | 1 | |
| 5de1da9b5b10bb0bcaf35216aca3ce06 | 2008-08-20 02:58:47 | 2008-08-20 04:58:47 | 1 | |
| 9bc31e9f23c274a67dc4e7db983b2fbe | 2008-08-22 00:53:56 | 2008-08-22 02:53:56 | 1 | |
| de172041a1aed35a434773b7768c1cf5 | 2008-08-22 14:12:36 | 2008-08-22 16:12:36 | 1 | |
| ba5a79ca8105bb90a06b4bf78531092d | 2008-08-27 13:21:24 | 2008-08-27 15:21:24 | 1 | |
| f4207d0e8d92eff718a6fde92d74c084 | 2008-08-27 13:46:43 | 2008-08-27 15:46:43 | 1 | |
| 3310d46c5edc5be1f17443080f59c3bb | 2008-08-28 02:24:45 | 2008-08-28 04:24:45 | 1 |
