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Added FAQ Section Including Common Question/Answer Regarding Timestamp Discrepancies #6980
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amazing- thank you!!
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## FAQ | ||
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### Why Are Events Received with Timestamps Set in the Past or Future? |
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### Why Are Events Received with Timestamps Set in the Past or Future? | |
### Why are events received with timestamps set in the past or future? |
1. **Overriding Timestamp Value:** | ||
- When a manual timestamp is set in the payload with a date in the past, it can cause events to appear as if they were sent earlier than they actually were. | ||
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2. **Analytics.js Source with Retries Enabled:** | ||
- The [Retries](https://segment.com/docs/connections/sources/catalog/libraries/website/javascript/#retries) feature supports offline traffic by queuing events in Analytics.js. These events are sent or retried later when an internet connection is available, keeping the original timestamp intact. | ||
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3. **Mobile App Backgrounded or Closed:** | ||
- If a user closes the app, events may be queued within the app. These queued events won't be sent until the app is re-opened, potentially in the future, leading to timestamp discrepancies. | ||
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4. **Inaccurate Browser/Device Clock Settings:** | ||
- Timestamps can be incorrect if the client's device time is inaccurate, as the `originalTimestamp` relies on the client device's clock, which can be manually adjusted. | ||
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5. **Traffic from Internet Bots:** | ||
- [Internet Bots](https://segment.com/docs/guides/ignore-bots/#whats-a-bot) can sometimes send requests with unusual timestamps, either intentionally or due to incorrect settings, leading to discrepancies. |
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1. **Overriding Timestamp Value:** | |
- When a manual timestamp is set in the payload with a date in the past, it can cause events to appear as if they were sent earlier than they actually were. | |
2. **Analytics.js Source with Retries Enabled:** | |
- The [Retries](https://segment.com/docs/connections/sources/catalog/libraries/website/javascript/#retries) feature supports offline traffic by queuing events in Analytics.js. These events are sent or retried later when an internet connection is available, keeping the original timestamp intact. | |
3. **Mobile App Backgrounded or Closed:** | |
- If a user closes the app, events may be queued within the app. These queued events won't be sent until the app is re-opened, potentially in the future, leading to timestamp discrepancies. | |
4. **Inaccurate Browser/Device Clock Settings:** | |
- Timestamps can be incorrect if the client's device time is inaccurate, as the `originalTimestamp` relies on the client device's clock, which can be manually adjusted. | |
5. **Traffic from Internet Bots:** | |
- [Internet Bots](https://segment.com/docs/guides/ignore-bots/#whats-a-bot) can sometimes send requests with unusual timestamps, either intentionally or due to incorrect settings, leading to discrepancies. | |
* **Overriding Timestamp Value:** When a manual timestamp is set in the payload with a date in the past, it can cause events to appear as if they were sent earlier than they actually were. | |
* **Analytics.js Source with Retries Enabled:** The [Retries](/docs/connections/sources/catalog/libraries/website/javascript/#retries) feature supports offline traffic by queuing events in Analytics.js. These events are sent or retried later when an internet connection is available, keeping the original timestamp intact. | |
* **Mobile App Backgrounded or Closed:** If a user closes the app, events may be queued within the app. These queued events won't send until the app is re-opened, potentially in the future, leading to timestamp discrepancies. | |
* **Inaccurate Browser/Device Clock Settings:** Timestamps can be incorrect if the client's device time is inaccurate, as the `originalTimestamp` relies on the client device's clock, which can be manually adjusted. | |
* **Traffic from Internet Bots:** [Internet Bots](/docs/guides/ignore-bots/#whats-a-bot) can sometimes send requests with unusual timestamps, either intentionally or due to incorrect settings, leading to discrepancies. |
Thank you for your contribution! Your pull request is merged, but may take a day or two to appear on the site. |
Proposed changes
Merge timing
ASAP once approved
Related issues (optional)
Slack: https://twilio.slack.com/archives/CALA7QMJQ/p1724679975057569