# Getting multiple subject IDs for the same user **URL:** \ **Category:** Get Help\ **Tags:** user-profile, user-management\ **Created:** [June 22, 2023, 6:21pm UTC](https://community.auth0.com/t/getting-multiple-subject-ids-for-the-same-user/109798 "2023-06-22T18:21:42Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 5\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![CityOfBoiseWebmaster](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/7/7c/User_font_awesome.svg/768px-User_font_awesome.svg.png) [@CityOfBoiseWebmaster](https://community.auth0.com/u/CityOfBoiseWebmaster)\ **Post date:** [June 22, 2023, 6:21pm UTC](https://community.auth0.com/t/getting-multiple-subject-ids-for-the-same-user/109798/1 "2023-06-22T18:21:42Z")
We are using Auth0 to log in random users, and we are using the e-mail code method. When my application asks auth0 to authenticate the user these are the claims we are getting back: nickname: someone xttp:/schemas.xmlsoap.org/ws/2005/05/identity/claims/name: [someone@somewhere.com](mailto:someone@somewhere.com) updated\_at: 2023-06-21T00:29:10.1920000Z xttp:/schemas.xmlsoap.org/ws/2005/05/identity/claims/nameidentifier: email|634f575263bed0be4e10219a sid: es9R93rpZxumeJoos18H0\_I0MvZ2zksc I understood that I should be using the subject id (sid) as the primary key for the user. The problem is that if I clear all my cookies and log in again (possibly after some time has passed) I get a completely different set of identifying properties for the same user, for example: nickname: someone xttp:/schemas.xmlsoap.org/ws/2005/05/identity/claims/name: [someone@somewhere.com](mailto:someone@somewhere.com) updated\_at: 2023-06-22T18:12:00.9640000Z xttp:/schemas.xmlsoap.org/ws/2005/05/identity/claims/nameidentifier: email|634f575263bed0be4e10219a sid: fGn7nNcd8E4XJerZ5DD7Jv322zegpHwM I can see that the “nameidentifier” is the same between the two, but all over the documentation and in this forum I see the direction that the subject ID is the key that I’m supposed to be using. Is there something that I could be doing wrong that is causing the subject ID to be unstable? Has Auth0 changed and I should ignore the sid value? Note that as long as the auth0 cookies are still there, I continue to get the same sid value, it’s only after I clear those cookies that the sid changes. In this case more than 24 hours had elapsed and I got the same sid, until I cleared my cookies. Also, note that I had to change the claim names above since the forum thinks I’m trying to link out to xmlsoap and gravatar. Thanks! ---
**Author:** ![ty.frith](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/auth0/user_avatar/community.auth0.com/ty.frith/32/58484_2.png) [@ty.frith](https://community.auth0.com/u/ty.frith)\ **Post date:** [June 22, 2023, 6:27pm UTC](https://community.auth0.com/t/getting-multiple-subject-ids-for-the-same-user/109798/3 "2023-06-22T18:27:03Z")
Hello there @CityOfBoiseWebmaster welcome to the community! > [@CityOfBoiseWebmaster](#): > > Note that as long as the auth0 cookies are still there, I continue to get the same sid value, it’s only after I clear those cookies that the sid changes. In this case more than 24 hours had elapsed and I got the same sid, until I cleared my cookies. The `sid` value is the session ID as opposed to subject ID - The `sub` claim is what I believe you are referring to in terms of identifying a user. ---
**Author:** ![CityOfBoiseWebmaster](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/7/7c/User_font_awesome.svg/768px-User_font_awesome.svg.png) [@CityOfBoiseWebmaster](https://community.auth0.com/u/CityOfBoiseWebmaster)\ **Post date:** [June 22, 2023, 7:11pm UTC](https://community.auth0.com/t/getting-multiple-subject-ids-for-the-same-user/109798/4 "2023-06-22T19:11:25Z")
That is definitely where I’m confused then and that makes total sense with what I was seeing, thanks! Note that I am not seeing a “sub” claim from auth0. For my purposes the nameidentifier will do the job just fine. I wonder if that’s a configuration issue… ---
**Author:** ![ty.frith](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/auth0/user_avatar/community.auth0.com/ty.frith/32/58484_2.png) [@ty.frith](https://community.auth0.com/u/ty.frith)\ **Post date:** [June 22, 2023, 9:38pm UTC](https://community.auth0.com/t/getting-multiple-subject-ids-for-the-same-user/109798/5 "2023-06-22T21:38:33Z")
No problem, happy to help! > [@CityOfBoiseWebmaster](#): > > Note that I am not seeing a “sub” claim from auth0. For my purposes the nameidentifier will do the job just fine. I wonder if that’s a configuration issue… My bad - You’re correct in this context (SAML) the `NameID` is what you’re after. ---
**Author:** ![system](https://global.discourse-cdn.com/auth0/original/3X/b/5/b560f266932fcce5d57f09a6595bd50518cae3f3.jpeg) [@system](https://community.auth0.com/u/system)\ **Post date:** [July 6, 2023, 9:38pm UTC](https://community.auth0.com/t/getting-multiple-subject-ids-for-the-same-user/109798/6 "2023-07-06T21:38:36Z")
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