▸Example Segment (Twilio) call (the "before")
import com.segment.analytics.kotlin.android.Analytics
val analytics = Analytics("YOUR_WRITE_KEY", context) {
collectDeviceId = true
flushAt = 20
}
analytics.identify(userId, traitsOf("email" to email, "plan" to "pro"))
analytics.track("Paywall Purchase", buildJsonObject {
put("value", price)
put("currency", "USD")
})Most analytics SDKs accept dozens of custom parameters per event. Respectlytics's API stores exactly five fields per event: event_name, session_id (rotated every two hours), timestamp, platform, and country. Extra fields are rejected with a 400. The discipline is structural — engineers can't accidentally add PII over time because the API refuses it.
☑Remove Segment (Twilio) cleanly
-
1
Remove the Segment Analytics SDK from your build (
Analytics-Swift/analytics-android/@segment/analytics-react-native/segment_analytics_flutter) -
2
Remove
Analytics.client(writeKey: ...)andanalytics.track(...)call sites — replace withRespectlytics.track("event_name") -
3
Critically: review your Segment destinations and decide which destinations you still need data flowing to from Respectlytics (most don't — that's the point)
-
4
Delete the Segment workspace's mobile source once events have stopped flowing
-
5
Audit and remove the downstream destination SDKs that Segment was the only reason to forward to (e.g., Facebook Pixel, Google Ads)
⇋Segment (Twilio) vs Respectlytics — 5-field event schema
| Segment (Twilio) | Respectlytics | |
|---|---|---|
| Stored fields per event | — see tool note above (typically dozens of params) | Exactly 5 |
| API enforcement of schema | Lenient (extras stored) | Strict (extras rejected with 400) |
| Per-user state computable | Yes (people profiles, user properties) | No (use account system) |
| Custom event properties accepted | 25–250 depending on tool | 0 |
❓Frequently asked questions
How do we segment events without custom properties?
By using distinct event names. Instead of track('purchase', { product: 'gold_pack' }), fire track('purchase_gold_pack'). The aggregation buckets event names automatically; no manual configuration. Keep your taxonomy short (under ~50 distinct names per matrix axis) to stay navigable.
We need per-event price for revenue reporting — how does that work?
It doesn't — and that's the point. Authoritative revenue lives in your billing system (Stripe, RevenueCat, App Store Connect) with refund-aware totals and currency-conversion handling. Mirroring revenue into product analytics produces two truths that drift over time.
What if we genuinely need a sixth field for legitimate reasons?
Three options: (a) encode the variant into the event name (e.g., paywall_purchase_pro vs paywall_purchase_basic); (b) keep per-user state in your account system and don't mirror it; (c) use a different tool for the specific use case. Most product teams find (a) or (b) sufficient.
How does the API actually enforce this?
JSON validation at the API gateway. A POST /api/v1/events/ with any field outside the 5 allowed keys returns HTTP 400 Bad Request with a body listing the rejected field names. Your integration test catches the regression on the first commit that adds an extra field.