What is my IP address?
// My System Information on the Internet
A numerical label assigned to your device by your internet provider that identifies it on the network.
The UTC offset and regional timezone your device is currently set to (e.g. America/New_York, UTC−5).
Estimated latitude and longitude for your connection, derived from the same IP lookup as the city and region above.
A rough geographic estimate of where you are, derived by looking up your IP address in a regional database.
What is an IP address?
An IP address (Internet Protocol address) is a numerical label assigned to every device that connects to a network. It serves two purposes: identifying the device and providing its location on the network so data can be routed to and from it correctly.
There are two versions in use today. IPv4 addresses look like 203.0.113.45 — four groups of numbers between 0 and 255. IPv6 addresses are longer, written in hexadecimal (e.g. 2001:0db8::7334), and were introduced because the pool of available IPv4 addresses was exhausted as the internet grew.
Your address may be dynamic (assigned fresh each time you connect, or periodically rotated by your provider) or static (fixed and permanently assigned, common for businesses). Most home broadband connections use dynamic addresses.
Why do IP addresses matter for privacy?
Every server you connect to receives your IP address automatically — it is a technical requirement of the connection, not something websites specifically request. This means any site you visit knows which IP address you are connecting from.
From your IP, a website can look up your approximate location (typically city or region), your internet service provider (ISP), and whether you are connecting from a residential, business, or data-center network. This information is used routinely for analytics, showing region-appropriate content, setting default language and currency, and fraud prevention.
IP addresses are also recorded in server logs by default, which means your address can be associated with the pages you visited and the times you visited them. This is standard practice and generally legal, though privacy regulations in some regions govern how long logs can be retained.
Common things people wonder about
Geolocation is approximate. IP-based location data resolves to the city or region level at best, often pointing to your provider's regional hub rather than your actual address. Treating it as a precise location is a common misconception — the coordinates shown on this page carry the same rough margin of error as the city name.
IP addresses and automated traffic. Because IP addresses identify the source of network requests, they can be used to block or limit traffic from specific sources. This is how basic rate limiting and some forms of abuse prevention work. It is also why having a large number of requests originate from a single IP can lead to that address being temporarily blocked by a service.
How people protect their IP privacy
Several tools exist for people who want to avoid having their real IP address visible to the sites they visit. These are widely used and legal in most countries, though the specifics vary by jurisdiction and use case.
VPNs (Virtual Private Networks) route your traffic through a server operated by the VPN provider. Websites see the provider's IP address instead of yours. The trade-off is that you are now trusting the VPN provider with your traffic instead of your ISP.
Proxies work similarly — your request goes through an intermediary server before reaching its destination. They vary widely in how they handle your data and how reliably they mask your IP.
Tor routes your traffic through a series of volunteer-operated servers, with each hop knowing only the previous and next step in the chain. This provides stronger anonymity than a VPN but comes with significantly slower connection speeds.
Frequently asked questions
Common questions about IP addresses, privacy, and what websites can see.
What is my IP address?
Your IP address is a numerical label assigned to your device by your internet provider. Every request your browser makes includes your IP address so the destination server knows where to send the response — it is a fundamental part of how the internet works.
Can someone find my exact location from my IP address?
No. IP-based geolocation resolves to the city or region level at best — typically the location of your internet provider's nearest hub, not your home or office. It is useful for approximate regional targeting but cannot pinpoint a street address.
Does a VPN hide my IP address?
Yes. When you use a VPN, your traffic is routed through a server operated by the VPN provider, and websites see that server's IP address instead of yours. The accuracy depends on the provider — you can verify by checking the coordinates shown on this page while connected.
Is my IP address dangerous to share?
In most everyday situations, no. Your IP address is shared with every server you connect to — that is how the internet works. The main practical risks are approximate location exposure and, in some contexts, being targeted by automated traffic. Avoiding posting it publicly is reasonable, but it is not a secret in the same way a password is.
How often does my IP address change?
It depends on your connection type. Most home broadband customers are assigned a dynamic IP address that can change when you restart your router or after a period set by your provider — often days or weeks. Businesses and some individuals pay for a static IP that never changes.
What is the difference between IPv4 and IPv6?
IPv4 addresses look like 203.0.113.45 — four groups of numbers separated by dots. IPv6 addresses are much longer (e.g. 2001:0db8:85a3::8a2e:0370:7334) and were introduced because the world ran out of available IPv4 addresses. Both serve the same purpose: identifying your device on the network.
Can websites detect I am using a VPN or proxy?
Sometimes. Services can compare your IP address against lists of known VPN providers, data centers, and Tor exit nodes. If there is a mismatch between your IP's registered location and other signals like your browser timezone, that can also be a flag. Detection is not perfect, but it is common on platforms that restrict access by region.
Your IP address is just one of many signals your browser shares automatically. See everything else this connection reveals →