Understand the signals before you use them
Clear explanations of browser fingerprinting, device intelligence and IP data—written for developers and product teams who need to make defensible decisions.
Browser fingerprinting
- What is a browser fingerprint?A browser fingerprint combines dozens of settings and rendering quirks into an identifier that can persist even when your IP changes. Learn how it works.
- What is canvas fingerprinting?Canvas fingerprinting draws hidden text and shapes and hashes the pixels. Small differences in fonts, GPUs and drivers make the result distinctive.
- What is WebGL fingerprinting?WebGL exposes your GPU vendor, renderer and graphics capabilities. Learn what WebGL fingerprinting collects and how browsers limit it.
- What information can websites see about me?Without any login or permission, websites can see your IP, approximate location, network, browser, device characteristics and more. See the full list.
- Device fingerprint vs browser fingerprint: what is the difference?A browser fingerprint describes an observed browser environment. Device identity is a broader, application-specific conclusion. Learn how the terms differ and where each one is useful.
- Browser fingerprinting vs cookiesCookies store a value in a browser. Fingerprinting recomputes an identifier from browser characteristics. Compare how they work, how they change and what developers should disclose.
IP & networks
- What is my IP address?Your public IP address is the address websites see when you connect. Learn how it differs from your local IP, why it changes and what it reveals.
- What is an ASN (autonomous system number)?An ASN identifies the network that announces an IP address on the internet. Learn how ASNs work and why they matter for proxies, security and troubleshooting.
- What is an ISP?An internet service provider connects you to the internet and assigns your public IP. Here is what websites can infer from your ISP and connection type.
- Can websites detect proxies and VPNs?How websites detect proxies, VPNs, Tor and datacenter traffic, why detection is probabilistic, and what signals are involved.
- Why does my browser time zone differ from my IP location?A time zone mismatch between your browser and IP location is common with VPNs, travel and mobile networks. Here is what it means and why sites check it.