What can a website actually see from your IP address?
Every site you open receives your public IP. That does not mean it knows your home address, but it does know your network, your provider, and roughly where your connection originates. This page explains what information is visible, what is not, and how to verify whether a VPN or proxy is actually hiding you.
Your IP address explained
A public IP address is the return location for internet traffic. When you load a website, the server needs a destination to send the data back to. That destination is your public IP, assigned by your Internet Service Provider.
Websites are not reading files on your computer. They simply see the network gateway your ISP created for you.
What websites can detect
Internet Provider
The company operating the network connection (your ISP or hosting provider).
Approximate Location
Usually city or region of the nearest ISP exchange point, not your house.
Network Type
Whether the connection belongs to a home user, mobile network, VPN, or data center.
Browser & Device
Basic device and browser information sent by the user-agent header.
ASN Network Owner
The organization that owns the address block routing your traffic.
IPv4 / IPv6
Which internet protocol your connection is using to communicate.
What an IP address does NOT reveal
It does not show your exact home address.
It does not give access to your files.
It does not reveal passwords or browsing history.
It cannot identify you personally without ISP records.
Check your connection
Open the lookup and compare your real connection against a VPN, proxy, or mobile data network. If the location or ISP does not change, your masking service is not working.
Open IP LookupUnderstanding the network data
DNS lookup
Domain names are human readable labels. DNS converts a website name into the numeric IP address servers actually use.
Reverse DNS
Reverse DNS does the opposite. It takes an IP and attempts to identify the hostname behind it, often revealing hosting providers or mail servers.
ASN ownership
An Autonomous System Number identifies who controls the network route. It helps distinguish residential users from cloud servers or automated traffic.