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What Are Web Trackers? Which Are The Most Common?
You know how you visit a site, then ads for something you just looked at start popping up everywhere? That’s web trackers doing their thing — silently watching, collecting, connecting the dots. It’s not spooky magic — it’s just tech. But if you know how they work, you can fight back a little.
Here’s a breakdown of common trackers, what they do, and how DeleteMyInfo helps you take back control.
What Are Web Trackers — And Which Ones Follow You Around the Most?
What Web Trackers Really Are
Web trackers are bits of code, scripts, or tiny files that follow your activity across the internet. Their job? See what you click, what you search, where you go — and then build a profile. Companies use that profile to show you the ads they think you’ll click, or to monetize your behavior in other ways.
You don’t see most of them. They hide in web pages, emails, ad networks. But they’re there.
Six of the Most Common Trackers (and How They Work)
Here are the usual suspects you’ll run into:
1. Cookies (First-Party & Third-Party)
Small text files stored on your device. First-party cookies remember your preferences on a given site (theme, login). Third-party cookies are the more invasive kind — ad networks use them to follow you across multiple sites.
2. Pixel Tags / Web Beacons
Tiny, invisible images (often 1×1 pixel) embedded in emails or web pages. When they load, they let the sender know you opened the email or visited that page.
3. Tracking Scripts
JavaScript snippets on web pages that send data back to servers — what you clicked, how long you stayed, which parts of the page you hovered over.
4. Embedded iFrames / Advert Frames
It’s like a website inside another website. The frame can load content (ads, media, etc.) that’s controlled by another domain — and that domain can track you.
5. Browser Fingerprinting
Even if you block cookies, trackers can gather details (browser type, screen resolution, fonts installed, OS) to create a “fingerprint” that identifies you across sessions.
6. URL Tracking Parameters
You know those weird strings at the end of a URL — ?utm_source=...&ref=...? These help marketers know where you came from or what campaign you clicked.
Why They Do It (Besides Making Ads Creepy)
Personalization: Show you things you’re likely to click
Ad targeting: Better ROI for advertisers
Analytics: See visitor flows, which pages work, what’s failing
Retargeting: Follow you around the web with the same product or service
The problem is, you didn’t always opt in to tell companies to watch you like that.
Where DeleteMyInfo Helps You Push Back
You can’t eliminate all trackers — that’s nearly impossible. But DeleteMyInfo does a few really helpful things:
Reduces your digital footprint — By removing your info from data brokers, there’s less for trackers to connect to you.
Monitors your visibility — We keep tabs on where your data reappears and help remove it again.
Supports safer defaults — When there’s less of you floating around publicly, many trackers end up with weak or incomplete data — making retargeting less effective.
