Quick Answers

What Is IP Geolocation?

IP geolocation estimates where an internet user is from their IP address, using registry records and commercial databases. Country is usually right; city often is not.

By Team of Monkeys Editorial Updated 1 min read Affiliate disclosure

This guide contains affiliate links to Geonode, Webshare and Rayobyte. If you buy through them we may earn a commission, at no extra cost to you.

What Is IP Geolocation illustration: iP geolocation estimates where an internet user is from their IP address, using registry records and commercial databases 3jdej38j4

The short answer

IP geolocation maps an IP address to a place. Databases start from where the regional internet registries say an address block was allocated, then refine it with ISP data, network measurements and user reports.

How accurate is it?

Country-level results are right the vast majority of the time. City-level results are much less reliable, especially for mobile IPs, which can appear hundreds of kilometres from the phone. Different databases often disagree, so a proxy one site sees as "Chicago" another may place in "Illinois, unknown city".

A monkey meets a proxy server for the first time (animated GIF) 3jdej38j4
A monkey meets a proxy server for the first time. GIF via GIPHY

Also known as

GeoIP, IP location lookup, IP-to-location.

Learn more

Affiliate disclosure: Team of Monkeys is an affiliate of Geonode, Webshare and Rayobyte. Links and banners marked as sponsored, and links to Geonode, Webshare and Rayobyte in the text, use our referral links, and we may earn a commission if you buy through them, at no extra cost to you. Our explanations and comparisons are written to be useful whichever provider you choose.

Editorial note: Proxy providers change their pools, features and prices often, so treat any figures here as typical ranges at the time of writing and confirm current terms with the provider before you buy.
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