How to Trace an IP Address: Beginner’s Guide for 2025

By Arthur Sabayi

Last update: March 13, 2025

Quick Summary: How to Trace an IP Address

Quick Summary: How to Trace an IP Address

You can track a website’s IP address to its approximate location by: 

• Using online IP lookup tools
• Selecting the “show original” setting on Gmail
• Sending a ping through the Command Prompt

To keep your IP address from being tracked, you can use a virtual private network (VPN) service like NordVPN.

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IP address tracing might seem complicated if you’ve never done it before, but it’s actually not that complicated. You can trace a website or email’s IP address through PC command lines, IP lookup tools like Wolfram Alpha, and other methods native to certain apps. Today, I’ll teach you how to trace an IP address.

You may want to track IP addresses to verify someone’s identity and protect yourself from scams. The main reason to track an IP address is to check whether an online business you’re dealing with is a scam. Websites also track IP addresses to confirm user locations and for more intrusive reasons. (If you want to avoid being tracked yourself, use one of the best VPNs.) Let’s dive in.

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What Is an IP Address?

An Internet Protocol (IP) address is a unique string of numbers assigned to any device that accesses the internet. Your IP address is the internet version of a physical address. It can be a public IP address, which is visible to any device online, or a private IP address, which is visible only on a closed network.

IP addresses aren’t just randomly generated numbers. They’re mathematically created and assigned by the Internet Assigned Numbers Authority (IANA). Calculating specific numbers for each IP address ensures that related devices are grouped together, which makes web services easier to find.

To reduce the workload of managing billions of global IP addresses, IANA delegates their distribution to Regional Internet Registries (RIRs). In turn, RIRs distribute IP addresses to internet service providers (ISPs). For example, AFRINIC is the RIR responsible for Africa and the Indian Ocean region. 

IPv4

IP addresses are defined by an Internet Protocol version (IPv). The most common is IPv4, which deployed in 1982. It consists of a 32-bit number made up of four 8-bit groups separated by dots. These four groups each contain a digit between 0 and 255. Based on this computation, IPv4 and can generate about 4.3 billion unique addresses.

However, there are a lot of people online these days. Since two devices can’t share the same IP address, internet users are running out of IPv4 options.

IPv6

The second type of Internet Protocol address is IPv6, which was launched in 2012 to replace IPv4 as it runs out of unique addresses. IPv6 consists of eight groups of four hexadecimal digits that are separated by colons. This creates 128 bits, meaning that IPv6 can create 2^128 unique IP addresses.

To put that into perspective, we could assign an IPv6 address to every atom on Earth and still have enough left over for atoms on 100 more Earths. 

How Does an IP Address Work?

An IP address works by allowing connected devices to locate and identify each other on an internet network. The first half of any IP address is the network portion, which identifies the specific network where the device is located. The second half is the host portion that identifies a specific device within a network. 

When you type an IP address into a browser, it sends a request to the associated device to retrieve data. The response containing all the requested information is then relayed back, using your IP address to target the return journey.

There’s a close relationship between IP addresses and Uniform Resource Locators (URLs), which are more widely recognized for finding websites. A URL is a readable address for websites, while an IP address identifies the actual location of web servers. The Domain Name System (DNS) translates a URL into an IP address.

What Information Can You Learn From an IP Address?

Depending on the IP address lookup tool you use, you can see a lot of information tied to an IP address. You can see the name of the country, state and city. Some IP lookup tools even display the name of the internet service provider, as well as the latitudes and longitudes — though not a specific address.

How to Trace an IP Address From an Email

You can trace an IP address from an email, as we discuss in our geolocation tracking and privacy article. If you want to verify the sender of an email, the steps may vary a little depending on the email service in question. Here’s how you can trace an IP address from an email sent to your Gmail account.

1. Log In to Your Gmail Account

Sign in to your Gmail account with your email and password.

2. Select an Email in Your Inbox

Find the email in your inbox whose IP address you want to check. Click on the three vertical dots in the top-right corner of the email window to open a list of options.

3. Select “Show Original”

From the dropdown window that appears, select the “show original” option.

4. Identify the IP Address

Clicking on “show original” will open a new tab that displays the email’s details. You can find the sender’s IP address next to the Sender Policy Framework (SPF) label. SPF is an email authentication method that indicates whether an email was sent from an authorized server.

How to Trace an IP Address Using the Command Prompt

Another IP address tracing method involves the Command Prompt on Windows PCs. Here are the steps.

1. Open the Command Prompt Window

Hold the Windows button and press the R key. This will open a dialog box. Type in “cmd” and press the Enter button.

2. Trace the URL

Type the word “ping” and then add a space. Enter the website URL you want to trace. Make sure you enter the address starting with www and not https. Press Enter and wait for the IP address to be displayed at the end of the process.

3. Trace the IP Address

Without adding a space, type “tracert” and tap the spacebar once. Then, paste the IP address revealed in the previous step. This will start a trace that shows every IP address route that the DNS request takes before reaching your device. 

How to Track an IP Address to a Location

Now that you’ve gotten hold of an IP address, you’re probably wondering if you can track it to an approximate physical location. You can locate an IP address’s location using the online tools discussed below. 

Using Wolfram Alpha

You can use Wolfram Alpha to get an accurate location lock of an IP address. Here are the steps to follow.

1. Open the Wolfram Alpha IP Locator on your browser. You’ll be directed to a page with an IP Locator box.
2. Enter the IP addresses you traced earlier and click “get location.”
3. A new tab will open that displays all the IP address information. You’ll see details like the name and location of the IP address registrant. You can even see a satellite map of the general location — this underscores the importance of protecting yourself with a VPN, as I’ll discuss soon.

Using IP Lookup

Another resource is IP Lookup. Use it to track an IP address location through the following steps. You can also check your own IP address this way.

1. Open IP Lookup through your browser. 
2. Enter the IP address into the search box and click “get IP details.”
3. A new page will open showing the name of the ISP, country, state, latitude, longitude and the city. You can also use the map to zoom in on the location.

How to Trace an IP Address on Phone: Android and iPhone

Every website has an associated IP address, which you can trace using your web browser app on Android and iOS. Since phones don’t have command-line modules for end users, the best way is to simply find a DNS checker website.

1. Open a DNS lookup tool, like DNS Checker, on your phone browser.
2. Paste the website URL into the dialog box and hit Enter.
3. The results will show the IP address, its location and the organization that owns it.

How to Check an IP Address for Scam Potential

If you receive a suspicious email and want to see if it might be a scam, you can run the IP address through a scam checker. Simply enter the IP address into an online scam checker like Scamalytics, which displays fraud scores.

Is It Legal to Track IP Addresses?

It’s almost always legal unless you use the knowledge to cause harm. The legality or illegality of tracking IP addresses depends on the context, intent, consent and applicable privacy laws. For example, in some jurisdictions, IP addresses are considered personal data linked to individuals. 

Tracking a protected IP address can land you in legal trouble if the victim can prove your intent to cause harm. For example, tracking and publicly exposing an individual’s IP address qualifies as doxxing, which attracts heavy fines and imprisonment. Sending DDoS attacks to someone’s IP address is also a serious crime.

These penalties are enforced by various jurisdictional laws. The Electronic Communications Privacy Act (ECPA) protects all electronic communications in the U.S. Similarly, the European Union is governed by the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR). 

Why Are IP Addresses Tracked?

In some instances, tracking IP addresses is not only legal but necessary; in others, it’s an invasion of privacy. 

• Network security: Organizations like ISPs constantly monitor IP addresses to safeguard against potential cyber threats. They can accurately identify the source of malicious activity on a network by tracking the IP address that controls the malware.
• Fraud prevention: Financial institutions like PayPal and e-commerce websites may track IP addresses to detect and stop fraudulent activities. Suspicious activity, like multiple login attempts from an IP address within a short period, can indicate unauthorized access attempts.
• Marketing insights: Digital marketers use IP tracking to gain valuable insights into their target audience’s behavior. This also leads to invasive targeted ads, which is one big reason why I recommend always using a VPN.
• Law enforcement: Authorities are allowed to trace IP addresses in criminal investigations or manhunts. Typically, this right is granted through court-ordered search warrants.

Can You Hide Your IP Address?

Yes, you can hide your IP address — the most effective tool for doing so is a VPN. A VPN routes your traffic through its servers while encrypting it in transit, so your activity can’t be traced back to your real IP address. Anyone who tries to track your online movements will see only the virtual IP address provided by the VPN.

Changing your IP address offers the added benefit of bypassing geo-restrictions. For example, I’m in Kenya, but I can connect to a U.S. server to access Peacock TV, which is unavailable in my country. Neither Peacock TV nor my local ISP should be aware of my real location as long as the VPN is active.

Best VPNs for Hiding Your IP Address

This post wouldn’t be complete without mentioning the best VPNs for hiding your IP address. If you’re worried about your IP address being seen or tracked, use one of these two VPN services.

1. NordVPN — Best VPN for Masking IP Addresses

NordVPN has over 7,200 servers in 141 locations across 118 countries. That’s thousands of IP addresses you can use to hide your real location from anyone trying to track you. This keeps the government, ISPs and hackers from intercepting your online traffic. The Threat Protection feature also catches several tracking methods that the VPN itself doesn’t.

NordVPN is compatible with smartphones, PCs, routers and more, and it allows up to 10 simultaneous device connections. This offers you the flexibility and convenience to secure all your everyday devices, even when you’re on the move. Read our NordVPN review for an in-depth look at what it offers.

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2. Surfshark — Most Affordable VPN for Hiding IP Addresses

If you’re on a budget but need to hide your IP address from trackers, Surfshark is a good option that comes with over 3,200 servers in 135 locations across 94 countries. Surfshark also features an IP rotator that automatically switches your server location to make tracking harder. 

Surfshark Nexus — the same technology that enables the IP rotator — also supports MultiHop connections where you can choose both locations. I like Surfshark enough to say that NordVPN is the only service that can compete with it; check out our Surfshark vs NordVPN article if you’re torn between the two.

Surfshark is also one of the few services that support unlimited simultaneous connections. That’s a big reason why it’s so cost-effective — you can secure multiple IP addresses across all of your own devices, such as smartphones, PCs and routers, and still share Surfshark with friends and family. You’ll find more details in our Surfshark review.

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Conclusion

Now that you’ve learned how to trace an IP address, you should also know that your IP address may not be as secure as you think. While you might chase down an IP address simply to ensure that an email or website isn’t deceiving you, be aware that some people could try to track your IP address for malicious reasons.

Fortunately, VPNs can hide your IP address from any of those people. NordVPN and Surfshark are two reliable options that let you access thousands of IP addresses. 

Did my guide help you check your own IP address or someone else’s? Have you ever tried to hide your IP address using a VPN or any other tool? Tell me how that went in the comments below, and keep reading our blog for more privacy content.

FAQ: Track IP Address 

• How Do I Find Out Where an IP Address Is Coming From?

  You can find the approximate location of an IP address by checking it with an IP address lookup tool. These tools provide the originating country, state, city, longitude and latitude, as well as the server name.

• Is It Illegal to Trace Someone’s IP Address?

  No, it’s not illegal. However, it is against the law to cause someone harm by exposing their location or sending DDoS attacks to their devices. 

• How Do I Identify the Owner of an IP Address?

  You can identify the owner of an IP address by using the WHOIS lookup tool, but the information you’ll see is often limited. You may see only the name of the organization that registered the IP address, not the personal details of individual registrants or specific user activities.

• How to Run a Trace on an IP Address?

  You can run a trace on an IP address on Windows through the Command Prompt. Just type “ping” and the website’s address, hit Enter, type “tracert” and hit Enter again.