IP-based location, also known as IP geolocation, is a way of estimating someone’s physical location based on their IP address. Since every device connected to the internet has an IP address, and IP addresses are often associated with a specific country, city, or region, an IP address can be used to determine a device’s (and their user’s) approximate location.

When your internet service provider (ISP) assigns your device an IP address, it’s generally tied to a geographic area. Then, when you visit a website, that IP address is automatically shared. The website checks your IP against large databases that map IP ranges to locations.

The accuracy of IP-based location varies:

• Country level: very accurate (95-99%)
• City level: decent (50-90%)
• Exact address: usually not possible

IP geolocation gives an approximation, not an exact GPS location. It can’t literally track you, just infer your general location.

Why is your IP address tied to a geographic area at all? It’s so that content distributors (like Netflix) can show content limited to specific areas. It’s also used to adapt pricing and languages by country or region.