Web Beacon
Web Beacon Definition
A web beacon is a tiny, invisible tracking element placed in web pages or emails to collect data about the user. A common web beacon is a tracking pixel, a 1x1 transparent image file that can be easily hidden. Web beacons can also be embedded into different page elements, such as scripts or small embedded objects.
How Web Beacons Work
When a page or email containing a beacon is opened, the client (such as a browser or email app) loads the hidden element. To do that, it sends a request to the server where the beacon file is stored. The server logs the request and records details like the user’s IP address, time of access, browser information, and any relevant cookie values. By placing beacons across different pages, site administrators can chronologically track how users move through a site over time.
Where Are Web Beacons Used?
- Web analytics: Counting web page visitors, verifying unique views, or identifying sources of traffic.
- Email marketing: Tracking when an email is opened and whether the recipient clicked through to the site.
- Conversion tracking: Measuring ad performance by confirming that a click led to a purchase or action.
- A/B testing: Comparing engagement on different versions of a web page or email.
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FAQ
A web beacon is an element of a web page or email that makes a server request upon loading. A tracking pixel is a specific type of web beacon. It’s a transparent image of a 1x1 pixel that’s hosted on a server. The server collects data when the browser requests the image.
A tracking cookie is a small file stored on the user’s device. It holds information about the user, like their login status and unique identifier, so that data can be retrieved on later visits to the site. A web beacon is a tracking element in a web page or email. It doesn’t store any information; it works by triggering a server request. The server uses that request to collect data on the user, which can include the data stored by tracking cookies.
Web beacons themselves are legal, but their use is strictly regulated. Because the data they collect, such as IP addresses, is highly personal, laws like GDPR and CCPA require websites to disclose they’re using web beacons. In many cases, sites also have to ask for user consent to process the data gathered with web beacons.
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