🕷️ Crawler Inspector

URL Lookup

Direct Parameter Lookup

Raw Queries and Responses

1. Shard Calculation

Query:

Response:

Calculated Shard: 111 (from laksa195)

2. Crawled Status Check

Query:

curl -X POST \
  'http://laksa111.int.ahrefs:8124/' \
  -H 'Content-Type: text/plain' \
  -H 'X-ClickHouse-Database: crawler3' \
  -H 'Authorization: Basic YXBpOg==' \
  -d 'SELECT getAhrefsURLFromUnparsed(src_unparsed) AS found_url, ifNull(toUnixTimestamp(download_stamp), 0) AS crawl_time, ifNull(toUnixTimestamp(props_url_first_seen), 0) AS first_indexed_time, download_http_code AS http_code, src_unparsed AS src_unparsed, src_root_hash AS src_root_hash, history_drop_reason AS history_drop_reason, meta_title AS meta_title, meta_descriptions AS meta_descriptions, attrs_boilerpipe_text AS attrs_boilerpipe_text, attrs_markdown AS attrs_markdown, attrs_readable_markdown AS attrs_readable_markdown, meta_canonical AS meta_canonical FROM crawler3.page_info_local FINAL PREWHERE (src_root_hash, src_unparsed) IN ((getAhrefsRootHashFromUnparsed(getAhrefsUnparsedNoserviceFromURL(\'https://www.cloudflare.com/learning/dns/glossary/what-is-my-ip-address/\')), getAhrefsUnparsedNoserviceFromURL(\'https://www.cloudflare.com/learning/dns/glossary/what-is-my-ip-address/\'))) FORMAT JSONEachRow'

Response:

{"found_url":"https:\/\/www.cloudflare.com\/learning\/dns\/glossary\/what-is-my-ip-address\/","crawl_time":1775680719,"first_indexed_time":1529078108,"http_code":200,"src_unparsed":"com,cloudflare!www,\/learning\/dns\/glossary\/what-is-my-ip-address\/ s443","src_root_hash":"4629720213683701711","history_drop_reason":null,"meta_title":"What is my IP address? | Cloudflare","meta_descriptions":["An IP address is a unique numerical identifier used to keep track of who is who on the Internet."],"attrs_boilerpipe_text":"What is an IP address and why does it matter?\n‘IP’ stands for\nInternet Protocol\n, which is the set of rules that makes it possible for devices to communicate over the\nInternet\n. With billions of people accessing the Internet every day, unique identifiers are necessary to keep track of who is doing what. The Internet Protocol solves this by assigning IP numbers to every device accessing the Internet.\nA computer’s IP address is like the physical address of a house. If someone calls a pizzeria to order a delivery, they need to provide their physical address. Without that address, the pizza delivery person will have no idea which house to deliver the pizza to.\nFor example, when a user types a\ndomain name\n, like google.com, into a web browser, this will initiate a request to Google’s web server asking for content (the Google homepage). Once Google receives the request, it needs to know where to send the website content. For this reason, the request will contain the asker’s IP address. Using the provided IP address, Google can send a response back to the user’s device, which will then display that content in the user’s web browser.\nThe system that orchestrates all this is called\nDNS\n. It works like a phone book for IP addresses so that users can access web services using human-friendly domain names. When a user types a domain name like ‘facebook.com’ into their browser window, this begins a DNS query which ultimately leads to a\nDNS server\ntranslating the domain name into an IP address.\nWhat do IP addresses look like? These addresses have a different format based on whether they are IPv4 or IPv6.\nWhat is the difference between IPv4 and IPv6?\nIPv4 and IPv6 are different versions of the Internet Protocol. IPv4 was implemented in 1983 and is still in use today. The format for IPv4 addresses is four sets of numbers separated by dots, for example: ‘192.0.2.1’. This is a 32-bit format, which means that it allows for 2\n32\n, or about 4.3 billion, unique IP addresses, which it turns out is not enough for the amount of devices that are now on the Internet. The need for more IP addresses led to the implementation  of IPv6.* IPv6 addresses use a more complex format that utilizes sets of numbers and letters separated by single or double colons, for example: ‘2001:0db8:85a3:0000:0000:8a2e:0370:7334’. This 128-bit format can support 2\n128\nunique addresses. (That computes to a 39-digit number!)\nIPv6 provides some other updates to IPv4, including security and\nprivacy\nimprovements. Despite their differences, both IPv4 and IPv6 have been used concurrently on the web for over a decade. The two versions can run in parallel, but special measures had to be implemented to facilitate communications between IPv4 and IPv6 devices. This compromise had to be made because so much of the web is still running on IPv4 addresses.\n*What happened to IPv5? IPv5 was an experimental streaming data protocol that was never implemented. It used the same 32-bit formatting as IPv4, so it did not adequately solve the problem of not having enough unique IP addresses. For this reason, IPv6 became the successor to IPv4.\nWhat is the difference between static IPs and dynamic IPs?\nThe limited supply of IPv4 addresses led to the introduction of dynamically assigning IP addresses, which is still a very common practice. Most devices connected to the Internet are assigned temporary IP addresses.\nFor example, when a home user connects to the Internet on their laptop, that user’s ISP assigns them a temporary IP address from a pool of shared IP addresses. This is known as a dynamic IP address. This is more cost-effective for the ISP than assigning each user a permanent, or static, IP address.\nSome ISP customers, such as large enterprises, will pay to maintain a static IP address (for example, Cloudflare’s\n1.1.1.1\n). However, for most users, having a dynamic IP address is sufficient. When hosting a web server, such as a self-hosted website,\nAPI\n, or gaming server, a dynamic IP address can create problems. A change in IP address can cause their DNS queries to fail, effectively taking the resource offline. Luckily, this issue can easily be corrected with Cloudflare’s\ndynamic DNS\n.","attrs_markdown":"Preview Mode\n\n[Documentation](https:\/\/staging.mrk.cfdata.org\/mrk\/redwood-blade-repository\/)\n\n[![Cloudflare Color Logo](https:\/\/cf-assets.www.cloudflare.com\/dzlvafdwdttg\/69wNwfiY5mFmgpd9eQFW6j\/d5131c08085a977aa70f19e7aada3fa9\/1pixel-down__1_.svg)](https:\/\/www.cloudflare.com\/)\n\n[Log in](https:\/\/dash.cloudflare.com\/login)\n\n[Sign up](https:\/\/dash.cloudflare.com\/sign-up)[Sales: +44 20 3514 6970](tel:+442035146970)\n\nLanguages\n\n- [English](https:\/\/www.cloudflare.com\/learning\/dns\/glossary\/what-is-my-ip-address\/)\n- [English (United Kingdom)](https:\/\/www.cloudflare.com\/en-gb\/learning\/dns\/glossary\/what-is-my-ip-address\/)\n- [Deutsch](https:\/\/www.cloudflare.com\/de-de\/learning\/dns\/glossary\/what-is-my-ip-address\/)\n- [Español (Latinoamérica)](https:\/\/www.cloudflare.com\/es-la\/learning\/dns\/glossary\/what-is-my-ip-address\/)\n- [Español (España)](https:\/\/www.cloudflare.com\/es-es\/learning\/dns\/glossary\/what-is-my-ip-address\/)\n- [Français](https:\/\/www.cloudflare.com\/fr-fr\/learning\/dns\/glossary\/what-is-my-ip-address\/)\n- [Italiano](https:\/\/www.cloudflare.com\/it-it\/learning\/dns\/glossary\/what-is-my-ip-address\/)\n- [日本語](https:\/\/www.cloudflare.com\/ja-jp\/learning\/dns\/glossary\/what-is-my-ip-address\/)\n- [한국어](https:\/\/www.cloudflare.com\/ko-kr\/learning\/dns\/glossary\/what-is-my-ip-address\/)\n- [Polski](https:\/\/www.cloudflare.com\/pl-pl\/learning\/dns\/glossary\/what-is-my-ip-address\/)\n- [Português (Brasil)](https:\/\/www.cloudflare.com\/pt-br\/learning\/dns\/glossary\/what-is-my-ip-address\/)\n- [Русский](https:\/\/www.cloudflare.com\/ru-ru\/learning\/dns\/glossary\/what-is-my-ip-address\/)\n- [繁體中文](https:\/\/www.cloudflare.com\/zh-tw\/learning\/dns\/glossary\/what-is-my-ip-address\/)\n- [简体中文](https:\/\/www.cloudflare.com\/zh-cn\/learning\/dns\/glossary\/what-is-my-ip-address\/)\n\n[![Cloudflare Color Logo](https:\/\/cf-assets.www.cloudflare.com\/dzlvafdwdttg\/69wNwfiY5mFmgpd9eQFW6j\/d5131c08085a977aa70f19e7aada3fa9\/1pixel-down__1_.svg)](https:\/\/www.cloudflare.com\/)\n\n[![Company Logo White](https:\/\/cf-assets.www.cloudflare.com\/dzlvafdwdttg\/735eoClKJf9XfkqCJs1mfZ\/b6767158f39af8d538517df918b8fc2e\/logo-white-desktop.svg)](https:\/\/www.cloudflare.com\/)\n\n- Platform\n  use cases\n  \n  [Modernize applications](https:\/\/www.cloudflare.com\/modernize-applications\/)\n  \n  - [Accelerate performance](https:\/\/www.cloudflare.com\/application-services\/products\/cdn\/)\n  - [Ensure app availability](https:\/\/www.cloudflare.com\/performance\/ensure-application-availability\/)\n  - [Optimize web experience](https:\/\/www.cloudflare.com\/application-services\/products\/website-optimization\/)\n  \n  [Modernize security](https:\/\/www.cloudflare.com\/cybersecurity\/)\n  \n  - [VPN replacement](https:\/\/www.cloudflare.com\/sase\/use-cases\/vpn-replacement\/)\n  - [Phishing protection](https:\/\/www.cloudflare.com\/sase\/use-cases\/multi-channel-phishing\/)\n  - [Secure web apps and APIs](https:\/\/www.cloudflare.com\/application-services\/)\n  \n  [Modernize networks](https:\/\/www.cloudflare.com\/modernize-networks\/)\n  \n  - [Coffee shop networking](https:\/\/www.cloudflare.com\/coffee-shop-networking\/)\n  - [WAN modernization](https:\/\/www.cloudflare.com\/sase\/products\/wan\/)\n  - [Network protection](https:\/\/www.cloudflare.com\/network-services\/use-cases\/network-protection\/)\n  \n  CxO topics\n  \n  Industries\n  \n  [Resources](https:\/\/www.cloudflare.com\/resource-center\/)\n  \n  - [Product guides](https:\/\/www.cloudflare.com\/resource-hub\/?resourcetype=Solution+%26+Product+Guides)\n  - [Reference architectures](https:\/\/www.cloudflare.com\/architecture\/)\n  - [Analyst reports](https:\/\/www.cloudflare.com\/analysts\/)\n  \n  Engage\n  \n  - [Events](https:\/\/www.cloudflare.com\/events\/)\n  - [Demos](https:\/\/www.cloudflare.com\/product-demos\/)\n  - [Webinars](https:\/\/www.cloudflare.com\/resource-hub\/?resourcetype=Webinar)\n  - [Workshops](https:\/\/www.cloudflare.com\/resource-hub\/test-drive\/)\n  \n  [Request a demo](https:\/\/www.cloudflare.com\/plans\/enterprise\/demo\/)\n- Products\n  products\n  \n  [SASE (Cloudflare One)](https:\/\/www.cloudflare.com\/sase\/)\n  \n  - [Zero trust network access](https:\/\/www.cloudflare.com\/sase\/products\/access\/)\n  - [Secure web gateway](https:\/\/www.cloudflare.com\/sase\/products\/gateway\/)\n  - [Network-as-a-service \/ SD-WAN](https:\/\/www.cloudflare.com\/sase\/products\/wan\/)\n  - [Email security](https:\/\/www.cloudflare.com\/sase\/products\/email-security\/)\n  \n  [Application security](https:\/\/www.cloudflare.com\/application-services\/products\/)\n  \n  - [L7 DDoS protection](https:\/\/www.cloudflare.com\/ddos\/)\n  - [Web application firewall](https:\/\/www.cloudflare.com\/application-services\/products\/waf\/)\n  - [API security](https:\/\/www.cloudflare.com\/application-services\/products\/api-shield\/)\n  - [Bot management](https:\/\/www.cloudflare.com\/application-services\/products\/bot-management\/)\n  \n  [Application performance](https:\/\/www.cloudflare.com\/application-services\/products\/)\n  \n  - [CDN](https:\/\/www.cloudflare.com\/application-services\/products\/cdn\/)\n  - [DNS](https:\/\/www.cloudflare.com\/application-services\/products\/dns\/)\n  - [Smart routing](https:\/\/www.cloudflare.com\/application-services\/products\/argo-smart-routing\/)\n  - [Load balancing](https:\/\/www.cloudflare.com\/application-services\/products\/load-balancing\/)\n  \n  [Networking](https:\/\/www.cloudflare.com\/network-services\/products\/)\n  \n  - [L3\/4 DDoS protection](https:\/\/www.cloudflare.com\/network-services\/products\/magic-transit\/)\n  - [Firewall-as-a-service](https:\/\/www.cloudflare.com\/network-services\/products\/network-firewall\/)\n  - [Network Interconnect](https:\/\/www.cloudflare.com\/network-services\/products\/network-interconnect\/)\n  - [Smart routing](https:\/\/www.cloudflare.com\/application-services\/products\/argo-smart-routing\/)\n  \n  plans & pricing\n  \n  Global services\n  \n  - [Domain registrationBuy and manage domains](https:\/\/www.cloudflare.com\/products\/registrar\/)\n  \n  - [1\\.1.1.1Free DNS resolver](https:\/\/one.one.one.one\/)\n  \n  [Resources](https:\/\/www.cloudflare.com\/resource-center\/)\n  \n  - [Product guides](https:\/\/www.cloudflare.com\/resource-hub\/?resourcetype=Solution+%26+Product+Guides)\n  - [Reference architectures](https:\/\/www.cloudflare.com\/architecture\/)\n  - [Analyst reports](https:\/\/www.cloudflare.com\/analysts\/)\n  - [Product demos and tours](https:\/\/www.cloudflare.com\/product-demos\/)\n  \n  [Help me choose](https:\/\/www.cloudflare.com\/about-your-website\/)\n- Developers\n  documentation\n  \n  Products\n  \n  [Artificial Intelligence](https:\/\/www.cloudflare.com\/developer-platform\/products\/#ai-products)\n  \n  - [AI GatewayObserve, control AI apps](https:\/\/www.cloudflare.com\/developer-platform\/products\/ai-gateway\/)\n  - [Workers AIRun ML models on our network](https:\/\/www.cloudflare.com\/developer-platform\/products\/workers-ai\/)\n  \n  [Compute](https:\/\/www.cloudflare.com\/developer-platform\/products\/#compute-products)\n  \n  - [ObservabilityLogs, metrics, and traces](https:\/\/www.cloudflare.com\/developer-platform\/products\/workers-observability\/)\n  - [WorkersBuild, deploy serverless apps](https:\/\/www.cloudflare.com\/developer-platform\/products\/workers\/)\n  \n  [Media](https:\/\/www.cloudflare.com\/developer-platform\/products\/#media-products)\n  \n  - [ImagesTransform, optimize images](https:\/\/www.cloudflare.com\/developer-platform\/products\/cloudflare-images\/)\n  - [RealtimeBuild real-time audio\/video apps](https:\/\/www.cloudflare.com\/developer-platform\/products\/cloudflare-realtime\/)\n  \n  [Storage & database](https:\/\/www.cloudflare.com\/developer-platform\/products\/#storage-database-products)\n  \n  - [D1Create serverless SQL databases](https:\/\/www.cloudflare.com\/developer-platform\/products\/d1\/)\n  - [R2Store data without costly egress fees](https:\/\/www.cloudflare.com\/developer-platform\/products\/r2\/)\n  \n  Plans & Pricing\n  \n  - [Explore projectsCustomer stories](https:\/\/www.cloudflare.com\/case-studies\/?usecase=Deploy+custom+code+at+the+Edge)\n  \n  - [AI Demo in 30 secondsQuick guide to get started](https:\/\/playground.ai.cloudflare.com\/)\n  \n  - [Explore Workers PlaygroundBuild, test, and deploy](https:\/\/workers.cloudflare.com\/playground)\n  \n  - [Developers DiscordJoin the community](https:\/\/discord.com\/invite\/cloudflaredev)\n  \n  [Start building](https:\/\/dash.cloudflare.com\/sign-up\/workers-and-pages)\n- Partners\n  Partnership Types\n  \n  - [Self-serve agency programManage Self-Serve Accounts for your clients](https:\/\/www.cloudflare.com\/cloudflare-partners-self-serve-program-open-beta\/)\n  \n  - [Peer-to-peer portalTraffic insights for your network](https:\/\/www.cloudflare.com\/peering-policy\/)\n  \n  - [Find a partnerPowerUP your business - connect with Cloudflare Powered+ partners.](https:\/\/partnerlocator.cloudflare.com\/dashboard)\n- Resources\n  Engage\n  \n  Build\n  \n  Explore\n  \n  - [Analyst reportsIndustry research reports](https:\/\/www.cloudflare.com\/analysts\/)\n  \n  - [EventsUpcoming regional events](https:\/\/www.cloudflare.com\/events\/)\n  \n  - [Trust, privacy, and complianceCompliance information and policies](https:\/\/www.cloudflare.com\/trust-hub\/trust-and-safety\/)\n  \n  Support\n  \n  - [Contact us](https:\/\/dash.cloudflare.com\/?to=\/:account\/support)\n  - [Community forum](https:\/\/community.cloudflare.com\/)\n  - [Lost account access?](https:\/\/developers.cloudflare.com\/support\/account-management-billing\/common-account-questions\/login-and-account-issues\/)\n  - [Developers Discord](https:\/\/discord.com\/invite\/cloudflaredev)\n  \n  [Get help](https:\/\/www.support.cloudflare.com\/)\n- Company\n  Company info\n  \n  Trust, Privacy, & Safety\n  \n  Public Interest\n  \n  - [Global networkGlobal locations and status](https:\/\/www.cloudflare.com\/network\/)\n\n[Log in](https:\/\/dash.cloudflare.com\/login)[Contact sales](https:\/\/www.cloudflare.com\/plans\/enterprise\/contact\/)\n\n# What is my IP address?\nIP addresses are unique identifiers used to determine who is who on the Internet. IP addresses can be formatted differently depending on whether they use IPv4 or IPv6 protocol.\n\n##### Learning Center\n- [What is DNS?](https:\/\/www.cloudflare.com\/learning\/dns\/what-is-dns\/)\n- [What is 1.1.1.1?](https:\/\/www.cloudflare.com\/learning\/dns\/what-is-1.1.1.1\/)\n- DNS Records\n- Securing DNS\n- Domain Registration\n- DNS Glossary\n- theNET\n- DNSSEC Protection\n\n#### Learning Objectives\nAfter reading this article you will be able to:\n\n- Define an IP address\n- Differentiate between IPv4 and IPv6\n- Differentiate between dynamic and static IP addresses\n\nRelated Content\n***\n[What is DNS?](https:\/\/www.cloudflare.com\/learning\/dns\/what-is-dns\/)\n\n[Dynamic DNS](https:\/\/www.cloudflare.com\/learning\/dns\/glossary\/dynamic-dns\/)\n\n[DNS security](https:\/\/www.cloudflare.com\/learning\/dns\/dns-security\/)\n\n[DNS records](https:\/\/www.cloudflare.com\/learning\/dns\/dns-records\/)\n\n[Reverse DNS](https:\/\/www.cloudflare.com\/learning\/dns\/glossary\/reverse-dns\/)\n\n#### Want to keep learning?\nSubscribe to theNET, Cloudflare's monthly recap of the Internet's most popular insights\\!\n\nCopy article link\n\n## What is an IP address and why does it matter?\n‘IP’ stands for [Internet Protocol](https:\/\/www.cloudflare.com\/learning\/network-layer\/internet-protocol\/), which is the set of rules that makes it possible for devices to communicate over the [Internet](https:\/\/www.cloudflare.com\/learning\/network-layer\/how-does-the-internet-work\/). With billions of people accessing the Internet every day, unique identifiers are necessary to keep track of who is doing what. The Internet Protocol solves this by assigning IP numbers to every device accessing the Internet.\n\n![A DNS Request](https:\/\/cf-assets.www.cloudflare.com\/slt3lc6tev37\/54NvR4ArYd9isJUmbz5wbW\/5abc7d8ece3a915683f8ed71d47ea28e\/ddos-dns.svg)\n\nA computer’s IP address is like the physical address of a house. If someone calls a pizzeria to order a delivery, they need to provide their physical address. Without that address, the pizza delivery person will have no idea which house to deliver the pizza to.\n\nFor example, when a user types a [domain name](https:\/\/www.cloudflare.com\/learning\/dns\/glossary\/what-is-a-domain-name\/), like google.com, into a web browser, this will initiate a request to Google’s web server asking for content (the Google homepage). Once Google receives the request, it needs to know where to send the website content. For this reason, the request will contain the asker’s IP address. Using the provided IP address, Google can send a response back to the user’s device, which will then display that content in the user’s web browser.\n\nThe system that orchestrates all this is called [DNS](https:\/\/www.cloudflare.com\/learning\/dns\/what-is-dns\/). It works like a phone book for IP addresses so that users can access web services using human-friendly domain names. When a user types a domain name like ‘facebook.com’ into their browser window, this begins a DNS query which ultimately leads to a [DNS server](https:\/\/www.cloudflare.com\/learning\/dns\/dns-server-types\/) translating the domain name into an IP address.\n\nWhat do IP addresses look like? These addresses have a different format based on whether they are IPv4 or IPv6.\n\n## What is the difference between IPv4 and IPv6?\nIPv4 and IPv6 are different versions of the Internet Protocol. IPv4 was implemented in 1983 and is still in use today. The format for IPv4 addresses is four sets of numbers separated by dots, for example: ‘192.0.2.1’. This is a 32-bit format, which means that it allows for 232, or about 4.3 billion, unique IP addresses, which it turns out is not enough for the amount of devices that are now on the Internet. The need for more IP addresses led to the implementation of IPv6.\\* IPv6 addresses use a more complex format that utilizes sets of numbers and letters separated by single or double colons, for example: ‘2001:0db8:85a3:0000:0000:8a2e:0370:7334’. This 128-bit format can support 2128 unique addresses. (That computes to a 39-digit number!)\n\nIPv6 provides some other updates to IPv4, including security and [privacy](https:\/\/www.cloudflare.com\/learning\/privacy\/what-is-data-privacy\/) improvements. Despite their differences, both IPv4 and IPv6 have been used concurrently on the web for over a decade. The two versions can run in parallel, but special measures had to be implemented to facilitate communications between IPv4 and IPv6 devices. This compromise had to be made because so much of the web is still running on IPv4 addresses.\n\n*\\*What happened to IPv5? IPv5 was an experimental streaming data protocol that was never implemented. It used the same 32-bit formatting as IPv4, so it did not adequately solve the problem of not having enough unique IP addresses. For this reason, IPv6 became the successor to IPv4.*\n\n## What is the difference between static IPs and dynamic IPs?\nThe limited supply of IPv4 addresses led to the introduction of dynamically assigning IP addresses, which is still a very common practice. Most devices connected to the Internet are assigned temporary IP addresses.\n\nFor example, when a home user connects to the Internet on their laptop, that user’s ISP assigns them a temporary IP address from a pool of shared IP addresses. This is known as a dynamic IP address. This is more cost-effective for the ISP than assigning each user a permanent, or static, IP address.\n\n![dynamic IP Addresses](https:\/\/cf-assets.www.cloudflare.com\/slt3lc6tev37\/JwXPPU511S5iPuwimt3vf\/d7d9df64e5709e2fc055f566fee2c8fb\/dynamic-ip-addresses-isps.svg)\n\nSome ISP customers, such as large enterprises, will pay to maintain a static IP address (for example, Cloudflare’s [1\\.1.1.1](https:\/\/www.cloudflare.com\/learning\/dns\/what-is-1.1.1.1\/)). However, for most users, having a dynamic IP address is sufficient. When hosting a web server, such as a self-hosted website, [API](https:\/\/www.cloudflare.com\/learning\/security\/api\/what-is-an-api\/), or gaming server, a dynamic IP address can create problems. A change in IP address can cause their DNS queries to fail, effectively taking the resource offline. Luckily, this issue can easily be corrected with Cloudflare’s [dynamic DNS](https:\/\/www.cloudflare.com\/learning\/dns\/glossary\/dynamic-dns\/).\n\nGETTING STARTED\n\n- [Free plans](https:\/\/www.cloudflare.com\/plans\/free\/)\n- [Small business plans](https:\/\/www.cloudflare.com\/small-business\/)\n- [For enterprises](https:\/\/www.cloudflare.com\/enterprise\/)\n- [Get a recommendation](https:\/\/www.cloudflare.com\/about-your-website\/)\n- [Request a demo](https:\/\/www.cloudflare.com\/plans\/enterprise\/demo\/)\n- [Contact sales](https:\/\/www.cloudflare.com\/plans\/enterprise\/contact\/)\n\nAbout DNS\n\n- [What is DNS?](https:\/\/www.cloudflare.com\/learning\/dns\/what-is-dns\/)\n- [DNS security](https:\/\/www.cloudflare.com\/learning\/dns\/dns-security\/)\n- [DNS over TLS](https:\/\/www.cloudflare.com\/learning\/dns\/dns-over-tls\/)\n- [How to buy a domain name](https:\/\/www.cloudflare.com\/learning\/dns\/how-to-buy-a-domain-name\/)\n- [How to transfer a domain name](https:\/\/www.cloudflare.com\/learning\/dns\/how-to-transfer-a-domain-name\/)\n- [Common DNS issues](https:\/\/www.cloudflare.com\/learning\/dns\/common-dns-issues\/)\n\nDNS Servers\n\n- [What's a DNS Server?](https:\/\/www.cloudflare.com\/learning\/dns\/what-is-a-dns-server\/)\n- [DNS Root Server](https:\/\/www.cloudflare.com\/learning\/dns\/glossary\/dns-root-server\/)\n\nDNS Records\n\n- [Overview](https:\/\/www.cloudflare.com\/learning\/dns\/dns-records\/)\n- [DNS A Record](https:\/\/www.cloudflare.com\/learning\/dns\/dns-records\/dns-a-record\/)\n- [DNS AAAA Record](https:\/\/www.cloudflare.com\/learning\/dns\/dns-records\/dns-aaaa-record\/)\n- [DNS CNAME Record](https:\/\/www.cloudflare.com\/learning\/dns\/dns-records\/dns-cname-record\/)\n- [DNS MX Record](https:\/\/www.cloudflare.com\/learning\/dns\/dns-records\/dns-mx-record\/)\n- [DNS TXT Record](https:\/\/www.cloudflare.com\/learning\/dns\/dns-records\/dns-txt-record\/)\n- [DNS NS Record](https:\/\/www.cloudflare.com\/learning\/dns\/dns-records\/dns-ns-record\/)\n- [DNS SOA Record](https:\/\/www.cloudflare.com\/learning\/dns\/dns-records\/dns-soa-record\/)\n- [DNS SRV Record](https:\/\/www.cloudflare.com\/learning\/dns\/dns-records\/dns-srv-record\/)\n- [DNS PTR Record](https:\/\/www.cloudflare.com\/learning\/dns\/dns-records\/dns-ptr-record\/)\n- [DNSKEY and DS Records](https:\/\/www.cloudflare.com\/learning\/dns\/dns-records\/dnskey-ds-records\/)\n- [DNS SPF Record](https:\/\/www.cloudflare.com\/learning\/dns\/dns-records\/dns-spf-record\/)\n- [DNS DKIM Record](https:\/\/www.cloudflare.com\/learning\/dns\/dns-records\/dns-dkim-record\/)\n- [DNS DMARC Record](https:\/\/www.cloudflare.com\/learning\/dns\/dns-records\/dns-dmarc-record\/)\n\nDNS Glossary\n\n- [What is 1.1.1.1?](https:\/\/www.cloudflare.com\/learning\/dns\/what-is-1.1.1.1\/)\n- [What is My IP Address?](https:\/\/www.cloudflare.com\/learning\/dns\/glossary\/what-is-my-ip-address\/)\n- [DNS Zone](https:\/\/www.cloudflare.com\/learning\/dns\/glossary\/dns-zone\/)\n- [Dynamic DNS](https:\/\/www.cloudflare.com\/learning\/dns\/glossary\/dynamic-dns\/)\n- [Reverse DNS](https:\/\/www.cloudflare.com\/learning\/dns\/glossary\/reverse-dns\/)\n- [Primary vs. secondary DNS](https:\/\/www.cloudflare.com\/learning\/dns\/glossary\/primary-secondary-dns\/)\n- [Round-robin DNS](https:\/\/www.cloudflare.com\/learning\/dns\/glossary\/round-robin-dns\/)\n- [Anycast DNS](https:\/\/www.cloudflare.com\/learning\/dns\/what-is-anycast-dns\/)\n- [Recursive DNS](https:\/\/www.cloudflare.com\/learning\/dns\/what-is-recursive-dns\/)\n- [DNS Cache Poisoning](https:\/\/www.cloudflare.com\/learning\/dns\/dns-cache-poisoning\/)\n- [Domain name](https:\/\/www.cloudflare.com\/learning\/dns\/glossary\/what-is-a-domain-name\/)\n- [Domain name registrar](https:\/\/www.cloudflare.com\/learning\/dns\/glossary\/what-is-a-domain-name-registrar\/)\n- [Best domain name registrar](https:\/\/www.cloudflare.com\/learning\/dns\/glossary\/choose-the-best-domain-name-registrar\/)\n- [Expired domains](https:\/\/www.cloudflare.com\/learning\/dns\/glossary\/expired-domains\/)\n- [Cloudflare Registrar](https:\/\/www.cloudflare.com\/learning\/dns\/what-is-cloudflare-registrar\/)\n- [DNS Fast Flux](https:\/\/www.cloudflare.com\/learning\/dns\/dns-fast-flux\/)\n- [Top-level domain](https:\/\/www.cloudflare.com\/learning\/dns\/top-level-domain\/)\n- [Domain hijacking](https:\/\/www.cloudflare.com\/learning\/dns\/what-is-domain-hijacking\/)\n- [Premium domains](https:\/\/www.cloudflare.com\/learning\/dns\/glossary\/premium-domains\/)\n- [Cybersquatting](https:\/\/www.cloudflare.com\/learning\/dns\/what-is-cybersquatting\/)\n- [Domain privacy](https:\/\/www.cloudflare.com\/learning\/dns\/what-is-domain-privacy\/)\n- [Domain prices](https:\/\/www.cloudflare.com\/learning\/dns\/how-much-does-a-domain-name-cost\/)\n\nLearning Center Navigation\n\n- [Learning Center Home](https:\/\/www.cloudflare.com\/learning\/)\n- [DDoS Learning Center](https:\/\/www.cloudflare.com\/learning\/ddos\/what-is-a-ddos-attack\/)\n- [CDN Learning Center](https:\/\/www.cloudflare.com\/learning\/cdn\/what-is-a-cdn\/)\n- [Serverless Learning Center](https:\/\/www.cloudflare.com\/learning\/serverless\/what-is-serverless\/)\n- [Security Learning Center](https:\/\/www.cloudflare.com\/learning\/security\/what-is-web-application-security\/)\n- [Performance Learning Center](https:\/\/www.cloudflare.com\/learning\/performance\/why-site-speed-matters\/)\n- [SSL Learning Center](https:\/\/www.cloudflare.com\/learning\/ssl\/what-is-ssl\/)\n- [Bots Learning Center](https:\/\/www.cloudflare.com\/learning\/bots\/what-is-a-bot\/)\n- [Cloud Learning Center](https:\/\/www.cloudflare.com\/learning\/cloud\/what-is-the-cloud\/)\n- [Access Management Learning Center](https:\/\/www.cloudflare.com\/learning\/access-management\/what-is-identity-and-access-management\/)\n- [Network Layer Learning Center](https:\/\/www.cloudflare.com\/learning\/network-layer\/what-is-the-network-layer\/)\n- [Privacy Learning Center](https:\/\/www.cloudflare.com\/learning\/privacy\/what-is-data-privacy\/)\n- [Video Streaming Learning Center](https:\/\/www.cloudflare.com\/learning\/video\/what-is-streaming\/)\n- [Email Security Learning Center](https:\/\/www.cloudflare.com\/learning\/email-security\/what-is-email-security\/)\n- [AI Learning Center](https:\/\/www.cloudflare.com\/learning\/ai\/what-is-artificial-intelligence\/)\n\n© 2026 Cloudflare, Inc.[Privacy Policy](https:\/\/www.cloudflare.com\/privacypolicy\/)[Terms of Use](https:\/\/www.cloudflare.com\/website-terms\/)[Report Security Issues](https:\/\/www.cloudflare.com\/disclosure\/)\n\n![privacy options](https:\/\/www.cloudflare.com\/img\/privacyoptions.svg)Cookie Preferences\n\n[Trademark](https:\/\/www.cloudflare.com\/trademark\/)","attrs_readable_markdown":"## What is an IP address and why does it matter?\n‘IP’ stands for [Internet Protocol](https:\/\/www.cloudflare.com\/learning\/network-layer\/internet-protocol\/), which is the set of rules that makes it possible for devices to communicate over the [Internet](https:\/\/www.cloudflare.com\/learning\/network-layer\/how-does-the-internet-work\/). With billions of people accessing the Internet every day, unique identifiers are necessary to keep track of who is doing what. The Internet Protocol solves this by assigning IP numbers to every device accessing the Internet.\n\n![A DNS Request](https:\/\/cf-assets.www.cloudflare.com\/slt3lc6tev37\/54NvR4ArYd9isJUmbz5wbW\/5abc7d8ece3a915683f8ed71d47ea28e\/ddos-dns.svg)\n\nA computer’s IP address is like the physical address of a house. If someone calls a pizzeria to order a delivery, they need to provide their physical address. Without that address, the pizza delivery person will have no idea which house to deliver the pizza to.\n\nFor example, when a user types a [domain name](https:\/\/www.cloudflare.com\/learning\/dns\/glossary\/what-is-a-domain-name\/), like google.com, into a web browser, this will initiate a request to Google’s web server asking for content (the Google homepage). Once Google receives the request, it needs to know where to send the website content. For this reason, the request will contain the asker’s IP address. Using the provided IP address, Google can send a response back to the user’s device, which will then display that content in the user’s web browser.\n\nThe system that orchestrates all this is called [DNS](https:\/\/www.cloudflare.com\/learning\/dns\/what-is-dns\/). It works like a phone book for IP addresses so that users can access web services using human-friendly domain names. When a user types a domain name like ‘facebook.com’ into their browser window, this begins a DNS query which ultimately leads to a [DNS server](https:\/\/www.cloudflare.com\/learning\/dns\/dns-server-types\/) translating the domain name into an IP address.\n\nWhat do IP addresses look like? These addresses have a different format based on whether they are IPv4 or IPv6.\n\n## What is the difference between IPv4 and IPv6?\nIPv4 and IPv6 are different versions of the Internet Protocol. IPv4 was implemented in 1983 and is still in use today. The format for IPv4 addresses is four sets of numbers separated by dots, for example: ‘192.0.2.1’. This is a 32-bit format, which means that it allows for 232, or about 4.3 billion, unique IP addresses, which it turns out is not enough for the amount of devices that are now on the Internet. The need for more IP addresses led to the implementation of IPv6.\\* IPv6 addresses use a more complex format that utilizes sets of numbers and letters separated by single or double colons, for example: ‘2001:0db8:85a3:0000:0000:8a2e:0370:7334’. This 128-bit format can support 2128 unique addresses. (That computes to a 39-digit number!)\n\nIPv6 provides some other updates to IPv4, including security and [privacy](https:\/\/www.cloudflare.com\/learning\/privacy\/what-is-data-privacy\/) improvements. Despite their differences, both IPv4 and IPv6 have been used concurrently on the web for over a decade. The two versions can run in parallel, but special measures had to be implemented to facilitate communications between IPv4 and IPv6 devices. This compromise had to be made because so much of the web is still running on IPv4 addresses.\n\n*\\*What happened to IPv5? IPv5 was an experimental streaming data protocol that was never implemented. It used the same 32-bit formatting as IPv4, so it did not adequately solve the problem of not having enough unique IP addresses. For this reason, IPv6 became the successor to IPv4.*\n\n## What is the difference between static IPs and dynamic IPs?\nThe limited supply of IPv4 addresses led to the introduction of dynamically assigning IP addresses, which is still a very common practice. Most devices connected to the Internet are assigned temporary IP addresses.\n\nFor example, when a home user connects to the Internet on their laptop, that user’s ISP assigns them a temporary IP address from a pool of shared IP addresses. This is known as a dynamic IP address. This is more cost-effective for the ISP than assigning each user a permanent, or static, IP address.\n\n![dynamic IP Addresses](https:\/\/cf-assets.www.cloudflare.com\/slt3lc6tev37\/JwXPPU511S5iPuwimt3vf\/d7d9df64e5709e2fc055f566fee2c8fb\/dynamic-ip-addresses-isps.svg)\n\nSome ISP customers, such as large enterprises, will pay to maintain a static IP address (for example, Cloudflare’s [1\\.1.1.1](https:\/\/www.cloudflare.com\/learning\/dns\/what-is-1.1.1.1\/)). However, for most users, having a dynamic IP address is sufficient. When hosting a web server, such as a self-hosted website, [API](https:\/\/www.cloudflare.com\/learning\/security\/api\/what-is-an-api\/), or gaming server, a dynamic IP address can create problems. A change in IP address can cause their DNS queries to fail, effectively taking the resource offline. Luckily, this issue can easily be corrected with Cloudflare’s [dynamic DNS](https:\/\/www.cloudflare.com\/learning\/dns\/glossary\/dynamic-dns\/).","meta_canonical":null}

3. Robots.txt Check

Query:

Response:

4. Spam/Ban Check

Query:

Response:

5. Seen Status Check

ℹ️ Skipped - page is already crawled

📄

INDEXABLE

✅

CRAWLED

2 hours ago

🤖

ROBOTS ALLOWED

Page Info Filters

Filter	Status	Condition	Details
HTTP status	PASS	`download_http_code = 200`	HTTP 200
Age cutoff	PASS	`download_stamp > now() - 6 MONTH`	0 months ago
History drop	PASS	`isNull(history_drop_reason)`	No drop reason
Spam/ban	PASS	`fh_dont_index != 1 AND ml_spam_score = 0`	ml_spam_score=0
Canonical	PASS	`meta_canonical IS NULL OR = '' OR = src_unparsed`	Not set

Page Details

Property	Value
URL	https://www.cloudflare.com/learning/dns/glossary/what-is-my-ip-address/
Last Crawled	2026-04-08 20:38:39 (2 hours ago)
First Indexed	2018-06-15 15:55:08 (7 years ago)
HTTP Status Code	200
Meta Title	What is my IP address? \| Cloudflare
Meta Description	An IP address is a unique numerical identifier used to keep track of who is who on the Internet.
Meta Canonical	null
Boilerpipe Text	What is an IP address and why does it matter? ‘IP’ stands for Internet Protocol , which is the set of rules that makes it possible for devices to communicate over the Internet . With billions of people accessing the Internet every day, unique identifiers are necessary to keep track of who is doing what. The Internet Protocol solves this by assigning IP numbers to every device accessing the Internet. A computer’s IP address is like the physical address of a house. If someone calls a pizzeria to order a delivery, they need to provide their physical address. Without that address, the pizza delivery person will have no idea which house to deliver the pizza to. For example, when a user types a domain name , like google.com, into a web browser, this will initiate a request to Google’s web server asking for content (the Google homepage). Once Google receives the request, it needs to know where to send the website content. For this reason, the request will contain the asker’s IP address. Using the provided IP address, Google can send a response back to the user’s device, which will then display that content in the user’s web browser. The system that orchestrates all this is called DNS . It works like a phone book for IP addresses so that users can access web services using human-friendly domain names. When a user types a domain name like ‘facebook.com’ into their browser window, this begins a DNS query which ultimately leads to a DNS server translating the domain name into an IP address. What do IP addresses look like? These addresses have a different format based on whether they are IPv4 or IPv6. What is the difference between IPv4 and IPv6? IPv4 and IPv6 are different versions of the Internet Protocol. IPv4 was implemented in 1983 and is still in use today. The format for IPv4 addresses is four sets of numbers separated by dots, for example: ‘192.0.2.1’. This is a 32-bit format, which means that it allows for 2 32 , or about 4.3 billion, unique IP addresses, which it turns out is not enough for the amount of devices that are now on the Internet. The need for more IP addresses led to the implementation of IPv6.* IPv6 addresses use a more complex format that utilizes sets of numbers and letters separated by single or double colons, for example: ‘2001:0db8:85a3:0000:0000:8a2e:0370:7334’. This 128-bit format can support 2 128 unique addresses. (That computes to a 39-digit number!) IPv6 provides some other updates to IPv4, including security and privacy improvements. Despite their differences, both IPv4 and IPv6 have been used concurrently on the web for over a decade. The two versions can run in parallel, but special measures had to be implemented to facilitate communications between IPv4 and IPv6 devices. This compromise had to be made because so much of the web is still running on IPv4 addresses. *What happened to IPv5? IPv5 was an experimental streaming data protocol that was never implemented. It used the same 32-bit formatting as IPv4, so it did not adequately solve the problem of not having enough unique IP addresses. For this reason, IPv6 became the successor to IPv4. What is the difference between static IPs and dynamic IPs? The limited supply of IPv4 addresses led to the introduction of dynamically assigning IP addresses, which is still a very common practice. Most devices connected to the Internet are assigned temporary IP addresses. For example, when a home user connects to the Internet on their laptop, that user’s ISP assigns them a temporary IP address from a pool of shared IP addresses. This is known as a dynamic IP address. This is more cost-effective for the ISP than assigning each user a permanent, or static, IP address. Some ISP customers, such as large enterprises, will pay to maintain a static IP address (for example, Cloudflare’s 1.1.1.1 ). However, for most users, having a dynamic IP address is sufficient. When hosting a web server, such as a self-hosted website, API , or gaming server, a dynamic IP address can create problems. A change in IP address can cause their DNS queries to fail, effectively taking the resource offline. Luckily, this issue can easily be corrected with Cloudflare’s dynamic DNS .
Markdown	Preview Mode [Documentation](https://staging.mrk.cfdata.org/mrk/redwood-blade-repository/) [![Cloudflare Color Logo](https://cf-assets.www.cloudflare.com/dzlvafdwdttg/69wNwfiY5mFmgpd9eQFW6j/d5131c08085a977aa70f19e7aada3fa9/1pixel-down__1_.svg)](https://www.cloudflare.com/) [Log in](https://dash.cloudflare.com/login) [Sign up](https://dash.cloudflare.com/sign-up)[Sales: +44 20 3514 6970](tel:+442035146970) Languages - [English](https://www.cloudflare.com/learning/dns/glossary/what-is-my-ip-address/) - [English (United Kingdom)](https://www.cloudflare.com/en-gb/learning/dns/glossary/what-is-my-ip-address/) - [Deutsch](https://www.cloudflare.com/de-de/learning/dns/glossary/what-is-my-ip-address/) - [Español (Latinoamérica)](https://www.cloudflare.com/es-la/learning/dns/glossary/what-is-my-ip-address/) - [Español (España)](https://www.cloudflare.com/es-es/learning/dns/glossary/what-is-my-ip-address/) - [Français](https://www.cloudflare.com/fr-fr/learning/dns/glossary/what-is-my-ip-address/) - [Italiano](https://www.cloudflare.com/it-it/learning/dns/glossary/what-is-my-ip-address/) - [日本語](https://www.cloudflare.com/ja-jp/learning/dns/glossary/what-is-my-ip-address/) - [한국어](https://www.cloudflare.com/ko-kr/learning/dns/glossary/what-is-my-ip-address/) - [Polski](https://www.cloudflare.com/pl-pl/learning/dns/glossary/what-is-my-ip-address/) - [Português (Brasil)](https://www.cloudflare.com/pt-br/learning/dns/glossary/what-is-my-ip-address/) - [Русский](https://www.cloudflare.com/ru-ru/learning/dns/glossary/what-is-my-ip-address/) - [繁體中文](https://www.cloudflare.com/zh-tw/learning/dns/glossary/what-is-my-ip-address/) - [简体中文](https://www.cloudflare.com/zh-cn/learning/dns/glossary/what-is-my-ip-address/) [![Cloudflare Color Logo](https://cf-assets.www.cloudflare.com/dzlvafdwdttg/69wNwfiY5mFmgpd9eQFW6j/d5131c08085a977aa70f19e7aada3fa9/1pixel-down__1_.svg)](https://www.cloudflare.com/) [![Company Logo White](https://cf-assets.www.cloudflare.com/dzlvafdwdttg/735eoClKJf9XfkqCJs1mfZ/b6767158f39af8d538517df918b8fc2e/logo-white-desktop.svg)](https://www.cloudflare.com/) - Platform use cases [Modernize applications](https://www.cloudflare.com/modernize-applications/) - [Accelerate performance](https://www.cloudflare.com/application-services/products/cdn/) - [Ensure app availability](https://www.cloudflare.com/performance/ensure-application-availability/) - [Optimize web experience](https://www.cloudflare.com/application-services/products/website-optimization/) [Modernize security](https://www.cloudflare.com/cybersecurity/) - [VPN replacement](https://www.cloudflare.com/sase/use-cases/vpn-replacement/) - [Phishing protection](https://www.cloudflare.com/sase/use-cases/multi-channel-phishing/) - [Secure web apps and APIs](https://www.cloudflare.com/application-services/) [Modernize networks](https://www.cloudflare.com/modernize-networks/) - [Coffee shop networking](https://www.cloudflare.com/coffee-shop-networking/) - [WAN modernization](https://www.cloudflare.com/sase/products/wan/) - [Network protection](https://www.cloudflare.com/network-services/use-cases/network-protection/) CxO topics Industries [Resources](https://www.cloudflare.com/resource-center/) - [Product guides](https://www.cloudflare.com/resource-hub/?resourcetype=Solution+%26+Product+Guides) - [Reference architectures](https://www.cloudflare.com/architecture/) - [Analyst reports](https://www.cloudflare.com/analysts/) Engage - [Events](https://www.cloudflare.com/events/) - [Demos](https://www.cloudflare.com/product-demos/) - [Webinars](https://www.cloudflare.com/resource-hub/?resourcetype=Webinar) - [Workshops](https://www.cloudflare.com/resource-hub/test-drive/) [Request a demo](https://www.cloudflare.com/plans/enterprise/demo/) - Products products [SASE (Cloudflare One)](https://www.cloudflare.com/sase/) - [Zero trust network access](https://www.cloudflare.com/sase/products/access/) - [Secure web gateway](https://www.cloudflare.com/sase/products/gateway/) - [Network-as-a-service / SD-WAN](https://www.cloudflare.com/sase/products/wan/) - [Email security](https://www.cloudflare.com/sase/products/email-security/) [Application security](https://www.cloudflare.com/application-services/products/) - [L7 DDoS protection](https://www.cloudflare.com/ddos/) - [Web application firewall](https://www.cloudflare.com/application-services/products/waf/) - [API security](https://www.cloudflare.com/application-services/products/api-shield/) - [Bot management](https://www.cloudflare.com/application-services/products/bot-management/) [Application performance](https://www.cloudflare.com/application-services/products/) - [CDN](https://www.cloudflare.com/application-services/products/cdn/) - [DNS](https://www.cloudflare.com/application-services/products/dns/) - [Smart routing](https://www.cloudflare.com/application-services/products/argo-smart-routing/) - [Load balancing](https://www.cloudflare.com/application-services/products/load-balancing/) [Networking](https://www.cloudflare.com/network-services/products/) - [L3/4 DDoS protection](https://www.cloudflare.com/network-services/products/magic-transit/) - [Firewall-as-a-service](https://www.cloudflare.com/network-services/products/network-firewall/) - [Network Interconnect](https://www.cloudflare.com/network-services/products/network-interconnect/) - [Smart routing](https://www.cloudflare.com/application-services/products/argo-smart-routing/) plans & pricing Global services - [Domain registrationBuy and manage domains](https://www.cloudflare.com/products/registrar/) - [1\.1.1.1Free DNS resolver](https://one.one.one.one/) [Resources](https://www.cloudflare.com/resource-center/) - [Product guides](https://www.cloudflare.com/resource-hub/?resourcetype=Solution+%26+Product+Guides) - [Reference architectures](https://www.cloudflare.com/architecture/) - [Analyst reports](https://www.cloudflare.com/analysts/) - [Product demos and tours](https://www.cloudflare.com/product-demos/) [Help me choose](https://www.cloudflare.com/about-your-website/) - Developers documentation Products [Artificial Intelligence](https://www.cloudflare.com/developer-platform/products/#ai-products) - [AI GatewayObserve, control AI apps](https://www.cloudflare.com/developer-platform/products/ai-gateway/) - [Workers AIRun ML models on our network](https://www.cloudflare.com/developer-platform/products/workers-ai/) [Compute](https://www.cloudflare.com/developer-platform/products/#compute-products) - [ObservabilityLogs, metrics, and traces](https://www.cloudflare.com/developer-platform/products/workers-observability/) - [WorkersBuild, deploy serverless apps](https://www.cloudflare.com/developer-platform/products/workers/) [Media](https://www.cloudflare.com/developer-platform/products/#media-products) - [ImagesTransform, optimize images](https://www.cloudflare.com/developer-platform/products/cloudflare-images/) - [RealtimeBuild real-time audio/video apps](https://www.cloudflare.com/developer-platform/products/cloudflare-realtime/) [Storage & database](https://www.cloudflare.com/developer-platform/products/#storage-database-products) - [D1Create serverless SQL databases](https://www.cloudflare.com/developer-platform/products/d1/) - [R2Store data without costly egress fees](https://www.cloudflare.com/developer-platform/products/r2/) Plans & Pricing - [Explore projectsCustomer stories](https://www.cloudflare.com/case-studies/?usecase=Deploy+custom+code+at+the+Edge) - [AI Demo in 30 secondsQuick guide to get started](https://playground.ai.cloudflare.com/) - [Explore Workers PlaygroundBuild, test, and deploy](https://workers.cloudflare.com/playground) - [Developers DiscordJoin the community](https://discord.com/invite/cloudflaredev) [Start building](https://dash.cloudflare.com/sign-up/workers-and-pages) - Partners Partnership Types - [Self-serve agency programManage Self-Serve Accounts for your clients](https://www.cloudflare.com/cloudflare-partners-self-serve-program-open-beta/) - [Peer-to-peer portalTraffic insights for your network](https://www.cloudflare.com/peering-policy/) - [Find a partnerPowerUP your business - connect with Cloudflare Powered+ partners.](https://partnerlocator.cloudflare.com/dashboard) - Resources Engage Build Explore - [Analyst reportsIndustry research reports](https://www.cloudflare.com/analysts/) - [EventsUpcoming regional events](https://www.cloudflare.com/events/) - [Trust, privacy, and complianceCompliance information and policies](https://www.cloudflare.com/trust-hub/trust-and-safety/) Support - [Contact us](https://dash.cloudflare.com/?to=/:account/support) - [Community forum](https://community.cloudflare.com/) - [Lost account access?](https://developers.cloudflare.com/support/account-management-billing/common-account-questions/login-and-account-issues/) - [Developers Discord](https://discord.com/invite/cloudflaredev) [Get help](https://www.support.cloudflare.com/) - Company Company info Trust, Privacy, & Safety Public Interest - [Global networkGlobal locations and status](https://www.cloudflare.com/network/) [Log in](https://dash.cloudflare.com/login)[Contact sales](https://www.cloudflare.com/plans/enterprise/contact/) # What is my IP address? IP addresses are unique identifiers used to determine who is who on the Internet. IP addresses can be formatted differently depending on whether they use IPv4 or IPv6 protocol. ##### Learning Center - [What is DNS?](https://www.cloudflare.com/learning/dns/what-is-dns/) - [What is 1.1.1.1?](https://www.cloudflare.com/learning/dns/what-is-1.1.1.1/) - DNS Records - Securing DNS - Domain Registration - DNS Glossary - theNET - DNSSEC Protection #### Learning Objectives After reading this article you will be able to: - Define an IP address - Differentiate between IPv4 and IPv6 - Differentiate between dynamic and static IP addresses Related Content *** [What is DNS?](https://www.cloudflare.com/learning/dns/what-is-dns/) [Dynamic DNS](https://www.cloudflare.com/learning/dns/glossary/dynamic-dns/) [DNS security](https://www.cloudflare.com/learning/dns/dns-security/) [DNS records](https://www.cloudflare.com/learning/dns/dns-records/) [Reverse DNS](https://www.cloudflare.com/learning/dns/glossary/reverse-dns/) #### Want to keep learning? Subscribe to theNET, Cloudflare's monthly recap of the Internet's most popular insights\! Copy article link ## What is an IP address and why does it matter? ‘IP’ stands for [Internet Protocol](https://www.cloudflare.com/learning/network-layer/internet-protocol/), which is the set of rules that makes it possible for devices to communicate over the [Internet](https://www.cloudflare.com/learning/network-layer/how-does-the-internet-work/). With billions of people accessing the Internet every day, unique identifiers are necessary to keep track of who is doing what. The Internet Protocol solves this by assigning IP numbers to every device accessing the Internet. ![A DNS Request](https://cf-assets.www.cloudflare.com/slt3lc6tev37/54NvR4ArYd9isJUmbz5wbW/5abc7d8ece3a915683f8ed71d47ea28e/ddos-dns.svg) A computer’s IP address is like the physical address of a house. If someone calls a pizzeria to order a delivery, they need to provide their physical address. Without that address, the pizza delivery person will have no idea which house to deliver the pizza to. For example, when a user types a [domain name](https://www.cloudflare.com/learning/dns/glossary/what-is-a-domain-name/), like google.com, into a web browser, this will initiate a request to Google’s web server asking for content (the Google homepage). Once Google receives the request, it needs to know where to send the website content. For this reason, the request will contain the asker’s IP address. Using the provided IP address, Google can send a response back to the user’s device, which will then display that content in the user’s web browser. The system that orchestrates all this is called [DNS](https://www.cloudflare.com/learning/dns/what-is-dns/). It works like a phone book for IP addresses so that users can access web services using human-friendly domain names. When a user types a domain name like ‘facebook.com’ into their browser window, this begins a DNS query which ultimately leads to a [DNS server](https://www.cloudflare.com/learning/dns/dns-server-types/) translating the domain name into an IP address. What do IP addresses look like? These addresses have a different format based on whether they are IPv4 or IPv6. ## What is the difference between IPv4 and IPv6? IPv4 and IPv6 are different versions of the Internet Protocol. IPv4 was implemented in 1983 and is still in use today. The format for IPv4 addresses is four sets of numbers separated by dots, for example: ‘192.0.2.1’. This is a 32-bit format, which means that it allows for 232, or about 4.3 billion, unique IP addresses, which it turns out is not enough for the amount of devices that are now on the Internet. The need for more IP addresses led to the implementation of IPv6.\* IPv6 addresses use a more complex format that utilizes sets of numbers and letters separated by single or double colons, for example: ‘2001:0db8:85a3:0000:0000:8a2e:0370:7334’. This 128-bit format can support 2128 unique addresses. (That computes to a 39-digit number!) IPv6 provides some other updates to IPv4, including security and [privacy](https://www.cloudflare.com/learning/privacy/what-is-data-privacy/) improvements. Despite their differences, both IPv4 and IPv6 have been used concurrently on the web for over a decade. The two versions can run in parallel, but special measures had to be implemented to facilitate communications between IPv4 and IPv6 devices. This compromise had to be made because so much of the web is still running on IPv4 addresses. \What happened to IPv5? IPv5 was an experimental streaming data protocol that was never implemented. It used the same 32-bit formatting as IPv4, so it did not adequately solve the problem of not having enough unique IP addresses. For this reason, IPv6 became the successor to IPv4.* ## What is the difference between static IPs and dynamic IPs? The limited supply of IPv4 addresses led to the introduction of dynamically assigning IP addresses, which is still a very common practice. Most devices connected to the Internet are assigned temporary IP addresses. For example, when a home user connects to the Internet on their laptop, that user’s ISP assigns them a temporary IP address from a pool of shared IP addresses. This is known as a dynamic IP address. This is more cost-effective for the ISP than assigning each user a permanent, or static, IP address. ![dynamic IP Addresses](https://cf-assets.www.cloudflare.com/slt3lc6tev37/JwXPPU511S5iPuwimt3vf/d7d9df64e5709e2fc055f566fee2c8fb/dynamic-ip-addresses-isps.svg) Some ISP customers, such as large enterprises, will pay to maintain a static IP address (for example, Cloudflare’s [1\.1.1.1](https://www.cloudflare.com/learning/dns/what-is-1.1.1.1/)). However, for most users, having a dynamic IP address is sufficient. When hosting a web server, such as a self-hosted website, [API](https://www.cloudflare.com/learning/security/api/what-is-an-api/), or gaming server, a dynamic IP address can create problems. A change in IP address can cause their DNS queries to fail, effectively taking the resource offline. Luckily, this issue can easily be corrected with Cloudflare’s [dynamic DNS](https://www.cloudflare.com/learning/dns/glossary/dynamic-dns/). GETTING STARTED - [Free plans](https://www.cloudflare.com/plans/free/) - [Small business plans](https://www.cloudflare.com/small-business/) - [For enterprises](https://www.cloudflare.com/enterprise/) - [Get a recommendation](https://www.cloudflare.com/about-your-website/) - [Request a demo](https://www.cloudflare.com/plans/enterprise/demo/) - [Contact sales](https://www.cloudflare.com/plans/enterprise/contact/) About DNS - [What is DNS?](https://www.cloudflare.com/learning/dns/what-is-dns/) - [DNS security](https://www.cloudflare.com/learning/dns/dns-security/) - [DNS over TLS](https://www.cloudflare.com/learning/dns/dns-over-tls/) - [How to buy a domain name](https://www.cloudflare.com/learning/dns/how-to-buy-a-domain-name/) - [How to transfer a domain name](https://www.cloudflare.com/learning/dns/how-to-transfer-a-domain-name/) - [Common DNS issues](https://www.cloudflare.com/learning/dns/common-dns-issues/) DNS Servers - [What's a DNS Server?](https://www.cloudflare.com/learning/dns/what-is-a-dns-server/) - [DNS Root Server](https://www.cloudflare.com/learning/dns/glossary/dns-root-server/) DNS Records - [Overview](https://www.cloudflare.com/learning/dns/dns-records/) - [DNS A Record](https://www.cloudflare.com/learning/dns/dns-records/dns-a-record/) - [DNS AAAA Record](https://www.cloudflare.com/learning/dns/dns-records/dns-aaaa-record/) - [DNS CNAME Record](https://www.cloudflare.com/learning/dns/dns-records/dns-cname-record/) - [DNS MX Record](https://www.cloudflare.com/learning/dns/dns-records/dns-mx-record/) - [DNS TXT Record](https://www.cloudflare.com/learning/dns/dns-records/dns-txt-record/) - [DNS NS Record](https://www.cloudflare.com/learning/dns/dns-records/dns-ns-record/) - [DNS SOA Record](https://www.cloudflare.com/learning/dns/dns-records/dns-soa-record/) - [DNS SRV Record](https://www.cloudflare.com/learning/dns/dns-records/dns-srv-record/) - [DNS PTR Record](https://www.cloudflare.com/learning/dns/dns-records/dns-ptr-record/) - [DNSKEY and DS Records](https://www.cloudflare.com/learning/dns/dns-records/dnskey-ds-records/) - [DNS SPF Record](https://www.cloudflare.com/learning/dns/dns-records/dns-spf-record/) - [DNS DKIM Record](https://www.cloudflare.com/learning/dns/dns-records/dns-dkim-record/) - [DNS DMARC Record](https://www.cloudflare.com/learning/dns/dns-records/dns-dmarc-record/) DNS Glossary - [What is 1.1.1.1?](https://www.cloudflare.com/learning/dns/what-is-1.1.1.1/) - [What is My IP Address?](https://www.cloudflare.com/learning/dns/glossary/what-is-my-ip-address/) - [DNS Zone](https://www.cloudflare.com/learning/dns/glossary/dns-zone/) - [Dynamic DNS](https://www.cloudflare.com/learning/dns/glossary/dynamic-dns/) - [Reverse DNS](https://www.cloudflare.com/learning/dns/glossary/reverse-dns/) - [Primary vs. secondary DNS](https://www.cloudflare.com/learning/dns/glossary/primary-secondary-dns/) - [Round-robin DNS](https://www.cloudflare.com/learning/dns/glossary/round-robin-dns/) - [Anycast DNS](https://www.cloudflare.com/learning/dns/what-is-anycast-dns/) - [Recursive DNS](https://www.cloudflare.com/learning/dns/what-is-recursive-dns/) - [DNS Cache Poisoning](https://www.cloudflare.com/learning/dns/dns-cache-poisoning/) - [Domain name](https://www.cloudflare.com/learning/dns/glossary/what-is-a-domain-name/) - [Domain name registrar](https://www.cloudflare.com/learning/dns/glossary/what-is-a-domain-name-registrar/) - [Best domain name registrar](https://www.cloudflare.com/learning/dns/glossary/choose-the-best-domain-name-registrar/) - [Expired domains](https://www.cloudflare.com/learning/dns/glossary/expired-domains/) - [Cloudflare Registrar](https://www.cloudflare.com/learning/dns/what-is-cloudflare-registrar/) - [DNS Fast Flux](https://www.cloudflare.com/learning/dns/dns-fast-flux/) - [Top-level domain](https://www.cloudflare.com/learning/dns/top-level-domain/) - [Domain hijacking](https://www.cloudflare.com/learning/dns/what-is-domain-hijacking/) - [Premium domains](https://www.cloudflare.com/learning/dns/glossary/premium-domains/) - [Cybersquatting](https://www.cloudflare.com/learning/dns/what-is-cybersquatting/) - [Domain privacy](https://www.cloudflare.com/learning/dns/what-is-domain-privacy/) - [Domain prices](https://www.cloudflare.com/learning/dns/how-much-does-a-domain-name-cost/) Learning Center Navigation - [Learning Center Home](https://www.cloudflare.com/learning/) - [DDoS Learning Center](https://www.cloudflare.com/learning/ddos/what-is-a-ddos-attack/) - [CDN Learning Center](https://www.cloudflare.com/learning/cdn/what-is-a-cdn/) - [Serverless Learning Center](https://www.cloudflare.com/learning/serverless/what-is-serverless/) - [Security Learning Center](https://www.cloudflare.com/learning/security/what-is-web-application-security/) - [Performance Learning Center](https://www.cloudflare.com/learning/performance/why-site-speed-matters/) - [SSL Learning Center](https://www.cloudflare.com/learning/ssl/what-is-ssl/) - [Bots Learning Center](https://www.cloudflare.com/learning/bots/what-is-a-bot/) - [Cloud Learning Center](https://www.cloudflare.com/learning/cloud/what-is-the-cloud/) - [Access Management Learning Center](https://www.cloudflare.com/learning/access-management/what-is-identity-and-access-management/) - [Network Layer Learning Center](https://www.cloudflare.com/learning/network-layer/what-is-the-network-layer/) - [Privacy Learning Center](https://www.cloudflare.com/learning/privacy/what-is-data-privacy/) - [Video Streaming Learning Center](https://www.cloudflare.com/learning/video/what-is-streaming/) - [Email Security Learning Center](https://www.cloudflare.com/learning/email-security/what-is-email-security/) - [AI Learning Center](https://www.cloudflare.com/learning/ai/what-is-artificial-intelligence/) © 2026 Cloudflare, Inc.[Privacy Policy](https://www.cloudflare.com/privacypolicy/)[Terms of Use](https://www.cloudflare.com/website-terms/)[Report Security Issues](https://www.cloudflare.com/disclosure/) ![privacy options](https://www.cloudflare.com/img/privacyoptions.svg)Cookie Preferences [Trademark](https://www.cloudflare.com/trademark/)
Readable Markdown	## What is an IP address and why does it matter? ‘IP’ stands for [Internet Protocol](https://www.cloudflare.com/learning/network-layer/internet-protocol/), which is the set of rules that makes it possible for devices to communicate over the [Internet](https://www.cloudflare.com/learning/network-layer/how-does-the-internet-work/). With billions of people accessing the Internet every day, unique identifiers are necessary to keep track of who is doing what. The Internet Protocol solves this by assigning IP numbers to every device accessing the Internet. ![A DNS Request](https://cf-assets.www.cloudflare.com/slt3lc6tev37/54NvR4ArYd9isJUmbz5wbW/5abc7d8ece3a915683f8ed71d47ea28e/ddos-dns.svg) A computer’s IP address is like the physical address of a house. If someone calls a pizzeria to order a delivery, they need to provide their physical address. Without that address, the pizza delivery person will have no idea which house to deliver the pizza to. For example, when a user types a [domain name](https://www.cloudflare.com/learning/dns/glossary/what-is-a-domain-name/), like google.com, into a web browser, this will initiate a request to Google’s web server asking for content (the Google homepage). Once Google receives the request, it needs to know where to send the website content. For this reason, the request will contain the asker’s IP address. Using the provided IP address, Google can send a response back to the user’s device, which will then display that content in the user’s web browser. The system that orchestrates all this is called [DNS](https://www.cloudflare.com/learning/dns/what-is-dns/). It works like a phone book for IP addresses so that users can access web services using human-friendly domain names. When a user types a domain name like ‘facebook.com’ into their browser window, this begins a DNS query which ultimately leads to a [DNS server](https://www.cloudflare.com/learning/dns/dns-server-types/) translating the domain name into an IP address. What do IP addresses look like? These addresses have a different format based on whether they are IPv4 or IPv6. ## What is the difference between IPv4 and IPv6? IPv4 and IPv6 are different versions of the Internet Protocol. IPv4 was implemented in 1983 and is still in use today. The format for IPv4 addresses is four sets of numbers separated by dots, for example: ‘192.0.2.1’. This is a 32-bit format, which means that it allows for 232, or about 4.3 billion, unique IP addresses, which it turns out is not enough for the amount of devices that are now on the Internet. The need for more IP addresses led to the implementation of IPv6.\* IPv6 addresses use a more complex format that utilizes sets of numbers and letters separated by single or double colons, for example: ‘2001:0db8:85a3:0000:0000:8a2e:0370:7334’. This 128-bit format can support 2128 unique addresses. (That computes to a 39-digit number!) IPv6 provides some other updates to IPv4, including security and [privacy](https://www.cloudflare.com/learning/privacy/what-is-data-privacy/) improvements. Despite their differences, both IPv4 and IPv6 have been used concurrently on the web for over a decade. The two versions can run in parallel, but special measures had to be implemented to facilitate communications between IPv4 and IPv6 devices. This compromise had to be made because so much of the web is still running on IPv4 addresses. \What happened to IPv5? IPv5 was an experimental streaming data protocol that was never implemented. It used the same 32-bit formatting as IPv4, so it did not adequately solve the problem of not having enough unique IP addresses. For this reason, IPv6 became the successor to IPv4.* ## What is the difference between static IPs and dynamic IPs? The limited supply of IPv4 addresses led to the introduction of dynamically assigning IP addresses, which is still a very common practice. Most devices connected to the Internet are assigned temporary IP addresses. For example, when a home user connects to the Internet on their laptop, that user’s ISP assigns them a temporary IP address from a pool of shared IP addresses. This is known as a dynamic IP address. This is more cost-effective for the ISP than assigning each user a permanent, or static, IP address. ![dynamic IP Addresses](https://cf-assets.www.cloudflare.com/slt3lc6tev37/JwXPPU511S5iPuwimt3vf/d7d9df64e5709e2fc055f566fee2c8fb/dynamic-ip-addresses-isps.svg) Some ISP customers, such as large enterprises, will pay to maintain a static IP address (for example, Cloudflare’s [1\.1.1.1](https://www.cloudflare.com/learning/dns/what-is-1.1.1.1/)). However, for most users, having a dynamic IP address is sufficient. When hosting a web server, such as a self-hosted website, [API](https://www.cloudflare.com/learning/security/api/what-is-an-api/), or gaming server, a dynamic IP address can create problems. A change in IP address can cause their DNS queries to fail, effectively taking the resource offline. Luckily, this issue can easily be corrected with Cloudflare’s [dynamic DNS](https://www.cloudflare.com/learning/dns/glossary/dynamic-dns/).
Shard	111 (laksa)
Root Hash	4629720213683701711
Unparsed URL	com,cloudflare!www,/learning/dns/glossary/what-is-my-ip-address/ s443