What websites see with a VPN
A VPN app sends traffic through a server before it reaches a website. The site typically sees the server’s public IP address.
The visible country or city may be the server location, not where you are physically located.
Other people can share the same VPN exit address, especially on consumer services.
What a VPN does not hide
A VPN does not automatically prevent websites from recognizing browser cookies, signed-in accounts, or device characteristics.
The VPN provider can still process connection data needed to operate its service. Its privacy policy and technical design matter.
A VPN also cannot guarantee anonymity or prevent every form of tracking.
Leaks and routing differences
Some traffic may use a different route if the VPN configuration, operating system, or browser does not send it through the tunnel as expected.
DNS and WebRTC behavior deserve separate checks because they involve resolver and browser connection mechanisms.
A detection result is a signal, not proof that a VPN is present or absent.
Verify your connection
Compare your visible public IP before and after connecting. The provider and approximate location should match the VPN exit you selected.
Use privacy checks to investigate unexpected IPv6, DNS, or WebRTC results, then review the VPN configuration.
- Check your visible address before connecting to the VPN.
- Reconnect, then compare the provider and broad exit location with the server you selected.
Before VPN: your network public IP
After VPN: selected VPN server public IP