Tracking Pixel
tl;dr a small invisible graphic that tracks the users movement on a specific website
Livius de Graaf
Last Update vor 3 Jahren
The tracking pixel (tracking code) is a small, invisible graphic on websites or HTML-eMails that are accessed in a log file. The recording is made for statistical evaluation in online marketing.
Tracking pixels in online marketing
No great effort is required to integrate a tracking pixel, which is why the pixel is such a popular tool for webmasters and affiliate networks to carry out general analysis tasks.
Compared to a script-based recording mechanism, the tracking pixel has the advantage that it also enables evaluations if the user has deactivated JavaScript in their browser (e.g. using a script blocker).
Functionality
When a user visits the website, the pixel is loaded without any noticeably affecting the loading time of the website. Since the pixel graphic is located on the evaluation's server (e.g. analytic software or affiliate network), it can record this call and save the IP address used by the user.
The legal situation in Germany
The unnoticed recording of the user's IP address without consent must be given special consideration from a data protection point of view. To date, German courts have not been able to come to an agreement on whether the user's IP address is already part of the personal data or not, which is why the practice of tracking pixels is still common today.