How does ShieldLabs identify anonymous website visitors without cookies?

ShieldLabs identifies anonymous website visitors without cookies by combining 100+ signals into a persistent identifier that survives cleared storage, rotated IPs, and incognito mode. No cookies or logins are required. The identifier is built from signals across four layers: Device: a stable device identifier derived from hardware and configuration attributes; OS and browser: version, rendering, and environment characteristics; Network: IP, egress IP behind anonymization, and connection type; Cross-session linking: precise identifiers that tie repeat visits back to the same entity. ShieldLabs returns precise identifiers on the first visit, so a returning visitor is recognized even after they clear cookies or switch to a new IP.

Can ShieldLabs identify visitors using VPN or incognito mode?

Yes. ShieldLabs identifies visitors on VPN, proxy, or incognito connections by analyzing every visit across multiple layers at once, instead of relying on the IP alone. It surfaces anonymized connections by type: VPN and proxy: flagged through IP and network analysis; TOR and Privacy Relay: recognized from connection characteristics; Datacenter and residential ISP: distinguished by network context; Real IP: an additional check reveals the egress IP even when the visitor masks it. ShieldLabs keeps the same persistent identifier across these connections, so a visitor stays recognizable whether they arrive on a clean IP, a VPN, or an anti-detect browser.

What is an identity graph and why does it matter for fraud detection?

An identity graph links visitors, devices, and user accounts that belong to the same real person into connected clusters. It matters because most abuse hides across seemingly unrelated identities that look independent on their own. ShieldLabs uses this graph to power ready-made Patterns indicating multi-accounting, ban evasion, account sharing, and other abuse, so you can see the abuse in your analytics and prevent it with the API and Webhooks.

How do you track anonymous users through an analytics dashboard?

ShieldLabs tracks anonymous users in one dashboard that shows your full traffic picture in real time, with every visit tied to a persistent identifier instead of a one-off session. The dashboard breaks traffic down by: Risk: overall traffic risk score and a breakdown by risk level; Anonymity: the anonymity signals present on each visit; Recurrence: returning versus new visitors; Distribution: country, browser, OS, device type, and connection type. ShieldLabs updates this view live, so you can assess traffic quality and spot abuse at a glance without instrumenting events yourself.

How accurate is ShieldLabs visitor identification?

ShieldLabs re-identifies returning visitors with up to 99% accuracy across sessions by correlating signals from multiple layers rather than depending on any single fragile attribute. Accuracy holds because the identifier is: Cross-layer: built from device, OS, browser, and network signals together; Self-correcting: a cross-layer mismatch flags tampering instead of breaking the match. ShieldLabs returns the first identifier on the first visit and keeps it stable on every return, even when cookies are cleared or the IP rotates.

Can website owners see who visits their website?

Yes. Website owners see every visitor as a stable, persistent identifier with full context, even when the visitor never logs in or shares any personal details. Each visitor record includes: Identity: precise identifiers assigned on the first visit; Context: device, geolocation, and connection type; Risk: anonymity indicators and a risk score; Connections: accounts and devices linked to the same entity. ShieldLabs identifies visitors as entities, not named individuals, so you get the full shape of your traffic without collecting personally identifying information.

How fast can we go live with ShieldLabs?

You can go live in about 5 minutes by adding a few lines of JavaScript to your site, and identification starts on the first visit. Integration has three steps: Install: drop the JavaScript snippet into your site; Receive: get precise identifiers and a risk score on every visit; Connect: push results to your backend via Webhooks and look up past activity through the History API. ShieldLabs returns the first signal within roughly 5 minutes of install, so you can start building rules the same day.

What is website visitor identification, and how does it work?

Website visitor identification is the process of recognizing every visitor to your site as a stable, persistent entity, even when they clear cookies, rotate IPs, or use incognito mode. It works in three stages: Collect: gather 100+ device, browser, OS, and network signals on every visit; Resolve: combine those signals into one cross-session identifier per visitor; Link: connect related visitors, devices, and accounts into an identity graph. ShieldLabs runs all three stages from a single JavaScript snippet, so every visit links back to the same visitor without requiring a login or PII.

How is ShieldLabs different from standard visitor identification software?

ShieldLabs differs from standard visitor identification software by correlating signals across multiple layers instead of leaning on cookies or IP blocklists that break within weeks. The difference shows up in four places: Resilience: the identifier survives cleared cookies, rotated IPs, and incognito mode; Anonymization: it identifies anti-detect browsers and reveals the egress IP behind proxies; Linking: an identity graph connects visitors, devices, and accounts into one entity; Patterns: ready-made Patterns indicating multi-accounting, ban evasion, and account sharing. ShieldLabs delivers this signal depth at transparent pricing, so a small team gets it without an enterprise contract.

Identification

Identify Every Anonymous Website Visitor

Turn anonymous traffic into visitors and users you recognize, so you can stop fraud and welcome the real ones back

Start Free

See the real visitor

Recognize every visitor and user, even the anonymous ones

Stop fraud before it scales

Prevent fraud and abuse at the root, before it spreads

Know your real traffic

See how much of your traffic is actually real

Welcome your best visitors

Give returning visitors a smoother, more personal experience

Accurate identification

One persistent identity

Identify returning visitors and users across sessions, cleared cookies, incognito mode, and rotated IP

No login, no PII

Recognize returning visitors and users with no login and no personal data

One person, every account

Connect the sessions, devices, and accounts that all trace back to one real person

Web and mobile

Run identification in any modern browser, on desktop and mobile

One layer does it all

Every identification comes with everything you need to act on it, not just an ID

Anonymity Signals

Detection of VPN, proxy, Tor, anti-detect browser, IP reputation and other anonymity signals on every visit, with up to 99% accuracy

Risk Score

A ready-to-use score reflecting the risk of each visit, with the weight of every signal behind it

Ready-Made Patterns

Detection of the hidden connections between accounts that may signal multi-accounting, account farms, and more

Real-Time Analytics

See how much of your traffic is masked, with an overall quality score and a breakdown of the sources sending your visits

Full Context

Device, OS, browser, location, and connection type on every visit

Start identifying visitors in 5 minutes

Drop one snippet on any signup, login, or page, with no backend setup

1
Create your account
Create an account and get 5,000 free identifications
2
Install the snippet
Add one JavaScript snippet to your site
3
View your analytics
Watch identities, anonymity signals, risk scores, and potential patterns in your traffic
4
Connect API & Webhooks
Look up any visitor's or user's history and act on it in your own rules