IP address lookup sites have been around for years and people use them every day to find out their IP addresses. However, many wonder how accurate they are, especially because there are some factors that could make them less accurate, such as the use of Proxy or Virtual Private Servers. There are thousands of IP domain lookup websites online and all of them use the same system. Generally speaking, they are quite accurate, unless you use one of the above mentioned services that make your hide your real address. Before using these services, you should know that websites use your IP address to deliver location-based services, including news or weather from your region, so unless you have legitimate security concerns, there is no need for you to block websites from accessing your real IP address.

IP address lookup services use special algorithms to determine the IP address and also several other details, such as the host name, the Internet Service Provider (ISP), the organization and the type of connection. In addition, many services also include a separate section with geo-location information. Your IP address indicates the country you connect from with the most accuracy and the region/city are also displayed. While many websites also tell you the coordinates, these might not always be exact. However, they are accurate enough to deliver local information to your device. For example, if you use a weather application on your PC or smartphone, that application uses your location to deliver relevant information. This also applies for ads and news, videos and other web content that might be relevant to you.

Unless you want your real IP address to be hidden, online lookup services are accurate enough. For example, if you've ever visited a website that displays a map with all the visitors and the countries they come from, then you should know that the map and the statistics in general are made by using your IP address. Basically, when you connect to any website, the owner of the websites knows where you come from, so he can optimize the experience for you. For example, he can know the speed of your connection and then display content in the best way. The ads you see are also displayed based on your IP – this is why you see ads that include your city.

If you're worried about your privacy, you should know that it's highly unlikely for a service to detect your exact location. More often than not, they place the user several streets and neighborhoods away. The general location accuracy of such services is between 50% and 80% percent. However, the IP address is always the one displayed. The only case when the IP is not your real IP is when you're hiding it intentionally. On the Internet, there are tools that can "trick" lookup services. More specifically, they read an IP address, but this address changes at regular intervals and places you in a different country or region. If you're looking for the best lookup site, you can use an online comparison service, which shows your IP and geo-location details as seen by multiple provides, and you can choose the most accurate one and use it all the time.