How does geolocation work?

Geolocation analyses are based on IP addresses. We are currently working with our partner Digital Element, who provides us with the location associated with IP addresses after anonymization.

Five dimensions are available, and they have a visit scope:

• Continent

• Country

• Region

• Sub-region*

• City

*Sub-regions are only available in a limited number of countries - see which ones.

When the IP Anonymization option is active on your contract, the precision of the City might be slightly downgraded as it is less precise. Please note that IP addresses are under no circumstances available in Piano Analytics.

How geolocation is processed

Geolocation is enriched automatically during processing:

1. When a visitor triggers a hit, the collection server receives the IP address as part of standard collection (no additional tagging is required).

2. If IP anonymization is enabled, the IP address is anonymized before the lookup used for geolocation enrichment.

3. Digital Element data is used to resolve the (anonymized or non-anonymized) IP into the available geolocation dimensions.

4. The resulting geolocation values are applied at the visit level, meaning the same location is associated with all hits in that visit.

What happens in the case of a mobile connection?

In the case of a mobile connection, the address taken into account is that of the first cellular transmission tower encountered during the visit.

What happens if a VPN is used?

With the use of a VPN, the IP address of a visitor is substituted by another one to anonymize its origin. As a result, the geolocation information made available in the interface does not correspond to the actual location of the visitor (it typically reflects the VPN exit location).

This limitation can also apply to similar IP-masking technologies (for example, proxy services or Apple Private Relay).

Common causes of unexpected locations

IP-based geolocation is generally reliable, but the following cases can lead to discrepancies:

• IP anonymization reduces precision, which can shift city-level resolution to a nearby location.

• ISP-provided data is not perfect: IP-to-location mapping quality depends on information available from network operators and how IP ranges are registered and maintained. Inaccurate or outdated ISP declarations can lead to incorrect geolocation values.

• Border areas and rural areas may show more variability than dense urban areas.

• Mobile networks and network changes can produce unexpected results due to how carriers assign and route IP addresses.