Stuff I wish I knew when I first started tracking IPs
So you know how to use an IP tracker, but here are some things that'll help you get better results. These are mostly from my own experience and mistakes I've made.
Don't just send a random link. Give people a reason to click it.
Bad: "click this"
Better: "Found this article about that thing we were talking about"
Even better: Start a conversation first, then naturally share the link
Pick a URL that makes sense for your context. If you're supposedly sharing a funny video, don't use a news article URL as your destination.
Some good options:
Send links when people are actually online and likely to click. Not at 3 AM (unless you know they're night owls).
Best times in my experience: lunch hours, evening after work, weekends during the day.
If someone rarely sends you links and suddenly sends one, that's suspicious. Build up to it naturally.
If the IP shows they're in a totally different country than where you know they are, they're probably using a VPN. In that case, you're seeing the VPN server's location, not their real one.
If they're on mobile data (not WiFi), the IP might show a different city - usually where their carrier's cell tower is. So don't freak out if it's slightly off.
Send the same person a link on different days. If the location changes, they might be traveling or using VPN inconsistently.
If someone says they're in New York but the IP shows Texas, you've got your answer. But remember - could be VPN, could be they're lying, could be they're traveling.
Home ISP vs. Mobile data vs. Corporate network can tell you where they are (home, out and about, or at work).
If someone claims to be in California but clicks at 3 AM California time while you're chatting in what would be their daytime... they're probably not in California.