Learn about tracker scanning (preview)

Many organizations find it challenging to effectively manage and monitor web tracker compliance. Navigating the intricate realm of tracker compliance is a complex and often burdensome task due to the swift evolution of technology, the proliferation of websites, and the evolving landscape of privacy regulations.

It’s more important than ever now for organizations to understand how their website is being displayed to the public, ensure that their trackers are categorized and deployed from their website in a compliant manner, and ensure that required privacy elements, such as the proper consent notices and links to cookie and privacy statements, are presented on their website.

Microsoft Priva Tracker Scanning (preview) empowers organizations to automate the identification of tracking technologies across multiple web properties, driving the efficient management of website privacy compliance.

Key features

Tracker scanning supports website compliance monitoring and tracker management with the following capabilities:

  • Automate scans for trackers: Register web domains and set up automatic scanning so you can quickly identify and categorize tracking technologies on your websites.

  • Evaluate and manage web trackers: Use flexible scan configurations to easily identify missing compliance elements across your suite of websites.

  • Streamline compliance reporting: Scan for areas of noncompliance and monitor compliance issues throughout the lifecycle of websites.

Tracker scanning also provides:

  • A common tracker database to help you see commonly used trackers as a reference.

  • A tracker library you curate to house your organization’s trackers and dictate which ones to use for new or updated websites.

  • An advanced scanning capability to bypass authentication-based pages and website interaction for scenarios such as providing a birth date or some other interaction.

  • A companion extension for Microsoft Edge, Microsoft Priva: Scan Set Up Tool, to help ease the capture of various web components when setting up scans.

Tracker types

Tracker scanning works to identify the following web tracker technologies:

  • Cookie: Web cookies are small text files stored on a website visitor’s device to display content or run the website, or for nonessential purposes like ads.

  • Fingerprint: Digital fingerprinting uses device and browser data to uniquely identify devices.

  • Local storage object: Local storage objects are placed on a website visitor’s device for data needed within the website, such as preferences.

  • Web beacon: Clear graphic images, such as pixels, used for online ad impressions and performance, activity monitoring, and other website visitor metrics.

Next steps

  1. Visit Get started with tracker scanning to learn about roles, terminology, and understand the tracker scanning overview page.

  2. Register your websites to prepare them for scanning.

  3. Create tracker categories and associate to trackers for ongoing use.

  4. Set up a compliance scan of your websites.

Microsoft Priva legal disclaimer