Do Not Track Status & Privacy Settings
Check your Do Not Track setting, cookie status and privacy-related browser flags.
How to use this tool
- Open this page — it runs instantly in your browser, no signup or install.
- Allow any permission prompt if asked; everything stays on your device.
- Use the on-screen controls — results update live.
Check your Do Not Track setting, cookie status and privacy-related browser flags.
How it works
The Do Not Track Status checker reads several browser and OS privacy signals and displays them on one page. The primary signal it shows is the DNT (Do Not Track) header value, which is a string your browser sends with HTTP requests to tell websites you prefer not to be tracked. A value of '1' means DNT is enabled; '0' means it is explicitly disabled; null means your browser sends no preference.
The tool also shows cookie support status, the Global Privacy Control (GPC) signal (a newer privacy standard some browsers send), and other privacy-related flags exposed by your browser's JavaScript environment.
Understanding these settings is useful if you are configuring a privacy-focused browser, verifying that a privacy extension is active, or auditing what signals a specific browser profile sends to websites.
All checks are read from your browser's own JavaScript APIs and HTTP headers. Nothing is sent to a server.
Worked example
Check whether a privacy browser extension is activating DNT
- Install or enable your privacy extension.
- Open the Do Not Track Status page.
- Read the DNT value shown.
- If DNT shows '1', the extension is correctly setting the header.
- Toggle the extension off and reload to compare.
A before-and-after comparison confirming whether the extension changes the DNT header value.
Common mistakes to avoid
- Assuming that a DNT value of 1 actively blocks tracking — it is advisory only and most advertising networks ignore it.
- Confusing cookies being enabled with tracking being enabled — first-party cookies needed for logins differ fundamentally from third-party tracking cookies.
- Checking DNT status in one browser profile and drawing conclusions about a different browser or profile that has different settings.
Key terms
- Do Not Track (DNT)
- An HTTP header field (DNT: 1) a browser can send to signal that the user does not want to be tracked across websites. Compliance is voluntary for websites.
- Global Privacy Control (GPC)
- A newer browser signal (navigator.globalPrivacyControl) intended as a legal opt-out of data selling under laws like CCPA, distinct from DNT.
- Cookie support
- Whether the browser allows websites to set cookies; disabling cookies prevents some forms of session tracking but may break logins.
Frequently asked questions
- Does Do Not Track actually stop tracking?
- No. DNT is a browser signal that websites can choose to honor or ignore. There is no technical enforcement — compliance is voluntary.
- What is Global Privacy Control?
- GPC is a newer browser signal (navigator.globalPrivacyControl) that has legal backing in some jurisdictions like California (CCPA).