What is PII?
PII, or personally identifiable information, is any data that can identify a specific person, either alone or when combined with other data. Names, email addresses, phone numbers, and home addresses are common examples.
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What counts as PII
Direct identifiers include names, emails, phone numbers, and government IDs. Other data can identify someone when combined, such as location, device IDs, or unique account numbers.
Definitions differ by law and region, and many laws use broader terms such as personal data.
Why PII matters in tracking
Ad platforms and analytics tools have rules against sending PII in places it doesn't belong. A name or email in a page URL or event name can end up stored in a report, which can break platform policies and privacy laws.
Handling PII carefully
Collect only what you need, tell people how you use it, and get consent where required. Check URLs and event data for stray personal details, and share customer details with platforms only through approved methods such as hashed uploads.
Common questions
What does PII stand for?
PII stands for personally identifiable information, data that can be used to identify a particular person.
Is an IP address PII?
It can be. Many privacy laws treat IP addresses as personal data, though the rules differ by region and context.
Is hashed data still PII?
Often it's still treated as personal data, because the hash can be matched back to a known value. Handle it with care.
Can I send PII to Google Analytics?
Do not send personally identifiable information in ordinary Analytics fields such as page URLs or arbitrary event parameters. Google's supported user-provided-data feature is a specific exception for approved customer information, handled with hashing and subject to its consent, policy, and configuration requirements.
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