How to get user IP address using PHP

Updated on ... 19th February 2024

An IP address helps to identify a device and can show where it's located. It is like an ID or an identity for a device connected to a network. An IP Address helps to track user activities on a website of a particular user and where they are coming from.

In PHP, we can find a device's IP address using either the $_SERVER Global variable or the getenv() function.

Get user IP Address using $_SERVER Global variable


                                                    

                                                    

                                                    <?php
function getUserIP() {
    // Check if the IP is from a shared Internet connection
    if (!empty($_SERVER['HTTP_CLIENT_IP'])) {
        $ip = $_SERVER['HTTP_CLIENT_IP'];
    } 
    // Check if the IP is from a proxy
    elseif (!empty($_SERVER['HTTP_X_FORWARDED_FOR'])) {
        $ip = $_SERVER['HTTP_X_FORWARDED_FOR'];
    } 
    // Otherwise, get the user's IP address
    else {
        $ip = $_SERVER['REMOTE_ADDR'];
    }
    return $ip;
}

// Get the user's IP address
$userIP = getUserIP();

// Output the user's IP address
echo "User IP Address: " . $userIP;

?>

Above example explanation:

$_SERVER['HTTP_CLIENT_IP'] This variable returns the IP address of the visitor if they are using a shared Internet connection.
$_SERVER['HTTP_X_FORWARDED_FOR'] This variable returns the IP address of the user/visiter if they are connecting through a proxy server and their ip forwadrded to another IP.
$_SERVER['REMOTE_ADDR'] This variable returns the IP address of the user if the above conditions do not match.

Get user IP Address using getenv() function


                                                    

                                                    

                                                    <?php 
    echo "IP Address of user" . getenv("REMOTE_ADDR"); 
?>