SitePrivacyScore
Free lightweight tool, no login required

Free PII Leak Checker

Scan your URLs and initial page source for accidental exposures of Personally Identifiable Information (PII). Ensure you aren't inadvertently leaking customer data.

Note:

This tool performs a very conservative scan looking for email structures in URLs and initial HTML source to minimize false positives. Full dynamic DOM checking is available in the complete privacy audit.

What is a PII Leak?

Personally Identifiable Information (PII) includes any data that can identify a specific individual, most commonly email addresses, phone numbers, and names.

A "PII Leak" usually happens when a website developer accidentally includes this sensitive data directly in a URL query parameter (like ?email=jane@doe.com) during a password reset or newsletter signup. Because URLs are sent to Google Analytics, advertising pixels, and server logs, the user's email is instantly leaked to dozens of third parties, heavily violating privacy regulations like GDPR and CCPA.

Related Tools and Guides

Referrer Policy Checker, Stop URL Data SharingTracker Detector, See Who Receives Your DataRead Guide: PII Data Exposure Risks

Run full privacy audit to detect runtime tracking and deeper compliance issues

This PII check only covers the URL and initial source. The full audit captures live network requests and dynamic data leaks sent to third-party services.

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For deeper runtime checks, run the full privacy audit →

Frequently Asked Questions

What is PII leakage?+
Personally Identifiable Information (PII) leakage occurs when sensitive data, like email addresses, passwords, or phone numbers, is accidentally exposed to unauthorized parties. The most common cause is passing emails directly in the URL query string.
Why should emails NOT be in URLs?+
URLs are saved in browser histories, proxy server logs, and analytics tools like Google Analytics. If a URL contains an email, that email is automatically sent to all your analytics providers and ad networks, which violates their terms of service and major privacy laws.
How does PII get into the URL?+
Usually, it happens when developers use HTTP GET requests for forms instead of POST requests, or when they generate password reset links and newsletter confirmation links that include the actual email address rather than an anonymous secure token.
What is the penalty for leaking PII?+
Under the GDPR, leaking PII to unauthorized third parties without consent constitutes a data breach. Fines can reach up to 4% of annual global turnover or €20 million, whichever is greater. CCPA also carries hefty civil penalties for data exposure.
How do I fix a PII leak in my URLs?+
Always use HTTP POST requests for forms handling sensitive data. For links (like password resets), use randomly generated, secure tokens (e.g., ?token=abc123xyz) that map to the user in your database, rather than passing the email directly.