digital footprint

American  

[dij-i-tl foot-print] / ˈdɪdʒ ɪ tl ˈfʊtˌprɪnt /

noun

1. one's unique set of digital activities, actions, and communications that leave a data trace on the internet or on a computer or other digital device and can identify the particular user or device.

   Our online browsing habits are part of our passive digital footprint, created without our consent or knowledge, but our active digital footprint, especially on social media, can more easily be managed.

2. one’s overall impact, impression, or effect as manifested on the internet; online presence or visibility, as of a person or company.

   a celebrity with a large digital footprint;

   ways to expand your brand’s digital footprint.

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Etymology

Origin of digital footprint

First recorded in 1980–85

Example Sentences

Datadog’s “observability” software allows its customers to easily see what’s happening across an organization’s entire digital footprint: Cloud usage, applications, servers, databases, networks, security and more.

From Barron's • May 7, 2026

As the daughter of a social media influencer, Caymi Barrett said she navigates life within a digital footprint she wished never existed.

From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 26, 2026

Some of Van Rootselaar’s digital footprint has already surfaced online.

From The Wall Street Journal • Feb. 14, 2026

"There is a digital footprint but it's not always straightforward. It can be quite difficult to unpick the data in order to try and identify who is behind it."

From BBC • Dec. 4, 2025

“If there was a breach, it was not from Bret or Martha or the top editorial levels of the network and there is a sophisticated and extensive digital footprint of all editorial material,” they shared.

From Salon • Jan. 8, 2025