How does Pardot track website visitors?

Pardot tracks website visitors primarily using tracking code and cookies. When a user visits a site with Pardot's tracking code implemented, the code collects data about the visitor's activity on the site. This code is essentially a snippet of JavaScript that must be added to the web pages, allowing Pardot to monitor and log details such as page views, time spent on the site, and forms submitted.

Cookies play an important role by storing information about the visitor's interactions with the site, such as their browsing history and preferences, which allows Pardot to identify returning visitors and measure engagement over time. This method is automated and provides a comprehensive view of user behavior without requiring action from the visitor, making it a powerful tool for marketers to understand visitor engagement and tailor their outreach accordingly.

Other options, such as user account sign-ins or manually entering visitor data, do not provide the extensive tracking capabilities that Pardot's tracking code and cookies enable. Server logs can provide some information but lack the granularity and visitor identification that Pardot's solutions offer. Therefore, tracking through the use of tracking code and cookies is what makes Pardot an effective marketing automation tool.