What Is Internet History?

When we think about the history of the Internet, we usually think about many things: websites, computers, and cat videos. But there's one thing that we only sometimes consider: browser history. Browser history is a tool or resource in a Web browser that keeps track of sites and pages a user visits. Through tabulating URLs, browser history facilitates a quick reference or lookup of previously visited pages. It helps you remember what you've looked at before and lets you keep track of where you've been online so you can return to those pages later. When a user enables a history function in their web browser, the software keeps track of each URL visited and stores them in a list. When a user clicks on a toolbar button or menu option to open a new page, the history function generates a drop-down menu listing the most recent sites visited. Some browsers have a default setting that keeps track of your browsing history for some time and automatically deletes the data after a fixed period. Other browsers support a record of your browsing history indefinitely. The length of time that browsing history is retained varies by browser. Some Internet history functions allow you to set how long you wish to keep your browsing history. The Internet is a wild world. It's got much history, and if you're looking to get rid of it all and start fresh, there are some great tools to help you out. Every browser has its way of doing things when it comes to clearing your history. Some will let you do it from the drop-down menu, while others will require you to find the button buried somewhere else in your settings. Some browsers may not even offer you an option for wiping your history, and if that's the case for you, don't worry! There are plenty of other ways to ensure that no one can see what you've been up to online.