# Controlling data collection - Docs PostHog offers a range of controls to help you manage data collection. This guide covers data collection controls available to you **before** data reaches PostHog servers. You should consider the following tools to help you manage data collection: | Feature | Description | | --- | --- | | [Asking for opt out](#asking-for-opt-out) | A top-level opt out of all data collection | | [IP data capture](#ip-data-capture) | Control whether client IP addresses are captured or discarded | | [Autocapture behavior](#autocapture) | Configure what elements and interactions are automatically captured | | [Masking sensitive information](#masking-sensitive-information) | Prevent specific sensitive data from being collected | | [Overriding captured events](#overriding-captured-events) | Modify or filter event data before it's sent to PostHog | | [Cookieless tracking](#cookieless-tracking) | Track users without using browser cookies | | [Identifying users](#identifying-users) | Set up user identification and manage user properties | If you require that certain data never reaches PostHog servers, you can use one of the tools below to prevent data from being captured. ## Asking for opt out Before capturing data, you may need to ask your users for consent. PostHog provides a top level switch to control data collection. Opting out on a PostHog client will prevent **all data** from being captured and sent to PostHog. This includes any autocaptures, manual captures, and session replays. ### Opting in and out You can opt out the current device by calling `posthog.opt_out_capturing()`. PostHog AI ### Web ```javascript posthog.opt_out_capturing() ``` ### iOS ```swift PostHogSDK.shared.optOut() ``` ### Android ```java PostHog.optOut() ``` ### React Native ```jsx posthog.opt_out_capturing() ``` Similarly, you can opt users in: PostHog AI ### Web ```javascript posthog.opt_in_capturing() ``` ### iOS ```swift PostHogSDK.shared.optIn() ``` ### Android ```java PostHog.optIn() ``` ### React Native ```jsx posthog.opt_in_capturing() ``` ### Checking if a user is opted out You can check if a user is opted out by calling `posthog.has_opted_out_capturing()`. PostHog AI ### Web ```javascript posthog.has_opted_out_capturing() ``` ### iOS ```swift PostHogSDK.shared.isOptOut() ``` ### Android ```java PostHog.isOptOut() ``` ### React Native ```jsx posthog.has_opted_out_capturing() ``` ### Opt out preference persistence Opting out status is persisted automatically using: - **local storage** or **cookies** for browsers - **shared preferences** for Android - **`posthog.optOut`** file in your app's support directory for iOS - **`.posthog-rn.json`** for React Native For browsers, you can control how long the opt out state is persisted by setting `opt_out_capturing_persistence_type` to either `local_storage` or `cookies`. Web PostHog AI ```javascript posthog.init('', { opt_out_capturing_persistence_type: 'local_storage', }); ``` To persist opt out across sessions and devices, you can save your user's opt out preferences in your app logic. On launch, you can check if the user has opted out and set the opt out state accordingly. ### Opting out by default To opt users out by default, set `opt_out_capturing_by_default` to `true` in the `init` call. PostHog AI ### Web ```javascript posthog.init('', { opt_out_capturing_by_default: true, }); ``` ### iOS ```swift let config = PostHogConfig(apiKey: "", host: "https://us.i.posthog.com") config.optOut = true PostHogSDK.shared.setup(config) ``` ### Android ```java val config = PostHogAndroidConfig( apiKey = , host = https://us.i.posthog.com ) config.optOut = true PostHogAndroid.setup(this, config) ``` ### React Native ```jsx posthog.init('', { opt_out_capturing_by_default: true, }); ``` ## IP data capture You can control whether client IP addresses are captured or discarded at both the organization and project levels. This helps ensure consistent privacy controls across all environments. ### Organization-level configuration Organizations can set a default IP data capture policy that automatically applies to all new projects created within the organization. This eliminates the need to manually configure IP data capture settings for each new environment. To configure the organization default: 1. Go to **Settings** > **Organization** > **General** 2. Find the **IP data capture default** setting 3. Choose whether new projects should capture or discard client IP data by default **EU organizations**: Automatically default to IP data capture disabled for GDPR compliance. This ensures that all new projects created in EU organizations are configured with appropriate privacy settings from the start. ### Project-level configuration Individual projects can configure their own IP data capture setting, which overrides the organization default if needed. This is useful when you have specific privacy requirements for a particular project or environment. To configure at the project level: 1. Go to **Settings** > **Project** > **General** 2. Find the **IP data capture configuration** setting 3. Choose whether this project should capture or discard client IP data ### How it works - **New projects**: Automatically inherit the organization's IP data capture default setting - **Existing projects**: Are not affected by organization-level changes - they retain their current configuration - **Project-level override**: Individual projects can override the organization default if needed - **Privacy compliance**: Disabling IP capture helps with GDPR and other privacy regulations by preventing collection of identifiable network information ## Autocapture PostHog has powerful autocapture features that capture data automatically on the client side. Autocapture is available for Web, iOS, and React Native, and is used by **product analytics**, **web vitals**, and **heatmaps**. ### Project level autocapture controls You can control autocapture behavior at the project level in **Settings** > **Project** > [**Autocapture & heatmaps**](https://us.posthog.com/settings/project-autocapture). ### Session level autocapture controls You can also control autocapture behavior programmatically on the client side. ## Web In web apps using the [JavaScript Web SDK](/docs/libraries/js.md), the following data can be autocaptured. | Feature | Data captured | | --- | --- | | Product analytics | Pageviews, pageleaves, clicks, changes of inputs, and form submissions associated with ,