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Have you ever been for a walk and noticed a trail of footprints?

Maybe you were walking across a sandy beach, along a muddy path or in the park after it had been snowing.

You might even see them in your home if someone forgot to take off their muddy shoes!

You can see where people have been by looking at the trails they have left behind.

You can also see your own footprints if you look behind you - the trail shows where YOU have been.

Footprints can disappear quite quickly - when the tide comes in, the rain washes them away or if someone cleans the floor.

Then the trail is gone for good.

Did you know you can leave another type of footprint when you are using a computer or digital device?

These are called digital footprints.

Digital footprints are a trail of places that you have visited on the internet and the activities and games you have taken part in.

You leave a tiny digital marker or footprint behind each time you:

• visit a website
• click on a link
• tap on a video
• play an online game

These are different from ordinary footprints because they don't automatically disappear.

Even though you can't always see the trail, it could be there for good.

We explore websites and online activities using a special program or an app called a
web browser. It helps us find our way around the web.

Each time you visit a different website the browser or app stores a little digital footprint in a list called the history. This can be useful.

If you have forgotten where that great video about dinosaurs is, you can check your history, to see the list of websites and find the one you want to visit again.

You can save your own digital markers, if you want to remember a useful website or exciting game.

These markers are called bookmarks or favourites.

You can save them by clicking on the favourite or bookmark icon in your browser or app menu.

When you visit a website on the internet, the website sometimes asks you if you mind if it collects cookies.

They are not talking about the tasty kind though!

A computer cookie is a type of digital footprint that saves information about you, that the website wants to remember.

It can remember your username or the level you got to in an online game. It can also remember where you are, so it can show you the weather in your town and other local information.

Most cookies are OK. However, sometimes websites use cookies to collect personal information about you, because they want to try and send you adverts for things you might want to buy.

We usually need a user account or profile for most online games and activities.

This means we might have to share personal information like:

• our name
• location
• date of birth

Your user account details will be added to your digital footprint trail.

Information you share when you play an online game, send a message and comment on a friend's photo will also become part of the trail.

Remember to be careful about what information you share - and to always ask a trusted adult to help you.

Unlike those muddy footprints in the kitchen, not all digital footprints are as easy to get rid of.

You can delete your history and bookmarks from your device. You can also get rid of any cookies that have been stored.

It is much harder to remove the digital footprints you make with user accounts and profiles.

This trail could follow you around for years and still be there when you are an adult.

It's important to think about the digital footprints you might be making when you are online and the trail you might be leaving behind you.

Remember to be kind online, keep your personal information private and talk to a trusted adult about your online activities.