Cloaking is no longer a buzzword in performance marketing—it’s a foundational part of how many aggressive advertisers operate under platform scrutiny.

But not all cloaking methods are created equal. Below, we break down the 6 core types of cloaking and when to use each.

1. IP Cloaking

How it works:
Detects visitor IP and compares it to known lists (e.g., ad reviewers, bots, or bad traffic sources).
Best for: Blocking Google, Facebook, TikTok reviewers.

2. User-Agent (UA) Cloaking

How it works:
Filters visitors based on browser or device identifiers.
Best for: Filtering bots or headless browsers pretending to be users.

3. Referer Cloaking

How it works:
Looks at the referral URL or domain to determine if the visit came from a risky source.
Best for: Avoiding test traffic or flagged referrers.

4. JavaScript Cloaking

How it works:
Delivers core content only if the browser supports and executes JS correctly.
Best for: Filtering non-browser bots or systems without JS support.

5. Cookie Cloaking

How it works:
Tracks session behavior or cookie patterns to identify repeat visits, bots, or reviewers.
Best for: Controlling who sees content based on visit patterns.

6. Time-based Cloaking

How it works:
Triggers content visibility based on access time, useful to avoid platform patrol hours.
Best for: Scheduled content switching or stealth rollouts.

Which Strategy is Right for You?

Final Thoughts

The best cloaking systems don’t rely on just one method. They combine several types of cloaking for robust filtering, better security, and long-term survival.

At AdCloaking, we offer:

• Drag & drop rule builder

• IP + UA + JS multi-layer filtering

• Real-time logs

• Prebuilt templates for 10+ platforms

Start cloaking smart: https://adcloaking.com