How do I sync my personal counter?
The personal impact counter gives you an overview of your impact with Ecosia. You can also synchronize your impact counter across all of your devices. Track the impact your searches are having and never lose your tree count again!
In this article you can find:
Make sure you’ve downloaded the Ecosia extension, Android or iOS app, or you’ve set Ecosia as your default search engine on your favorite browser.
As of October 2023 and due to provider changes, you may be seeing a modified Ecosia page without the personal impact counter. Note that your searches are still being counted and contributing to climate action. We are shifting towards focusing on communal impact, which has represented over 180 million trees to date!
The personal impact counter
To help you understand your impact with Ecosia, we show you an estimate of how many trees you have helped us plant. This estimate is based on the number of searches you have performed with Ecosia.
On the iOS mobile app, you can also increase your impact by inviting friends to use Ecosia. You can find more information on mobile referrals here.
How is my impact calculated?
Like other search engines, Ecosia gets paid by advertisers a portion of the revenue generated from clicks on ads shown next to your search results. We then use that revenue to plant trees.
The amount of searches it takes to plant a tree varies depending on when you search, where you search from, and what you search for. For example, in Germany a person using Ecosia on their laptop can take approximately 50 searches to plant a tree.
How do I sync my impact counter?
- Go to the ecosia.org homepage on your device.
- Click on your personal impact counter and select ‘Sign in’. If you have already conducted searches on Ecosia, the number displayed here is the number of searches that will sync to your email address.
- Enter your email address to receive a magic link. This magic link is used to authorize your personal counter. The link is only valid for 15 minutes.
- You should now have received an email from Ecosia. Click the ‘Sign in’ button within the email. Or copy the URL provided into the address bar of your browser.
- You’ve now successfully synced your personal impact counter! To sync your counter with your other devices, just access the email that was sent by Ecosia on that specific device and click on the “sign in” button again.
Frequently asked questions (FAQ)
How does the magic link work?
Magic links are the safest and most privacy-friendly way to save and sync your personal counter, without needing a password to log in.
When you provide your email address, we send you a magic link via email. This process creates an anonymous identifier which we use to sync the counter across separate devices together. At no point do we store your email address, we only ask for your email so we can register your search count from one device and sync this to another.
Once you receive the magic link you have 15 minutes to open this link across your devices. You can always click the “sign in” button again to be sent a new link.
Why do I have to give you my email address?
When you apply for a magic link, we use the email address you provide to create an unique identifier, which cannot be decrypted – even by Ecosia. We only ask for your email address so we can authenticate your search counter and anonymously associate two or more devices with each other.
At no point do we store the email address you send to us. For more information on the steps we take to protect our user’s data, please visit our privacy policy.
Can Ecosia delete my email?
No, because we do not store the email address in the first place. When you apply for a magic link we send you an email to create an anonymous identifier. At no point do we hold your email address on file.
Can Ecosia delete my account?
No, syncing your personal impact counter across devices does not mean you have created an account with Ecosia. When you apply for a magic link we send you an email to create an anonymous identifier. At no point do we hold your email address on file. So there’s no account to be deleted.
Can I merge two accounts?
No, each personal impact counter is anonymously associated with an email address. It is not possible to sync the counter of two different email addresses. But you can always add new devices to an existing account, using the same email.
Which browsers is the feature compatible with?
You can synchronize your counter on all browsers and devices. Visit ecosia.org, click on your search counter and follow the steps.
Why did I get signed out?
If your counter has been reset this could be because your browser cleared its cookies. Simply repeat the procedure shown above to recover your personal impact counter!
I don’t have access to my email address anymore, what should I do?
If you no longer have access to the email you used to sync, please sync your counter with another email address that you have access to.
How can I recover my personal counter?
In order to recover your search count please follow the guide above using the same email address you used to first sync your counter.
If you cannot remember the email address you used, please feel free to sync your counter to a different email address.