A tracking system comprising a non-transitory computer readable storage medium having stored therein data representing instructions executable by a programmed processor for monitoring a database is provided. The storage medium includes instructions for storing a plurality of link identifiers in a database, each link identifier associated with a content address identifier and instructions for receiving a current shortened content address with an appended link identifier from a requesting user. The storage medium further includes instructions for determining a requested content address identifier associated with the current shortened content address and instructions for determining if the tracking system has previously received any previous shortened content address associated with the requested content address identifier from the requesting user. The storage medium also includes instructions for creating a new link identifier for the requesting user only when the tracking system has not previously received any previous shortened content address associated with the requested content address identifier from the requesting user.