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