What are cookies? | Cookiepedia

<!DOCTYPE html> <html> <head> <meta charset="utf-8" /> <title>What are cookies? | Cookiepedia</title>  <meta name="HandheldFriendly" content="True"> <meta name="MobileOptimized" content="320">  <meta name="viewport" content="width=device-width"> <link href="/Content/css?v=B0KSx0bzjrqo1IWQZcPWVqp4BIw7EiweydpOZW5MSaw1" rel="stylesheet"/>   <script src="/Scripts/jquery-3.5.1.js"></script> <script src="/Scripts/umd/popper.min.js"></script> <script src="/Scripts/bootstrap.min.js"></script>  <script src="https://cdn.cookielaw.org/scripttemplates/otSDKStub.js" type="text/javascript" charset="UTF-8" data-domain-script="6e02977d-f56d-42f9-b8ec-570c9432f293"></script> <script type="text/javascript"> function OptanonWrapper(){} </script>  <link rel="stylesheet" type="text/css" href="/Content/bootstrap.min.css" /> <link rel="stylesheet" type="text/css" href="/Content/bootstrap.css" /> <meta name="keywords"> <meta name="description" content="Cookies are pieces of data stored by a website on your computer, usually to enable a web page to be personalised."> <meta name="google-site-verification" content="NJP9gmEpRN5uYEnMYcAflby5tYl8bBlV5vyO_fuAnq0" /> </head> <body class="subpage"> <script> $('.dropdown-submenu > a').on("click", function (e) { var submenu = $(this); $('.dropdown-submenu .dropdown-menu').removeClass('show'); submenu.next('.dropdown-menu').addClass('show'); e.stopPropagation(); }); $('.dropdown').on("hidden.bs.dropdown", function () { // hide any open menus when parent closes $('.dropdown-menu.show').removeClass('show'); }); </script> <div class="header1"> <nav class="navbar navbar-expand-lg navbar-dark bg-dark"> <a class="navbar-brand" href="/"> <img class="menu-logo" src="/Images/cookiepedia-logo.jpg" alt="Cookiepedia" /> </a> <button class="navbar-toggler" type="button" data-toggle="collapse" data-target="#navbarSupportedContent" aria-controls="navbarSupportedContent" aria-expanded="false" aria-label="Toggle navigation"> <span class="navbar-toggler-icon"></span> </button> <div class="collapse navbar-collapse" id="navbarSupportedContent"> <ul class="navbar-nav ml-auto"> <li class="nav-item dropdown"> <a class="nav-link dropdown-toggle" id="navbarDropdownMenuLink" data-toggle="dropdown" aria-haspopup="true" aria-expanded="false" href="/all-about-cookies#AllAboutCookie">All About Cookies</a> <ul class="dropdown-menu" aria-labelledby="navbarDropdownMenuLink"> <li class="dropdown-item"><a href="/all-about-cookies">What are Cookies?</a></li> <li class="dropdown-item"><a href="/types-of-cookies">Types of Cookies</a></li> <li class="dropdown-item"><a href="/Content/OtherTrackingTechnologies">Online Tracking Technologies</a></li> <li class="dropdown-item"><a href="/benefits-of-cookies">The Benefits of Cookies</a></li> <li class="dropdown-item"><a href="/cookies-and-online-privacy">Cookies and Online Privacy</a></li> <li class="dropdown-item dropdown-submenu"> <a class="dropdown-toggle" data-toggle="dropdown" href="/how-to-manage-cookies#HowToManageCookies">How to Manage Cookies</a> <ul class="dropdown-menu"> <li class="dropdown-item"><a href="/how-to-manage-cookies#chrome">Google Chrome</a></li> <li class="dropdown-item"><a href="/how-to-manage-cookies#firefox">Firefox</a></li> <li class="dropdown-item"><a href="/how-to-manage-cookies#firefox-ios">Firefox (iOS)</a></li> <li class="dropdown-item"><a href="/how-to-manage-cookies#firefox-android">Firefox (Android)</a></li> <li class="dropdown-item"><a href="/how-to-manage-cookies#safari-desktop">Safari (Desktop)</a></li> <li class="dropdown-item"><a href="/how-to-manage-cookies#safari-mobile">Safari (Mobile)</a></li> <li class="dropdown-item"><a href="/how-to-manage-cookies#edge">Microsoft Edge</a></li> <li class="dropdown-item"><a href="/how-to-manage-cookies#ie">Internet Explorer</a></li> <li class="dropdown-item"><a href="/how-to-manage-cookies#opera">Opera</a></li> <li class="dropdown-item"><a href="/Content/ChromeUpdates">New Cookie Controls for Chrome</a></li> </ul> </li> <li class="dropdown-item"><a href="https://tcf.cookiepedia.co.uk" target="_blank">IAB Legal Text</a></li> </ul> </li> <li class="nav-item dropdown"> <a class="nav-link dropdown-toggle" id="navbarDropdownMenuLink2" data-toggle="dropdown" aria-haspopup="true" aria-expanded="false" href="/eu-cookie-law#EuCookiesLaw">EU Cookie Directive</a> <ul class="dropdown-menu" aria-labelledby="navbarDropdownMenuLink2"> <li class="dropdown-item"><a href="/eu-cookie-law">EU Cookie Directive</a></li> <li class="dropdown-item"><a href="/cookie-laws-across-europe">Cookie Laws Across Europe</a></li> <li class="dropdown-item"><a href="/uk-cookie-law">Cookie Law in the UK</a></li> <li class="dropdown-item"><a href="/cookie-law-compliance-guidance">Cookie Law Compliance Guidance</a></li> <li class="dropdown-item"><a href="/giving-consent-to-cookies">Cookies Consent</a></li> <li class="dropdown-item"><a href="/how-to-complain-about-cookies">How To Complain About Cookies</a></li> </ul> </li> <li class="nav-item dropdown"> <a class="nav-link dropdown-toggle" id="navbarDropdownMenuLink3" data-toggle="dropdown" aria-haspopup="true" aria-expanded="false" href="/about-cookiepedia#AboutCookiepedia">The Cookiepedia Database</a> <ul class="dropdown-menu" aria-labelledby="navbarDropdownMenuLink3"> <li class="dropdown-item"><a href="/about-cookiepedia">About Cookiepedia</a></li> <li class="dropdown-item"><a href="/using-cookiepedia">Using Cookiepedia</a></li> <li class="dropdown-item"><a href="/classify-cookies">How We Classify Cookies</a></li> <li class="dropdown-item"><a href="/cookies-and-privacy-policy">Cookies and Privacy Policy</a></li> </ul> </li> <li class="nav-item visit-button"> <a style="color: #353a40 !important" href="https://kiosk.cookiepro.com/start-scan?source=cookiepedia" target="_blank" class="btn btn-outline-dark" id="button_Onetrust">Free Website Scan</a> </li> </ul> </div> </nav> </div> <div style="padding: 67px 10px 5px 20px;" class="row header-stripe"> <div class="inner-header-stripe"> <div class="search-box"> <div class="search-spacing"> </div> <form action="" method="GET" id="search-form"> <select name="search_option" id="search-type" class="round"> <option title="Enter Domain" selected>website</option> <option title="Enter Cookie Name">cookie</option> <option title="Enter Host Name">3rd party host</option> </select> <input class="search-box-input" name="search-box-input" type="text" id="search-query" placeholder="Enter Domain"> <input type="submit" value="Search" class="btn"> </form> </div> <div class="clear"></div> </div> </div> <div id="content"> <h1>What Are Cookies?</h1> <div id="content-left"> <p>Cookies are pieces of data, normally stored in text files, that websites place on visitors' computers to store a range of information, usually specific to that visitor - or rather the device they are using to view the site - like the browser or mobile phone.</p> <p>They were created to overcome a limitation in web technology. Web pages are 'stateless' - which means that they have no memory, and cannot easily pass information between each other. So, cookies provide a kind of memory for web pages.</p> <p>Cookies allow you to login on one page, then move around to other pages and stay logged in. They allow you to set preferences for the display of a page, and for these to be remembered the next time you return to it.</p> <p>Cookies can also be used to watch the pages you visit between sites, which allows advertisers to build up a picture of your interests. Then when you land on a site that shows one of their adverts - they can tailor it to those interests. This is known as 'behavioural advertising'.</p> <p>Almost all websites use cookies in some way or another, and every page you visit in those sites writes cookies to your computer and receives them back from it.</p> <p>Cookies are incredibly useful – they allow modern websites to work the way people have come to expect – with every increasing levels of personalisation and rich interactive functionality.</p> <p>However, they can also be used to manipulate your web experience in ways you might not expect, or like. It could be to your benefit, or the benefit of someone else – even a business or organisation that you have never had any direct contact with, or perhaps heard of.</p> <p>It is impossible to tell just by looking at them, whether particular cookies are benefitting you or another party. You have to rely on the website you are visiting to tell you how it uses cookies.</p> <p>Learn more about the different <a href="/types-of-cookies">Types of Cookies</a>, and <a href="/Content/OtherTrackingTechnologies">Other Tracking Technologies</a></p> </div> <div id="content-right"> <div class="side-bar"> <h3>All About Cookies</h3> <ul> <li class="current"><a href="/all-about-cookies">What Are Cookies?</a></li> <li class=""><a href="/types-of-cookies">Types of Cookies</a></li> <li class=""><a href="/Content/OtherTrackingTechnologies">Online Tracking Technologies</a></li> <li class=""><a href="/benefits-of-cookies">The Benefits of Cookies</a></li> <li class=""><a href="/cookies-and-online-privacy">Cookies and Online Privacy</a></li> <li class=""><a href="/how-to-manage-cookies">How to Manage Cookies</a> <ul class="sub"> <li class="side-six-sub" ><a href="/how-to-manage-cookies#chrome">Google Chrome</a></li> <li class="side-six-sub" ><a href="/how-to-manage-cookies#firefox">Firefox</a></li> <li class="side-six-sub" ><a href="/how-to-manage-cookies#firefox-ios">Firefox (iOS)</a></li> <li class="side-six-sub" ><a href="/how-to-manage-cookies#firefox-android">Firefox (Android)</a></li> <li class="side-six-sub"><a href="/how-to-manage-cookies#safari-desktop">Safari (Desktop)</a></li> <li class="side-six-sub"><a href="/how-to-manage-cookies#safari-mobile">Safari (Mobile)</a></li> <li class="side-six-sub"><a href="/how-to-manage-cookies#edge">Microsoft Edge</a></li> <li class="side-six-sub"><a href="/how-to-manage-cookies#ie">Internet Explorer</a></li> <li class="side-six-sub"><a href="/how-to-manage-cookies#opera">Opera</a></li> <li class="side-six-sub"><a href="/Content/ChromeUpdates">New Cookie Controls for Chrome</a></li> </ul> </li> <li class="dropdown-item"><a href="https://tcf.cookiepedia.co.uk" target="_blank">IAB Legal Text</a></li> </ul> </div> <div class="container" style="position:relative; padding:0px"> <img style="width:100%;" src="/Images/cookiepro-adv-squate.png" /> <a style="position:absolute; top: 90%; left: 48%; transform: translate(-50%, -50%);" href="https://www.cookiepro.com/cookie-consent/" target="_blank" class="btn">Sign Up for Free</a> </div> </div> <div class="clear"></div> </div> <div class="footer"> <div class="row section1" id="footer-row"> <div class="inner-row"> <div class="left-50 "> <div class="left-50-subsec"> <img class="cookiepro-logo" src="/Images/cookiepro.png" /> <br> <span id="add-head"> Simplify compliance with ePrivacy and GDPR </span> <div class="add-item"> <ul class="list-item list-1 d-inline-block"> <li> Cookie Banner </li> <li> Cookie Notice </li> <li> Website Scanner </li> </ul> <ul class="list-item list-2 d-inline-block"> <li> Cookie Preferences </li> <li> Records of Consent </li> <li> Do not Track </li> </ul> </div> <a href="https://www.cookiepro.com/cookie-consent/" target="_blank" class="btn">Sign Up for Free</a> <br /> <span class="add-subhead"> Get started for free. 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What are cookies? | Cookiepedia