Types of Cookies

There are several types of cookies which serve a unique functionality of use. We will discuss the 4 main types of cookies.

• Session cookies
• Persistent cookies
• First-party cookies
• Third-party cookies

Session cookies:

Session cookies are also known as temporary cookies which are present as long as the user browser is open. Session cookies are deleted once the browser is closed and the user’s session is inactive (time-based). Session cookies are most often used to maintain the user’s session ( like authentication ) on the browser.

Persistent cookies:

Persistent cookies are also known as permanent/long-term cookies. Persistent cookies can last longer than session cookies. Persistent cookies are stored on the user’s device for a specific period ( for less than 6 months ). Persistent cookies are most often used for long-term tracking and remembering user preferences.

First-party cookies:

First-party cookies are set by the website that you are currently visiting. First-party cookies are generally used to provide a good user experience, collect the analytics data, remember language settings etc.

Third-party cookies:

Third-party cookies are set by the domains that you are not visiting. Third-party cookies are mostly used for cross-site tracking and advertising purposes these cookies collect data about your browsing habits and serve ads according to it. For example, when you visit a website, it may include content (such as ads or social media widgets) from third-party domains. These third-party domains can set cookies on your browser to track your online activity and build profiles for targeted advertising or analytics.

The Cookie is a small message from a web server passed to the user’s browser when you visit a website. In other words, Cookies are small text files of information created/updated when visiting a website and stored on the user’s web browser. Cookies are commonly used for information about user sections, user preferences and other data on the website. Cookies help websites remember users and track their activities to provide a personalised experience.