What is a cookie?

A cookie is a harmless text file stored in your browser when you visit almost any website. Its purpose is to allow the website to remember your visit when you return. Although many people are unaware, cookies have been in use for over 20 years, since the first browsers for the World Wide Web appeared.

What is NOT a cookie?

It is not a virus, trojan, worm, spam, spyware, nor does it open pop-up windows.

What information does a cookie store?

Cookies do not usually store sensitive information such as credit card or bank details, photographs, your ID or personal data. The data they store is of a technical nature: personal preferences, content customisation, etc.

The web server associates your browser, not you as a person. If you normally browse with Internet Explorer and try the same website in Firefox or Chrome, the site will not recognise you as the same person, because it tracks the browser, not the individual.

What types of cookies exist?

  • Technical cookies: The most basic type. They allow, among other things, distinguishing between human and automated browsing, anonymous and registered users, and handling basic tasks for any dynamic website.
  • Analytics cookies: Collect information about your browsing behaviour, the sections you use most, products consulted, time of use, language, etc.
  • Advertising cookies: Display advertising based on your browsing history, country of origin, language, etc.

What are first-party and third-party cookies?

First-party cookies are generated by the page you are visiting, while third-party cookies are generated by external services or providers such as Facebook, Twitter, Google, etc.

What happens if I disable cookies?

To help you understand the implications of disabling cookies, here are some examples:

  • You will not be able to share content from that website on Facebook, Twitter or any other social network.
  • The website will not be able to adapt its content to your personal preferences, as is common in online shops.
  • You will not be able to access your personal area on that website, such as My Account, My Profile or My Orders.
  • Online shops: You will be unable to make online purchases; these will have to be made by phone or by visiting the physical store if one exists.
  • It will not be possible to personalise your geographical preferences such as time zone, currency or language.
  • The website will not be able to perform web analytics on visitors and traffic, making it harder for the site to remain competitive.
  • You will not be able to write on the blog, upload photos, post comments, or rate content. The website will also be unable to determine whether you are a human or an automated application publishing spam.
  • Targeted advertising will not be displayed, which will reduce the website's advertising revenue.
  • All social networks use cookies; if you disable them you will not be able to use any social network.

Can cookies be deleted?

Yes. Not only deleted, but also blocked, either generally or for a specific domain.

To delete cookies from a website, go to your browser settings, search for cookies associated with the relevant domain and proceed to delete them.

Below we explain how to access a specific cookie in the Chrome browser. Note: these steps may vary depending on the browser version:

  1. Go to Settings or Preferences via the File menu or by clicking the customisation icon in the top right.
  2. You will see different sections; click the Show advanced options option.
  3. Go to Privacy, Content settings.
  4. Select All cookies and site data.
  5. A list will appear with all cookies sorted by domain. To find cookies for a specific domain more easily, enter the address partially or fully in the Search cookies field.
  6. After applying this filter, one or more lines will appear showing the cookies for the requested website. Simply select it and press X to delete it.

To access cookie settings in Internet Explorer, follow these steps (may vary by browser version):

  1. Go to Tools, Internet Options
  2. Click on Privacy.
  3. Move the slider to set your desired privacy level.

To access cookie settings in Firefox, follow these steps (may vary by browser version):

  1. Go to Options or Preferences depending on your operating system.
  2. Click on Privacy.
  3. Under History, choose Use custom settings for history.
  4. You will now see the Accept cookies option, which you can enable or disable according to your preferences.

To access cookie settings in Safari for OSX, follow these steps (may vary by browser version):

  1. Go to Preferences, then Privacy.
  2. Here you will see the Block cookies option to set the type of blocking you wish to apply.

To access cookie settings in Safari for iOS, follow these steps (may vary by browser version):

  1. Go to Settings, then Safari.
  2. Go to Privacy and Security; you will see the Block cookies option to set the type of blocking you wish to apply.

To access cookie settings on Android devices, follow these steps (may vary by browser version):

  1. Open the browser and press the Menu key, then Settings.
  2. Go to Security and Privacy; you will see the Accept cookies option to enable or disable the checkbox.

To access cookie settings on Windows Phone devices, follow these steps (may vary by browser version):

  1. Open Internet Explorer, then More, then Settings
  2. You can now enable or disable the Allow cookies checkbox.

Cookie Advisor is a WordPress plugin created by Carlos Doral (webartesanal.com)