What type of cookie retains information about your visit only until you close your browser?

Although most internet browsers are initially set up to automatically accept cookies, most internet browsers allow you to change the settings to block cookies or to alert you when cookies are being sent to your device.

In addition to the options provided above, you may refuse, accept or remove cookies from the Site at any time by activating or accessing the setting on your browser. Information about the procedure to follow in order to enable, disable or remove cookies can be found on your Internet browser provider’s website via your help screen.

Please be aware that if cookies are disabled or removed, not all features of the Site may operate as intended, for example you may not be able to visit certain areas of our Site or you may not receive personalised information when you visit the Site.

If you use different devices to view and access the Sites (e.g. your computer, smartphone, tablet etc) you will need to ensure that each browser on each device is adjusted to suit your cookie preferences.

Although it may sound as if the device has eaten a tasty treat, the cookies your computer takes in are actually small bits of data that have positive and negative effects on the machine when it accesses the Internet. Typically, cookies do what they do without your even realizing that they are at work. However, as cookies accumulate on your computer, their effects might become more obvious. Computer cookies are the same and have the same effects whether you're using a laptop, desktop or mobile computer.

Types

  1. Two types of cookies are commonly used by website developers: session cookies and persistent cookies. Session cookies are only active during a single website visit and are automatically deleted when you close the computer’s Web browser. Session cookies, also known as transient cookies, do not collect information from your computer but do store information relevant to that particular visit. Persistent cookies, also known as permanent cookies, are stored in the Web browser until you delete them or until they expire. Each persistent cookie comes with an expiration date which is usually years from the time your computer saves them. Each of these cookie types is harmless to your computer, but over time, they can take their toll.

Performance

  1. As the number of persistent cookies builds up on your computer, they can contribute to slow Internet performance. Deleting the cookies can lead to faster overall Internet access, but may also cause slower access to the sites you visit frequently. This is because the information contained in the cookie that helped the page load quickly on previous visits is gone and the website needs more time to load without the aid of the cookie. Allowing persistent cookies to gather on your computer usually does not have bad effects.

Content

  1. Most websites place computer cookies onto your computer so that the website can identify the machine the next time you visit. The website prepares customized content for you, such as login information, based on information you knowingly or unknowingly provide. For instance, if you subscribe to an account or fill out a questionnaire, you are providing the website with some of the information that the cookie stores while it’s on your computer. This cookie effect is handy for some types of websites, such as bank and email account websites.

Malicious Cookies

  1. While most cookies are harmless to your computer, malicious cookies are more intrusive. Malicious cookies are designated as spyware or adware and are designed to track personal information, such as Internet surfing habits and types of websites you visit. As malicious cookies accumulate on your computer, you might not notice anything different. However, websites that use these types of cookies frequently sell the information to third parties who may then inundate you with spam emails and customized advertisements.

There are many debates about types of internet cookies and what they’re used for. Since Google announced it would phase out third-party cookies on Chrome by the end of 2023, we started to hear a lot about “good” and “bad” cookies. Nevertheless, cookies are an essential technology that helps the Web function the way it does.

Let’s find out about 7 types of web cookies and cookie alternatives.

Table of Contents:

  • First-Party Cookies
  • Second-Party Cookies 
  • Third-Party Cookies
  • Session Cookies
  • Persistent Cookies
  • Secure Cookies
  • Zombie Cookies
  • Cookie-Based Authentication
  • Alternatives to Web Cookies

But first, let’s refresh our knowledge about what cookies are in the first place? 

What Are Cookies on the Web?

Web or internet cookies are small bits of text kept on a web browser. These text files allow the website itself or the website’s browser to collect user data and enable user-specific features such as personalization and tracking.

Computer cookies are usually stored on the user’s web browser. The server creates a cookie with a unique ID stored on the user’s web browser. The browser sends this cookie back to the web server each time there’s a new request, allowing it to display specific information for each user. 

What Are Cookies Used For on Websites?

Web cookies exist for 3 main reasons: 

  1. Session management–cookies help publishers’ websites recognize users without asking them to authenticate.
  1. Personalization–cookies help display targeted ads, set frequency capping, and help with reporting.
  1. Tracking–shopping stores might suggest products similar to those the user viewed. 

Let’s continue with 7 types of internet cookies!

1. First-Party Cookies

What are first-party cookies?

First-party cookies are stored on a website (domain) a user has visited directly. 

Publishers use these cookies to collect analytical data and optimize website functionality, like remembering the language preferences. 

First-party cookies are active by default and will not go away any time soon. This is because they are essential to perform key website features. 

What type of cookie retains information about your visit only until you close your browser?

2. Second-Party Cookies | Do They Exist?

Second-party cookies do not exist; however, there is second-party data. 

This data essentially is someone else’s first-party data. When the first-party data is segmented and transferred from one company to another, it becomes second-party data. 

For instance, a hotel chain would share or sell its first-party data to a trusted restaurant chain. 

3. Third-Party Cookies

What are third-party cookies?

Third-party cookies are placed by other domains and not the ones a user visited directly. This happens when a user visits a website that has a third-party cookie file, for example, in the form of an ad. Third parties use these cookies for tracking, ad serving, and retargeting. 

Web browsers like Safari and Firefox are blocking third-party cookies by default already. In the image below you can see that Safari blocks all cookies and website data and prevents cross-site tracking.

What type of cookie retains information about your visit only until you close your browser?

What are the differences between first-party and third-party cookies?

What type of cookie retains information about your visit only until you close your browser?

Sometimes first-party cookies can also be used in a third-party context. For example, a third-party service like a widget or a chatbot can leave its first-party cookie on the publisher’s website. 

This is usually done to enable functionality like leaving a comment or liking content and can be subsequently used for cross-site tracking. 

What type of cookie retains information about your visit only until you close your browser?

Source: StackOverflow

4. Session Cookies

What are session cookies?

Session cookies, also known as non-persistent cookies, are like a memory of websites. They retain information about the users’ visits only until they close the browser, i.e., they expire immediately after the session. Session cookies enable the publisher’s website to track users’ activity across pages within a given session. 

For example, if not for session cookies, items placed in the e-commerce store’s cart would disappear every time a user refreshes the page or proceeds to checkout. This is because websites tend to treat each new page request as from a new user. 

5. Persistent Cookies

What are persistent cookies?

Persistent cookies, also known as permanent cookies, usually have an expiration date set by the publisher. Users’ devices store them, and they remember the information users set, such as language preference, settings, login details, etc. 

These cookies are sometimes called tracking cookies. This is because they track users’ behavior on the website over an extended time.  

In Chrome Developer Tools Menu, persistent cookies have an expiration date, whereas session cookies are marked as ‘session’. 

What type of cookie retains information about your visit only until you close your browser?

6. Secure Cookies

What are secure cookies? 

Secure cookies will only be present on a website with an HTTPS protocol. This ensures encrypted connection and prevents cookie theft. 

As seen from the graph, 95% of websites across the web today are utilizing HTTPS protocol to enable secure and safe browsing. 

Encrypted Traffic Across Google

What type of cookie retains information about your visit only until you close your browser?

Source: Google

7. Zombie Cookies

What are zombie cookies? 

Zombie cookies, also known as evercookies and supercookies, are not actual cookies. They are small bits of code, usually in the form of an image, local shared object, or HTML5 Web storage. They recreate themselves as regular cookies even after the original cookies have been deleted, hence the name zombie cookies.

Although not a separate cookie type, cookie-based authentication is the most common method web servers use to understand whether a user is logged in or not. This method used the HTTP cookies to authenticate the user’s request and maintain session information on the server.

Publishers’ first-party data will become extremely valuable with the end of third-party cookies. Publishers will be able to leverage this data to help advertisers target their audiences more accurately and efficiently. 

But it’s also the perfect time to remind your users why you need to show them ads and how website monetization allows you to support the great content you put out. 

Contextual advertising, which doesn’t rely on cookies and trackers, will also be in trend when third-party cookies eventually go away.

What type of cookie retains information about your visit only until you close your browser?

Moreover, the industry leaders are already developing other solutions like Unified ID and data-clean rooms. These technologies rely on a neutral cookie identifier that allows real-time trade among DSPs, DMPs, and SSPs and performs in a third-party context. 

Experts also suggest that subscription models and other website monetization strategies will be on the rise. 

Conclusion

Users’ growing demand for greater privacy and various privacy regulations such as GDPR, CCPA, and PDPA have led publishers and advertisers to look for alternative ways to connect with their audience. 

Publishers need to focus on their content strategy and build a long-term relationship with their users. Going forward, website optimization and overall user experience will be the main ranking and growth factors.

Where are session cookies stored quizlet?

A cookie is stored as a file on your computer and remains there after you end your browser session.

How can you extract all the files in the assignments compressed folder to the Documents folder?

How can you extract all the files in the Assignments compressed folder to the Documents folder? Right-click the Assignments compressed folder, click Extract All, select the Documents folder as the location for the uncompressed files, and then click Extract.

Do Creative Commons material often costs money to use?

No. CC offers its licenses, code, and tools to the public free of charge, without obligation. You do not need to register with Creative Commons to apply a CC license to your material; it is legally valid as soon as you apply it to any material you have the legal right to license.

What happens when you begin to read an ebook protected with digital rights management?

What happens when you begin to read an e-book protected with digital rights management (DRM) software? The DRM software contacts a DRM server to verify you purchased the e-book. Creative Commons material often costs money to use.