Cookie

Overview

Cookies are essential for facilitating user experience on the internet. They allow websites to remember users' actions and preferences (such as login information, language, font size, and other display preferences) over a period of time. Hence, the user doesn't need to keep entering these details whenever they visit the site or navigate from one page to another. In the context of Digital Marketing, cookies are often used for tracking users across websites to understand their interests and behaviors, which can lead to more targeted and personalized advertising.

Usage Types

Session Cookies

Session cookies, also known as temporary cookies, are erased when the user closes the web browser. The session cookie is stored in temporary memory and is not retained after the browser is closed. Session cookies do not collect information from the user's computer.

Persistent Cookies

Persistent cookies, also known as permanent cookies or stored cookies, are stored on the user's computer and are not deleted when the browser is closed. Persistent cookies can be used to remember a user's preferences and actions within a website and, in the context of digital marketing, they are crucial for activities such as long-term user tracking.

Secure and HttpOnly Cookies

Secure cookies are a type of cookie that is transmitted over secure HTTPS protocol. These cookies are encrypted and cannot be accessed by unauthorized parties. HttpOnly cookies are inaccessible to the JavaScript's Document.cookie API, and are used to mitigate certain kinds of cross-site scripting (XSS) attacks.

Third-Party Cookies

Third-party cookies are created by domains that are not the domain that the user is visiting at the time, and are mainly used for tracking and online-advertising purposes. They are also used for allowing certain functionalities (such as embedding content from another site, like a map).

First-Party Cookies

First-party cookies are created by the domain the user is visiting, and are generally considered more secure than third-party cookies. They are mainly used for tracking and analytics on a single website.

In Digital Marketing

In Digital Marketing, cookies are used in a variety of ways to enhance advertising effectiveness. They can help marketers understand the user's journey across different pages, what products or services they are interested in, how they respond to different kinds of content, and more. This allows for better ad targeting, personalization, retargeting, and conversion tracking.

However, with the rise of privacy regulations like the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) and the California Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA), digital marketers have had to adapt their use of cookies to ensure compliance with user consent requirements.