A cookie is a small text file stored on your computer when visiting a website. It contains information such as preferences, connection data and browsing habits. Cookies are used to enhance the online experience, by enabling the site to remember the visitor's preferences. Discover the different types of cookies, such as session cookies, persistent cookies, third-party cookies, security cookies, performance cookies and functionality cookies, and understand their purpose. 

A cookie is a small text file that is stored on the user's computer when they visit a website. This file contains information such as the user's preferences, login details and navigation information.

Cookies are used to enhance the user's experience on a website by allowing the site to remember certain information about the user, such as favourite items or language preferences. They are also used to track the user's browsing habits and provide targeted advertising.

It is important to note that cookies can be blocked or deleted by users and that websites must comply with data privacy laws and regulations.

Types of cookies

There are different types of cookies on a website, each with a specific function.
The following is a list of the main types of cookies:

  • Session cookies

    These cookies are temporary and are deleted once the user leaves the website. They are used to keep the user's session active during their visit to the website.

  • Persistent cookies

    Unlike session cookies, these files are stored on the user's hard drive and are not deleted when the user leaves the website. They are used to store information such as user preferences, login data and navigation data.

  • Third-party cookies

    These cookies are set by third-party websites, such as advertising networks or social media platforms, and are used to track the user's browsing habits and provide targeted advertising.

  • Security cookies

    These cookies are used to authenticate the user and prevent fraud. They are also used to protect sensitive information such as payment data.

  • Performance cookies

    These files are used to collect information about how users interact with the website, such as pages visited, and time spent on the site. This information is then used to improve the performance of the website.

  • Functionality cookies

    These cookies allow the website to remember user choices, such as language preferences and favourite articles.