Cookie Checker
Analyze cookies, local storage and privacy compliance for any website
Total Cookies
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Session Cookies
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Secure Cookies
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Tracking Cookies
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Understanding Website Cookies & Privacy Compliance
What Are Cookies?
Cookies are small text files that websites place on your device to store information about your browsing session, preferences, or activity. They serve various purposes from remembering your login details to tracking your behavior across websites.
Types of Cookies
By Duration:
- Session Cookies: Temporary cookies that are deleted when you close your browser.
- Persistent Cookies: Remain on your device for a set period, from days to years.
By Provider:
- First-party Cookies: Set by the website you're visiting.
- Third-party Cookies: Set by domains other than the one you're visiting.
By Purpose:
- Essential Cookies: Required for basic website functionality.
- Preference Cookies: Remember your preferences and settings.
- Analytics Cookies: Help website owners understand how visitors interact with their site.
- Marketing Cookies: Track users across websites to display targeted advertising.
Security Attributes:
- Secure Flag: Ensures cookies are only sent over HTTPS connections.
- HttpOnly Flag: Prevents access to cookies via JavaScript, mitigating XSS attacks.
- SameSite Attribute: Controls when cookies are sent with cross-site requests.
International Cookie Compliance
Websites must comply with various international privacy regulations regarding cookie usage. Key regulations include:
GDPR (EU)
The General Data Protection Regulation requires explicit, informed consent before storing non-essential cookies. Users must have the option to reject cookies and still access basic site functionality.
CCPA/CPRA (California)
The California Consumer Privacy Act and California Privacy Rights Act give users the right to know what data is collected, opt-out of data sales, and request deletion of their personal information.
LGPD (Brazil)
Brazil's Lei Geral de Proteção de Dados requires legal bases for processing personal data, including user consent before placing cookies.
PIPEDA (Canada)
The Personal Information Protection and Electronic Documents Act requires meaningful consent for collecting, using, or disclosing personal information through cookies.
Best Practices for Cookie Compliance
- Implement a clear, user-friendly cookie consent banner
- Provide granular consent options for different cookie categories
- Do not load non-essential cookies before obtaining consent
- Maintain a comprehensive cookie policy detailing all cookies used
- Regularly audit and update your cookie implementations
- Implement secure cookie attributes (Secure, HttpOnly, SameSite)
- Respect user choices and provide an easy way to update preferences
Why Use Our Cookie Checker Tool?
Our advanced Cookie Checker tool helps website owners, developers, and privacy professionals ensure compliance with international privacy regulations. It provides comprehensive analysis of cookie implementations, identifies potential compliance issues, and offers recommendations for improvement.
Regular cookie audits are essential for maintaining privacy compliance and building user trust. Use our tool to scan your website today and ensure your cookie implementation follows best practices and regulatory requirements.
Frequently Asked Questions
How does the Cookie Checker tool work?
Our Cookie Checker tool uses advanced JavaScript techniques to analyze cookies, local storage, and session storage data on websites. For your own domain, it provides direct access to cookie information. For external domains, it simulates cookie checks based on known patterns and common implementations.
Why can't the tool check all cookies on external websites?
Due to browser security restrictions (Same-Origin Policy), JavaScript running on one domain cannot directly access cookies from another domain. This is an important security feature that prevents potentially malicious websites from stealing cookies. Our tool simulates likely cookies based on known patterns for external sites.
What does "HttpOnly" mean for a cookie?
The HttpOnly flag is a security measure that prevents client-side scripts (like JavaScript) from accessing the cookie. This helps protect against cross-site scripting (XSS) attacks. HttpOnly cookies can only be sent to the server with HTTP requests and cannot be accessed through document.cookie.
What is the SameSite attribute and why is it important?
The SameSite attribute controls when cookies are sent with cross-site requests. It has three possible values: Strict (cookies sent only for same-site requests), Lax (default - cookies sent for same-site requests and top-level navigations), and None (cookies sent for all requests, requires Secure flag). This attribute helps prevent cross-site request forgery (CSRF) attacks.
How often should I check my website's cookies for compliance?
It's recommended to check your website's cookies at least quarterly, and after any significant updates to your website, third-party integrations, or marketing tools. Regular audits help ensure ongoing compliance with privacy regulations and maintain user trust. Additionally, check after any regulatory updates that might affect cookie requirements.
