Delete all Firefox cookies at once

Open Firefox and press Ctrl+Shift+Delete on Windows or Command+Shift+Delete on Mac. This opens the Clear Recent History window. At the top, change the dropdown from "Last Hour" to Everything, then make sure the checkbox next to Cookies is checked. Leave all other boxes as they are unless you want to delete your browsing history or cached images too. Click Clear Now.

Firefox will delete every cookie stored on your computer in a few seconds. You will be logged out of most websites automatically — Gmail, Facebook, your bank, anywhere you had checked "Remember me" — because those sites use cookies to keep you signed in. When you visit those sites again, you can log back in and the sites will create new cookies.

This method removes cookies completely and is the fastest way if you want a clean slate. If you want to keep cookies from some sites but delete others, use the method in the next section instead.

Key Takeaways

  • Press Ctrl+Shift+Delete (Windows) or Command+Shift+Delete (Mac), set the time range to Everything, check Cookies, and click Clear Now to remove all cookies at once.
  • You will be logged out of websites after deleting cookies, but you can log back in and the sites will create new cookies.
  • To delete cookies from only certain websites, go to Settings, Privacy & Security, and find the site in the Cookies and Site Data section, then remove it individually.
  • Firefox can be set to delete cookies automatically every time you close the browser if you want ongoing privacy without manual deletion.

Delete cookies from specific websites only

If you want to keep cookies from most sites but remove them from just a few, open Firefox and click the menu button (three horizontal lines) in the top right. Go to Settings, then click Privacy & Security on the left sidebar. Scroll down to the section labeled Cookies and Site Data.

Click Manage Data. A window opens showing every website that has stored cookies on your computer. Type the name of a website in the search box — for example, type "facebook" to find Facebook's cookies. Click the site name when it appears, then click Remove Selected. Repeat this for each site you want to remove. When you are done, click Close.

This method is slower than clearing everything at once, but it lets you stay logged into sites you use regularly while removing cookies from sites you do not trust or no longer visit.

Set Firefox to delete cookies automatically when you close it

Open Firefox and click the menu button (three horizontal lines) in the top right. Go to Settings, then click Privacy & Security on the left sidebar. Under the History section, find the dropdown that says "Firefox will" and change it to Use custom settings for history.

A new set of checkboxes will appear. Check the box next to Clear history when Firefox closes. Then click the link that says Settings next to it. A window opens with more options. Make sure Cookies is checked, then click OK.

Now every time you close Firefox completely, all cookies will be deleted automatically. You will need to log back into websites the next time you open Firefox, but you will not have to remember to delete cookies manually. This is useful if you share a computer or want ongoing privacy without extra steps.

Understand what happens when you delete cookies

Cookies are small files that websites store on your computer to remember information about you — your login status, items in your shopping cart, your language preference, or tracking data about which pages you visited. When you delete a cookie, that website loses that stored information.

Deleting cookies does not delete your account on any website. You can still log back in with your username and password. Deleting cookies also does not remove your browsing history, downloaded files, or passwords that Firefox has saved — those are stored separately. If you want to delete those too, you can check additional boxes in the Clear Recent History window.

Some websites may load slightly slower the first time you visit after deleting cookies, because the site has to rebuild its stored preferences about you. This is normal and temporary.

Find cookies from data brokers and tracking companies

When you delete cookies, you remove the ones that websites you visited directly created. However, many websites also load invisible tracking code from data brokers and ad networks — companies like Google, Facebook, or third-party analytics firms. These companies create their own cookies to track you across multiple websites.

To see which tracking companies have stored cookies on your computer, go back to Settings > Privacy & Security > Cookies and Site Data > Manage Data. Look for cookie entries from companies you did not visit directly — for example, "google.com", "facebook.com", or "doubleclick.net". These are tracking cookies. You can remove them individually using the same method as removing website cookies.

Deleting tracking cookies is one step toward privacy, but it does not stop those companies from creating new tracking cookies the next time you visit a website that uses their code. For longer-term privacy, consider using Firefox's built-in tracking protection, which you can enable in Settings > Privacy & Security under the Tracking Protection section.

Recover accidentally deleted cookies

If you delete cookies and then realize you needed to stay logged into a site, you cannot recover the deleted cookies — they are permanently removed. However, most websites let you log back in with your username and password, and the site will create a new cookie to keep you signed in.

If you forgot a password, use the "Forgot Password" link on the website's login page. The site will send you a password reset email. This is faster than trying to recover cookies, which is not possible.

To avoid accidental deletion in the future, use the method in the "Delete cookies from specific websites only" section instead of clearing all cookies at once. That way you can target only the sites you want to remove.

Frequently Asked Questions

Will deleting cookies log me out of everything?

Yes. Any website that uses cookies to keep you logged in will log you out when you delete those cookies. You can log back in when ready with your username and password, and the website will create a new cookie. This takes less than a minute for most sites.

Do I need to delete cookies regularly?

No, but many people delete them monthly or quarterly for privacy reasons. If you share a computer with others, deleting cookies before you stop using it prevents the next person from seeing your login information or browsing activity. If you use Firefox alone, deleting cookies is optional.

What is the difference between deleting cookies and clearing browsing history?

Cookies are small files websites store to remember you. Browsing history is Firefox's record of which websites you visited. Deleting cookies logs you out of sites; deleting history removes the list of sites you went to. You can delete one without deleting the other by unchecking boxes in the Clear Recent History window.

Can websites see that I deleted their cookies?

No. Websites cannot tell whether you deleted a cookie or never had one. When you visit a site after deleting its cookie, the site straightforward creates a new cookie and treats you as a new visitor.

Does deleting cookies remove my saved passwords?

No. Passwords are stored separately from cookies. If you want to delete saved passwords, open Settings > Privacy & Security > Logins and Passwords, then click "Saved Logins" and remove the ones you do not want Firefox to remember.