What cookies are and why websites store them
A cookie is a small file that a website stores on your computer. It holds information about you — what you searched for, items in your shopping cart, whether you logged in, your language preference. When you return to that website, your browser sends the cookie back, so the site remembers you.
Cookies make websites work better for you in the moment. They also let websites track what you do across multiple visits and sometimes across other websites. Some cookies expire after a few days. Others stay on your computer for years unless you delete them.
You have three choices: keep all cookies, delete them regularly, or block new ones from being stored. Each choice has a trade-off. Keeping cookies means websites load faster and remember your preferences, but you leave a record of your browsing. Deleting them regularly protects your privacy but means you log in more often and lose saved preferences. Blocking them stops tracking but breaks some websites.
Key Takeaways
- Cookies are small files websites store on your computer to remember information about you, and deleting them removes that record from your device.
- You can delete all cookies at once or set your browser to delete them automatically when you close it, depending on your browser and what you want to remember.
- Deleting cookies will log you out of websites, erase saved preferences like language and font size, and remove items from shopping carts.
- Blocking cookies entirely breaks some websites, so most people delete them on a schedule rather than blocking them completely.
- Third-party cookies (used for tracking across websites) can be blocked separately from first-party cookies (used by the site itself).
How to delete cookies in Chrome
Open Chrome and click the three vertical dots in the top right corner. Select "Settings" from the menu. On the left side, click "Privacy and security," then click "Clear browsing data."
A window will open. At the top, choose the time range: "All time" deletes everything, "Last hour" deletes only recent cookies, "Last 24 hours" covers one day. Make sure the checkbox next to "Cookies and other site data" is checked. Leave other options unchecked unless you want to delete your browsing history or cached images too. Click "Clear data."
If you want Chrome to delete cookies automatically every time you close the browser, go back to Settings, click "Privacy and security," then "Cookies and other site data." Turn on "Clear cookies and site data when you quit Chrome." This way you do not have to remember to delete them manually.
How to delete cookies in Firefox
Open Firefox and click the three horizontal lines in the top right corner. Select "Settings." On the left, click "Privacy & Security." Under "Cookies and Site Data," click "Clear Data."
A window will appear. Make sure "Cookies and Site Data" is checked. Choose whether to clear everything or just cookies from the last hour or last 24 hours. Click "Clear." You will be logged out of websites you were signed into.
To delete cookies automatically, stay in the Privacy & Security settings. Under "Cookies and Site Data," find the section that says "Clear cookies and site data when Firefox is closed" and turn it on. Firefox will then remove all cookies each time you fully close the browser.
How to delete cookies in Safari
Open Safari and click "Safari" in the top menu bar. Select "Settings" (or "Preferences" on older versions). Click the "Privacy" tab.
Click "Manage Website Data." A list of websites that have stored cookies will appear. You can select individual websites and click "Remove" to delete only their cookies, or click "Remove All" to delete everything at once. Click "Done."
To delete cookies automatically when you close Safari, go back to the Privacy tab and check the box that says "Remove all cookies and website data when quitting Safari." Safari will then clear cookies each time you fully close the app.
How to delete cookies in Edge
Open Microsoft Edge and click the three dots in the top right corner. Select "Settings." On the left, click "Privacy, search, and services." Under "Clear browsing data," click "Choose what to clear."
A window will open. Select the time range at the top — "All time," "Last hour," "Last 24 hours," or "Last 7 days." Check the box next to "Cookies and other site data." Click "Clear now."
To set Edge to delete cookies automatically, go back to Settings and click "Privacy, search, and services." Under "Clear browsing data," turn on "Choose what to clear every time you close the browser." Then click "Select what to clear every time you close the browser" and check "Cookies and other site data."
What happens when you delete cookies
You will be logged out of most websites. The next time you visit a site where you had an account, you will need to sign in again. Websites will not remember your preferences — your font size, language choice, dark mode setting, or items in your shopping cart will reset to defaults.
Some websites may load slightly slower the first time you visit after deleting cookies, because they have to rebuild your preferences from scratch. Websites you visit regularly will rebuild their cookies quickly, so the slowdown is usually brief.
Deleting cookies does not delete your browsing history, your saved passwords, or your autofill information — those are stored separately. If you want to delete those too, you can do so in the same "Clear browsing data" or "Clear data" window where you delete cookies, but you have to check those boxes separately.
First-party cookies versus third-party cookies
A first-party cookie is set by the website you are visiting. It remembers your login, your preferences, items in your cart. A third-party cookie is set by a different company — usually an ad network or analytics service — and tracks you across multiple websites.
Most browsers now block third-party cookies by default. You can block them separately from first-party cookies without breaking the websites you visit. In Chrome, go to Settings > Privacy and security > Cookies and other site data and select "Block third-party cookies." In Firefox, go to Settings > Privacy & Security and under "Enhanced Tracking Protection" select "Strict." In Safari, the "Prevent cross-site tracking" option in Privacy settings blocks third-party cookies. In Edge, go to Settings > Privacy and select "Strict" under "Tracking prevention."
Blocking third-party cookies stops ad networks from building a profile of your browsing across the web. It does not stop the websites you visit from remembering you, because those use first-party cookies.
Frequently Asked Questions
Will deleting cookies delete my saved passwords?
No. Passwords are stored separately from cookies. When you clear cookies, your passwords stay on your device. You can delete passwords separately if you want to, but it requires checking a different box in the clear data window.
If I delete cookies, will websites know I deleted them?
No. Websites cannot tell whether you deleted cookies or never had them in the first place. They will straightforward treat you as a new visitor the next time you arrive.
Should I delete cookies every day or just sometimes?
That depends on your comfort level. Deleting them weekly or monthly is common. Deleting them daily means more logging in but less tracking. Setting your browser to delete them automatically when you close it is a middle ground — you get privacy without having to remember to delete them manually.
What if a website stops working after I delete cookies?
Some older websites rely on cookies to function. If a site breaks after you delete cookies, try clearing your browser cache as well — go back to the clear data window and check "Cached images and files." If it still does not work, the website may need to be updated by its owner.
Can I delete cookies from just one website instead of all of them?
Yes. In Chrome, Firefox, and Edge, you can go to the website, click the lock icon or info icon in the address bar, find "Cookies," and delete them from that site only. In Safari, go to Privacy settings, click "Manage Website Data," find the site in the list, and click "Remove."