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What is a cookie?

A cookie is a harmless text file that is stored in your browser when you visit almost any website.
Its purpose is to allow the site to remember your visit when you return to browse that page again. Although many people are not aware, cookies have been used for over 20 years, since the first web browsers appeared for the World Wide Web.

What a cookie is NOT

It is not a virus, trojan, worm, spam, spyware, nor does it open pop-up windows.

What information does a cookie store?

Cookies generally do not store sensitive information such as credit card or bank details, photographs, personal IDs, or personal data.
The data they save are of a technical nature: personal preferences, content customization, and other similar details.

The web server does not associate you as an individual, but rather associates your web browser. In fact, if you usually browse with Internet Explorer and then switch to Firefox or Chrome to visit the same website, you will see that the site does not recognize you as the same person because it associates the data with the browser, not the user.

Types of cookies

  • Technical cookies:
    These are the most basic and allow, among other things, the website to distinguish when a human or an automated application is browsing, when a user is logged in or anonymous — essential tasks for the functioning of any dynamic website.
  • Analytics cookies:
    They collect information about how users browse a site — the most visited sections, products viewed, usage timeframes, language, etc.
  • Advertising cookies:
    They show advertisements based on your browsing habits, location, language, and other factors.

What are first-party and third-party cookies?

First-party cookies are created by the website you are visiting, while third-party cookies are created by external services or providers such as Facebook, Twitter, Google, etc.

What happens if I disable cookies?

To help you understand the impact of disabling cookies, here are a few examples:

  • You will not be able to share website content on Facebook, Twitter, or other social networks.
  • The website will not be able to adapt its content to your personal preferences, as usually happens in online stores.
  • My Account, My Profile, or My Orders.
  • Online shopping will not be possible; you would need to make purchases by phone or in person if the store has a physical location.
  • You will not be able to personalize your geographic preferences such as time zone, currency, or language.
  • The website will be unable to perform web analytics on visitors and traffic, making it difficult to improve performance.
  • You will not be able to post on the blog, upload photos, comment, rate, or interact with content.
  • The website will be unable to detect whether you are a human or an automated spam application.
  • Targeted advertising will not be displayed, which could reduce the site’s advertising revenue.
  • All social networks use cookies; if you disable them, you will not be able to use any social media platforms.

Can cookies be deleted?

Yes. You can delete or block cookies, either generally or specifically for a certain domain.

To delete cookies from a website, go to your browser’s settings, search for those associated with the domain, and proceed to delete them.

Below are instructions for accessing cookie settings in the most common browsers.
(Note: steps may vary depending on the browser version.)

  1. Select Show advanced settings.
  2. Under Privacy, click Content settings.
  3. Choose All cookies and site data.
  4. You’ll see a list of all cookies organized by domain. Use the search field to find cookies from a specific site.
  5. Once located, select them and click the X to delete.
  1. Go to Tools > Internet Options.
  2. Click on Privacy.
  3. Move the slider to adjust your preferred privacy level.
  1. Go to Options or Preferences (depending on your system).
  2. Click Privacy.
  3. Under History, select Use custom settings for history.
  4. You’ll see the option Accept cookies—you can enable or disable it as you wish.
  1. Go to Preferences > Privacy.
  2. Choose Block cookies and adjust the desired level of blocking.
  1. Go to Settings > Safari.
  2. Under Privacy & Security, choose Block cookies and adjust as preferred.
  1. Open the browser and press the Menu key, then Settings.
  2. Go to Security and Privacy, where you’ll find the Accept cookies option to enable or disable it.
  1. Open Internet Explorer > More > Settings.
  2. You can then enable or disable the Allow cookies option.
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