Cookies are small text files that are installed on devices (tablets, computers, smartphones) when a website is visited. They can be used both to improve the functioning of the site itself and to identify those who have already visited that site before.
How do cookies work?
When a user visits a website, the cookies present on the site are installed. These cookies track the navigation performed, and there are several types of them, but we will see more about this later.
Just know that cookies are regulated by law (Cookie Law), and every site informs us of their presence: we can accept them or learn more about them.
How to distinguish cookies
After seeing what cookies are, let's now see how many types of cookies exist.
- SESSION COOKIES: these are the most common type of cookies, and they have a limited duration. They activate when you enter a site and are deleted when you leave said site, so they do not pose a privacy issue. They are useful for the user who is browsing the site because they enhance the browsing experience by retaining certain data in memory (for example, when a user adds a product to an e-commerce cart, that product remains in the cart thanks to cookies, and they can continue navigating in search of other products to buy).
- PERSISTENT COOKIE: this type of cookie, unlike session cookies, has a longer duration (it can last for years). As long as it remains active, the system recognizes the user each time they return to the site.
Cookies are then analyzed based on origin.
- FIRST-PARTY COOKIES: are cookies installed directly by the manager of the site you are visiting, and can be either persistent or session cookies.
- THIRD-PARTY COOKIES: to understand what third-party cookies are, just think about the name. These cookies are managed by third parties, that is, by someone who is not the manager of the site. They are used for different purposes, primarily for advertising.
The last distinction we will make is one that analyzes the function of cookies.
- TECHNICAL COOKIES: are cookies that improve the quality of a user's browsing experience (session cookies).
- PROFILING COOKIES: these are designed to profile users on websites (understand habits, tastes, etc.), very useful for targeted advertising.
If you're interested in removing or disabling cookies (when possible), we have written two articles that might help you: How to delete cookies and How to block cookies.
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