Experiment with Cookies

Cookie Playground

This interactive tool demonstrates how first-party and third-party cookies work in web browsers. Experiment with different scenarios to understand their behavior and privacy implications.

Use the controls below to set cookies, clear them, and observe how they persist across page reloads and different domains. This hands-on experience will help you grasp the concepts of web tracking and user privacy.

In order for this page to work, cookies will be created upon user request.

Cookie List

This table shows all existing first-party cookies and any third-party cookies created in the current session.

No cookies found. You can create one using the form above.

Understanding Cookies

What is a Cookie?

A cookie is a small piece of data stored on your computer by websites you visit. They help websites remember your preferences, login status, and other information to make your browsing experience better.

Cookie Name and Value

Each cookie has two main parts:

  • Name: A unique identifier for the cookie (like "user_id" or "theme_preference")
  • Value: The actual data stored in the cookie (like "12345" or "dark_mode")

First-Party vs Third-Party Cookies

  • First-Party Cookies: Created by the website you're directly visiting. For example, when you're on privacytools.info, a cookie from privacytools.info is a first-party cookie.
  • Third-Party Cookies: Created by other domains, different from the one you're visiting. These are often used for tracking, advertising, or providing external services.

Cookie Expiry

The expiry setting determines how long a cookie stays in your browser:

  • Session Cookie: Temporary cookie that is deleted when you close your browser.
  • Persistent Cookie: Stays in your browser until it reaches its expiry date or you manually delete it.

Frequently Asked Questions

How does this tool work?

This playground lets you experiment with both first-party and third-party cookies in a safe environment. You can create cookies with different names, values, and expiry times to understand how they work.

Where are the cookies stored?

First-party cookies are stored on privacytools.info domain. When you select "3rd Party" type, cookies are created on privacy-demo.pages.dev to demonstrate how third-party cookies work in practice.

Why can't I delete third-party cookies?

For security reasons, websites can only manage cookies that belong to their own domain. That's why you can only delete first-party cookies directly from this tool.

Why aren't third-party cookies working?

Many modern browsers block third-party cookies by default as a privacy measure. If you don't see third-party cookies appearing, check your browser's cookie settings.

How do I clear third-party cookies?

To clear third-party cookies created by this tool:

  1. Open your browser's developer tools (usually F12 or right-click and select "Inspect")
  2. Go to the "Application" or "Storage" tab
  3. Find "Cookies" in the sidebar and expand it
  4. Look for "privacy-demo.pages.dev" in the list
  5. Select and delete the cookies you want to remove

Alternatively, you can clear all cookies through your browser's privacy settings.