Use cookies to tailor your websites to specific users.
Websites use cookies to remember login information, shopping experiences, and language preferences so visitors don’t have to reenter these details each time they visit a website. Without this tailored user experience (UX), visitors might find websites time-consuming and frustrating, causing them to leave. To avoid this frustration, designers need to use cookies strategically when customizing web experiences.
Read on to understand how to use website cookies, plus best practices for implementing them on your client’s website.
What are online cookies?
HTTP cookies are small data packets that include information about browsing habits, website preferences, login details, and other session-specific data.
Types of website cookies
Understanding the different cookie types will help you configure your site to offer the right balance of personalization and security.
First-party cookies
First-party cookies are created by the site you visit. Websites typically use first-party cookies to remember your login details, language preferences, and other personalized settings.
Third-party cookies
Third-party cookies are created by other sites. Advertising networks or social media widgets use embedded third-party cookies to track user behavior across multiple websites, helping marketers deliver targeted ads based on browsing habits.
Session cookies
Session cookies last for one session, which starts when you launch a website or app and ends when you close your browser or the app. Information is stored in a temporary memory location and deleted after a session ends.
Persistent cookies
Persistent cookies are used to remember information, settings, preferences, and sign-on credentials over multiple visits, even after you close your browser. Web servers set expiration dates on persistent cookies, during which they will renew it automatically, request permission to renew, or delete it.
What cookies do and how they work
When people visit a website, the server generates cookies containing information such as their recent shopping cart contents. Browsers store these data packets on visitors' devices.
Each time visitors come back to the site, the browser returns these stored cookies to the server. This process allows the site to recognize the user and their previous interactions, personalizing and streamlining the web-surfing experience.
When designing a website, you can configure cookies with specific attributes to improve security and functionality. Here are a few examples.
Expiration
Session cookies expire after a specific period so the server or browser doesn't store temporary data indefinitely. This type of cookie helps protect sensitive information, like login or credit card details, and minimizes the risk of unauthorized access if someone else uses the same device.
For example, setting a cookie to expire in 30 days means the site will automatically delete the cookie after that period unless you renew it.
Encryption
Encrypted cookies encode data, converting it into a secure format only the web server can decipher. This encryption prevents unauthorized parties from reading the cookie's contents, even if they can access it.
A banking website might store account details using encrypted cookies so cyber attackers can't understand the data without a decryption key.
Signatures
To verify a cookie’s authenticity, you can create a unique signature with a secret key known only to the server. This key prevents third parties from tampering with the cookie — if someone tries to modify it, the server detects this attempt and rejects any changes.
For instance, an ecommerce website might use signed cookies to store and validate payment preferences and cart contents so fraudulent parties can’t access or alter them.
Understanding the different types of cookies and how they work are important for building user trust and handling data responsibly. Keep reading to learn how websites collect cookies, plus how to manage and implement them correctly.
How websites collect cookies
Websites and other online platforms collect cookies through various methods that track user interactions. One way is via third-party analytics tools, which track visitor behaviors like page views, session duration, and click-through rates. These tools store cookies in a user's browser to identify repeat visits and track activity across multiple sessions.
Advertising networks and social media platforms use cookies to collect data for targeted ads by tracking users across different websites. You can also collect cookies through website forms where people submit personal information, like mobile numbers and email addresses.
Similarly, content management systems collect cookies to personalize content or manage website sessions. Many sites have cookies that track logins, theme preferences, shopping cart activity, device specifications, and location. Each new piece of information collected via cookies helps tailor the user experience to improve usability and save time.
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How to manage and delete cookies
Visitors often want to know how to delete or control cookies for privacy and security. While it depends on the browser and device you are using, consider providing guidance on common browser settings, enabling users to choose what data they share.
It’s important to remember that if you delete cookies, you may get signed out of sites that have stored your information. Typically, you will look for an option in your privacy settings to manage or delete browsing data or history. You can choose a time range, what you want to delete, and the like — again, depending on the browser. Here are instructions for how to manage and delete cookies in Google Chrome and Apple Safari.
How to implement cookies effectively
Cookies are versatile tools that improve the UX while providing analytics insights you can use for marketing. Here are several ways to use cookies.
Session management
Maintaining sessions and preferences creates a seamless UX, allowing site visitors to continue where they left off. When a site remembers someone's personalized settings and keeps them logged in between sessions, they're more likely to continue their interactions.
Best practices
- Save login credentials so people don't have to enter usernames and passwords every time they visit your website.
- Keep shopping cart contents on sites with ecommerce functionality so shoppers can continue checking out even if they leave and return later.
- Store language and currency preferences to provide a consistent and localized experience.
- Add session timeouts and multi-factor authentication to user settings to improve security.
Personalization
Cookies track people’s online habits and present relevant, personalized content to improve the UX and promote further interactions. For example, a news website can use cookies to display recommended articles based on a visitor's reading history, encouraging them to stay on the site and engage with more content.
Best practices
- Recommend content like articles, products, and services based on a visitor’s browsing history.
- Adjust website layouts or themes to match the preferences stored in cookies, such as light or dark mode.
Analytics
Analytics cookies provide insights into visitor metrics, like click-through, bounce, and conversion rates. Collecting data on website usage tells you how people interact with your website, allowing you to optimize it for higher engagement.
Best practices
- Collect data on page views, time on page, navigation paths, and other key performance indicators.
- Implement data retention policies determine how long you’ll keep analytics data and how you’ll communicate that to users for transparency.
- Segment your target audience and send them to different versions of the site to see which performs better.
Advertising
Third-party cookies can track behavior across multiple websites for more personalized ad targeting, which improves engagement and conversion rates. When people visit another website that uses the same ad network, they’ll see marketing content tailored to their browsing history.
For example, cookies can show running shoe sales to someone who recently visited a sportswear website.
Best practices
- Retarget campaigns to show ads to people who have previously visited your site but didn't complete their purchase.
- Display ads on partner sites by setting cookies to collect data on user interests.
Security
Cookies can verify user identity and protect your visitors from malicious activities like account hacking and phishing. Ensuring data privacy and security increases satisfaction and improves your client's reputation as a reliable brand.
Best practices
- Monitor session activities and detect unusual patterns that might indicate unauthorized access. Multiple failed login attempts, access from unusual locations, and simultaneous sessions can all point toward phishing attacks.
- Use expiration attributes to store sensitive information temporarily, and ask legitimate account holders to renew the cookie occasionally.
- Assign trusted devices using two-factor authentication so people can choose where to store their login credentials.
- Encrypt all traffic with HTTPS and HSTS and implement secure session tokens to block session hijacking.
- Never click suspicious links or attachments and verify senders by contacting them directly through official channels to avoid phishing attacks.
Cookie regulations for ethical implementation
While cookies are useful for many different things, site visitors might find them intrusive to their privacy. Some companies collect browsing data and sell it to advertisers. This type of in-depth tracking can feel invasive, especially when it involves gathering details about browsers' online activities without their explicit knowledge or consent.
The General Data Protection Regulation, or GDPR, is the most extensive data protection legislation to date. It mandates that websites disclose what information their cookies collect and ask for user permission before placing computer cookies on their devices. The California Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA) is another data privacy legislation, although it protects only Californian residents.
When using cookies on your website, you must follow these regulations to protect user information and build trust. Comply with GDPR and CCPA laws by providing consent banners, informing visitors about what data the site collects.
It’s important to note that the GDPR is a European Union (EU) law, so any company wishing to do business in the EU must follow these stipulations. But even if your site is based elsewhere, it’s best practice to obtain user approval for cookies to balance personalization while respecting privacy.
Best practices for compliance:
- Provide a clear consent banner to allow visitors to opt in and out of accepting cookies.
- Prioritize transparency by explaining what data you collect.
- Offer an easy opt-out option and give people control over their data. (See what Google did with its third-party cookie deprecation.)
- Keep policies updated like GDPR and CCPA laws.
Add cookies to your website with Webflow
Managing cookies is essential for creating a personalized and secure browsing environment for your visitors. They save visitors time when returning to a website and protect their information from cyber criminals, improving the overall UX.
With Webflow, you can build websites that integrate seamlessly with tools like the Cookie Consent App to improve site usability and performance. This integration allows you to customize consent pop-ups and provide users with control over their data. Use a clear cookie banner to inform visitors about collection and consent, and link to your policy for transparency.
Start building dynamic websites that prioritize privacy and trust with Webflow.
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