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Advertising cookies

Advertising cookies support conversion tracking, retargeting, audience building, and ad attribution across sites and platforms. They are the clearest example of non-essential tracking.

Cookies in this hub

45

Provider families

8

Default consent view

Consent required

Legal position

Advertising cookies require prior informed consent before they are set. If they load on page view before the visitor makes a choice, the site is exposed to immediate ePrivacy and GDPR risk.

Review pixels, ad platform templates, consent mode settings, server-side tagging, and any hidden scripts injected by app marketplaces or tag managers.

Banner copy tip: Tell users the cookies support personalised advertising, attribution, or remarketing and identify the relevant vendor where possible.

Common failures

  • Loading Meta Pixel, Google Ads, or LinkedIn tags in the site head before the CMP has a chance to block them.
  • Assuming consent mode alone is enough while advertising cookies still drop before consent.
  • Installing ad pixels through ecommerce apps or plugins without updating the cookie inventory.

Audit checklist

  • Ensure every advertising script is gated behind explicit opt-in before execution.
  • Test homepage, checkout-adjacent pages, campaign landing pages, and embedded forms for early pixel fires.
  • Review server-side tag managers and app integrations that may bypass client-side blocking.
  • Keep cookie policy entries aligned with the exact advertising vendors currently live on the site.

Providers commonly found here

Google (6)Microsoft Advertising (6)Criteo (4)Google Ads (4)LinkedIn (4)TikTok (4)Google DoubleClick (3)Meta (3)

Need platform-specific implementation advice? Review the matching hub for Shopify, WordPress, WooCommerce, PrestaShop.

Advertising cookies reference list

_gcl_auAdvertisingConsent required

Google Ads conversion-linker cookie. Stores ad-click information so conversions can be attributed outside Google's domain.

Expires: 3 months
Google LLC
Google Ads
_gcl_awAdvertisingConsent required

Google Ads click-through cookie set when a visitor lands on the site from a Google search ad. Used for attribution.

Expires: 3 months
Google LLC
Google Ads
_gcl_dcAdvertisingConsent required

Google Ads / DoubleClick click-through cookie set when a visitor arrives from a Display Network ad.

Expires: 3 months
Google LLC
Google Ads
_gac_<property-id>AdvertisingConsent required

Contains campaign-related information for the user. Linked to GA properties that have Google Ads auto-tagging enabled.

Expires: 3 months
Google LLC
Google Ads
IDEAdvertisingConsent required

Used by Google DoubleClick to register and report on user actions after viewing or clicking an ad — for measuring effectiveness and serving targeted ads.

Expires: 13 months
Google LLC
Google DoubleClick
test_cookieAdvertisingConsent required

Set by doubleclick.net to determine if the user's browser supports cookies before serving ads.

Expires: 15 minutes
Google LLC
Google DoubleClick
DSIDAdvertisingConsent required

Used by Google DoubleClick to identify a signed-in user across non-Google sites and remember whether they consented to ad personalisation.

Expires: 2 weeks
Google LLC
Google DoubleClick
NIDAdvertisingConsent required

Contains a unique ID Google uses to remember preferences (preferred language, ad personalisation) and to show targeted ads on Google services and across the web.

Expires: 6 months
Google LLC
Google
1P_JARAdvertisingConsent required

Used by Google to gather website statistics and track conversion rates. Set when Google domains are embedded (YouTube, reCAPTCHA, Maps).

Expires: 1 month
Google LLC
Google
SIDAdvertisingConsent required

Google account session cookie. On third-party sites (via YouTube, Maps, or reCAPTCHA embeds) it enables Google to identify a signed-in visitor across the web — a tracking-capable identifier that requires consent in EU/UK contexts.

Expires: 2 years
Google LLC
Google
HSIDAdvertisingConsent required

Companion to SID, signed to prevent forgery. On third-party sites surfaced through Google embeds, it contributes to cross-site visitor identification and ad personalisation.

Expires: 2 years
Google LLC
Google
__Secure-1PSIDAdvertisingConsent required

Secure first-party variant of the Google account session cookie. When surfaced on a third-party site through a Google embed, it enables Google to identify the visitor across the web for ad and product personalisation.

Expires: 2 years
Google LLC
Google
__Secure-3PSIDAdvertisingConsent required

Third-party variant of the Google account session cookie. Enables Google to deliver personalised ads across non-Google sites.

Expires: 2 years
Google LLC
Google
_fbpAdvertisingConsent required

Set by Meta Pixel (used by both Facebook and Instagram Ads) to identify browsers for ad delivery, conversion tracking, and remarketing.

Expires: 3 months
Meta Platforms Ireland Ltd.
Meta
_fbcAdvertisingConsent required

Stores the last-click ID (fbclid) from a Facebook or Instagram ad that brought the visitor to the site. Used for ad attribution and conversion tracking.

Expires: 3 months
Meta Platforms Ireland Ltd.
Meta
frAdvertisingConsent required

Set by facebook.com when Meta widgets are embedded (Like button, comments, login). Used to deliver ads, measure ad performance, and personalise ad content across Facebook and Instagram.

Expires: 3 months
Meta Platforms Ireland Ltd.
Meta
_ttpAdvertisingConsent required

TikTok Pixel cookie used to track conversions, optimise ad delivery, and build remarketing audiences.

Expires: 13 months
TikTok Information Technologies UK Ltd.
TikTok
ttwidAdvertisingConsent required

TikTok web identifier used for analytics and ad performance measurement across the TikTok ad network.

Expires: 1 year
TikTok Information Technologies UK Ltd.
TikTok
_tt_enable_cookieAdvertisingConsent required

Set by TikTok Pixel to confirm whether the visitor's browser will accept TikTok cookies before firing tracking events.

Expires: 13 months
TikTok Information Technologies UK Ltd.
TikTok
tt_webid_v2AdvertisingConsent required

Persistent TikTok web visitor ID used for cross-session attribution and ad measurement.

Expires: 1 year
TikTok Information Technologies UK Ltd.
TikTok
li_sugrAdvertisingConsent required

Used by LinkedIn Insight Tag to make a probabilistic match of a visitor's identity outside the designated countries.

Expires: 3 months
LinkedIn Ireland Unlimited Company
LinkedIn
bcookieAdvertisingConsent required

LinkedIn browser ID cookie used to identify devices accessing LinkedIn for analytics, ad measurement, and personalisation.

Expires: 1 year
LinkedIn Ireland Unlimited Company
LinkedIn
bscookieAdvertisingConsent required

Secure browser ID used for LinkedIn account security. On third-party sites it surfaces through LinkedIn embeds and forms part of LinkedIn's cross-site identity layer used for ad measurement and remarketing.

Expires: 1 year
LinkedIn Ireland Unlimited Company
LinkedIn
UserMatchHistoryAdvertisingConsent required

Used by LinkedIn for ID-syncing of advertising campaigns across user devices.

Expires: 1 month
LinkedIn Ireland Unlimited Company
LinkedIn
personalization_idAdvertisingConsent required

Used by X (formerly Twitter) to integrate and share features for social media and to personalise content and ads across the X ad network.

Expires: 2 years
X Corp.
X (Twitter)
guest_idAdvertisingConsent required

Used by X to identify and track website visitors (including non-logged-in users) for embedded content, analytics, and ads.

Expires: 2 years
X Corp.
X (Twitter)
muc_adsAdvertisingConsent required

Set by X to measure and improve the relevance of advertising shown on the X platform and via the X Audience Platform on third-party sites.

Expires: 2 years
X Corp.
X (Twitter)
_pinterest_sessAdvertisingConsent required

Used by Pinterest for tracking purposes and to enable users to share content via the Pinterest social network.

Expires: 1 year
Pinterest Europe Ltd.
Pinterest
_pin_unauthAdvertisingConsent required

Pinterest uses this cookie to group actions for users who cannot be identified by Pinterest (non-logged-in visitors).

Expires: 1 year
Pinterest Europe Ltd.
Pinterest
_pinterest_ct_uaAdvertisingConsent required

Used by the Pinterest conversion tag to attribute on-site events to Pinterest ad campaigns.

Expires: 1 year
Pinterest Europe Ltd.
Pinterest
_scidAdvertisingConsent required

Snapchat Pixel browser identifier used to track conversions and measure the effectiveness of Snapchat ads.

Expires: 13 months
Snap Group Limited
Snapchat
sc_atAdvertisingConsent required

Snapchat authentication / ad-attribution cookie used to associate visitors with Snapchat ad clicks.

Expires: 1 year
Snap Group Limited
Snapchat
_rdt_uuidAdvertisingConsent required

Reddit Pixel visitor identifier. Used to measure conversions, build remarketing audiences, and attribute on-site events to Reddit ad clicks.

Expires: 3 months
Reddit, Inc.
Reddit
cto_bundleAdvertisingConsent required

Criteo's primary retargeting cookie. Stores an encoded bundle that links the visitor to Criteo's ad-bidding profile for personalised display ads.

Expires: 13 months
Criteo SA
Criteo
cto_tld_testAdvertisingConsent required

Used by Criteo to determine the highest-level domain on which it can set cookies. Set briefly during the test, then expires.

Expires: Session
Criteo SA
Criteo
cto_idcpyAdvertisingConsent required

Stores a Criteo identifier copied from a related domain to maintain retargeting state across multiple TLDs.

Expires: 13 months
Criteo SA
Criteo
cto_sidAdvertisingConsent required

Criteo session identifier used to deduplicate ad impressions and conversion events within a single browsing session.

Expires: Session
Criteo SA
Criteo
_uetsidAdvertisingConsent required

Microsoft Bing Ads UET (Universal Event Tracking) session cookie. Used for conversion measurement and audience building for Bing/Microsoft Ads campaigns.

Expires: 1 day
Microsoft Corporation
Microsoft Advertising
_uetvidAdvertisingConsent required

Microsoft Bing Ads UET visitor cookie. Persistent ID used for cross-session attribution and remarketing for Microsoft Advertising.

Expires: 13 months
Microsoft Corporation
Microsoft Advertising
MUIDAdvertisingConsent required

Microsoft user identifier set on bing.com and microsoft.com. Used for user identification, ad personalisation, and analytics across Microsoft properties — including Bing Ads on third-party sites.

Expires: 13 months
Microsoft Corporation
Microsoft Advertising
SRM_BAdvertisingConsent required

Set by bing.com to register a unique ID that identifies a returning user's device for Bing Ads remarketing.

Expires: 13 months
Microsoft Corporation
Microsoft Advertising
ANONCHKAdvertisingConsent required

Used by Microsoft Clarity / Bing to validate analytics data and prevent fraudulent UET event submissions.

Expires: 10 minutes
Microsoft Corporation
Microsoft Advertising
MRAdvertisingConsent required

Used by Microsoft to indicate whether to refresh the MUID cookie. Supports Bing Ads attribution and audience syncing.

Expires: 1 week
Microsoft Corporation
Microsoft Advertising
_mcidAdvertisingConsent required

Mailchimp marketing cookie used to identify the visitor and link form submissions to a Mailchimp audience.

Expires: 1 year
The Rocket Science Group LLC
Mailchimp
__kla_idAdvertisingConsent required

Klaviyo identifier cookie. Tracks the visitor across sessions for email campaign attribution and audience syncing.

Expires: 2 years
Klaviyo, Inc.
Klaviyo

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