Clear, allow and manage cookies in Chrome

You can choose to delete existing cookies, allow or block all cookies, and set preferences for certain websites.

What cookies are

Cookies are files created by websites that you visit. By saving information about your visit, they make your online experience easier. For example, sites can keep you signed in, remember your site preferences and give you locally relevant content.

There are two types of cookies:

• First-party cookies: Created by the site that you visit. The site is shown in the address bar.
• Third-party cookies: Created by other sites. A site that you visit can embed content from other sites, for example images, ads and text. Any of these sites can save cookies and other data to personalise your experience.

Clear all cookies

Important: If you delete cookies, you might get signed out of sites that remember you and your saved preferences could be deleted. This applies any time a cookie is deleted.

1. On your computer, open Chrome.
2. At the top right, click More Settings .
3. Click Privacy and security  Cookies and other site data.
4. Click See all site data and permissions  Clear all data.
5. To confirm, click Clear.

Delete specific cookies

Delete cookies from a site

1. On your computer, open Chrome.
2. At the top right, click More Settings .
3. Click Privacy and security Cookies and other site data.
4. Click See all site data and permissions.
5. At the top right, search for the website's name.
6. To the right of the site, click Remove .
7. To confirm, click Clear.

Delete cookies from a period of time

1. On your computer, open Chrome.
2. At the top right, click More More tools Clear browsing data.
3. At the top, next to 'Time range', click the drop-down.
4. Choose a time period, such as the past hour or the past day.
5. Tick Cookies and other site data.
6. Untick all the other items.
7. Click Clear data.

Change your cookie settings

Important: If you don't allow sites to save cookies, most sites that require you to sign in won't work and your saved preferences may not be saved.

You can allow or block cookies for any site.

Allow or block cookies

You can allow or block all cookies by default. You can also allow cookies from a site that you visit, but block third-party cookies in ads or images on that web page.

1. On your computer, open Chrome.
2. At the top right, click More Settings .
3. Under 'Privacy and security', click Cookies and other site data.
4. Select an option:
   • Allow all cookies.
   • Block all cookies (not recommended).
   • Block third-party cookies in Incognito.
   • Block third-party cookies.
     • If you block third-party cookies, all cookies and site data from other sites are blocked, even if the site is allowed on your exceptions list.

Allow or block cookies for a specific site

Important: If you’re using your Chromebook at work or school, you might not be able to change this setting. For more help, contact your administrator.

If you allow cookies by default, you can still block them for a certain site.

1. On your computer, open Chrome.
2. At the top right, click More Settings.
3. Click Privacy and security  Cookies and other site data. 
4. Next to 'Sites that can always use cookies', 'Always clear cookies when windows are closed' or 'Sites that never use cookies', click Add. 
5. Enter the web address.
   • To create an exception for an entire domain, insert [*.] before the domain name. For example, [*.]google.com will match drive.google.com and calendar.google.com.
   • You can also put an IP address or a web address that doesn't start with http://.
6. Select Add.

To remove an exception that you don't want any more, to the right of the website, click More Remove.

Allow third-party cookies temporarily for a specific site

If you block third-party cookies, some sites may not work as you expected. You can temporarily allow third-party cookies for a specific site you visit.

1. On your computer, open Chrome.
2. In the address bar at the top:
   • To allow third-party cookies: Select Third-party cookies blocked and turn on Third-party cookies.
   • To block third-party cookies: Select Third-party cookies allowed and turn off Third-party cookies.
3. To close the dialogue box and reload the page, select Close . You can also select anywhere outside of the dialogue box to close it.
4. Once the page reloads, it shows 'Third-party cookies allowed' or “Third-party cookies blocked.”

Tips:

• This option is only temporary and only for the site you’re on.
• Sites get added to the exception list automatically.
• If you temporarily allow third-party cookies on a site, that setting carries over into Incognito mode and you can't reset it from Incognito mode.

Allow related sites to access your activity

A company can define a group of sites that are related to each other. For example, a company might want to keep you signed in as you move between acme-music.example and acme-video.example.

If you allow third-party cookies: Allows related sites to access your activity to personalise content or keep you signed in across sites.

If you block third-party cookies: It often prevents this kind of connection between sites. You can block third-party cookies while you allow sites in the same group to improve your experience.

You can find the full list of companies who define groups of related sites on Github. Learn more about related sites and third-party cookies.

Important: If you select 'Allow all cookies', then a group of related sites can share your activity in the group by default.

To allow related sites to see your activity within the group:

1. On your computer, open Chrome.
2. At the top right, click More Settings.
3. Click Privacy and security Third-party cookies.
4. Select Block third-party cookies.
5. Turn Allow related sites to remember you across sites on or off.

To show related sites in the same group:

1. On your computer, open Chrome.
2. At the top right, click More Settings.
3. Click Privacy and security Third-party cookies See all site data and permissions.
4. Choose a site.
5. Click More Show related sites.

Tip: To find related sites, next to the address bar, click View site information Cookies and site data See related sites.

About embedded content

Sites you visit can embed content from other sites, for example images, ads, text and even features — like a text editor or weather widget. These other sites can ask for permission to use info they’ve saved about you (often saved using cookies) in order for their content to function properly.

For example, imagine you normally compose documents on docs.google.com. While completing a task for school, you need to collaborate with other students on your school’s class portal that offers direct access to Google Docs. With your permission:

• Google Docs can access its third-party cookies while you use your school’s site, allowing a connection between the site and Google Docs.
• This may allow Google Docs to verify who you are, find your info and save changes you make to your documents on the site.

In some cases, this info can be used to track your activity as you browse sites. As a privacy feature, you can decide when to allow embedded content to access your data for sites you trust.

Tip: The connection uses cookies and lasts for 30 days or as long as you remain active. You can stop allowing the connection at any time in Settings.

To allow or decline permission

When you browse a site that displays a prompt requesting permission for the embedded content to use information they’ve saved about you:

• Select Allow to give the site access to information they’ve saved about you (using cookies)
• Select Don’t allow to deny access

Tips:

• To stop allowing access, learn how to manage site settings permissions.
• You can also manage access by clicking View site information to the left of the address bar, and then turning Embedded content on or off.

Learn how to manage on-device site data in Chrome.

Related resources

• Change site settings permissions
• Clear browsing data
• Clear cache and cookies
• Manage your ads privacy in Chrome