Clear, enable and manage cookies in Chrome
All cookies are allowed by default, but you can adjust this setting and clear cookies for all sites or for certain pages.
What cookies are
Cookies are files created by websites that you've visited. Cookies store browsing information, such as your site preferences or profile information. There are two types of cookies:
- First-party cookies are set by the site shown in the address bar.
- Third-party cookies come from other sites that have things such as ads or images embedded on the page that you're visiting.
Not all cookies are bad. For example, cookies help the website remember your preferred settings so it can reload them when you revisit the site next week. Cookies can also help a website remember your location, so it can provide you with locally relevant content, like weather.
Delete specific cookies or clear all cookies
You can remove first-party and third-party cookie information and data from your devices. If you remove cookies, things like saved preferences on websites might get deleted.
- On your computer, open Google Chrome.
- At the top-right, click More Settings.
- At the bottom, click Show advanced settings.
- In the "Privacy" section, click Content settings.
- Under "Cookies", click All cookies and site data.
- To delete all cookies, click Remove all.
- To delete a specific cookie, point to a site. To the right, click Close .
- You can also choose to remove all cookies created during a specific time period.
Allow or don't allow cookies
You can enable or disable cookies saved by websites.
- On your computer, open Google Chrome.
- At the top-right, click More Settings.
- At the bottom, click Show advanced settings.
- In the "Privacy" section, click Content settings.
- Use the "Cookies" section to change your settings:
- To allow first-party and third-party cookies, choose Allow local data to be set.
- To block all cookies, choose Block sites from setting any data. When you use this setting, most sites that require you to sign in won't work.
- To allow only first-party cookies and block all third-party cookies, tick the box next to "Block third-party cookies and site data". This setting means that site data cannot be written and read, even if you've added a site to the exceptions list and have chosen to allow its cookies.
Check that your settings were saved
If you go to a site and a cookie is blocked, in the address bar you'll see a blocked cookie icon .
Manage other cookie data and information
You have control over your cookie information when using Chrome on your computer. Learn how to manage your settings.
Chrome allows sites to keep information that includes first-party and third-party cookies while you're browsing, but erase them when you quit Chrome.
- On your computer, open Google Chrome.
- At the top-right, click More Settings.
- At the bottom, click Show advanced settings.
- In the "Privacy" section, click Content settings.
- Under "Cookies", choose Keep local data only until you quit your browser.
You can't clear some cookies and site data associated with apps that you've added to Chrome from the Chrome Web Store. Find out how to clear hosted app data deleting your cache and other browsing data.
You can block most cookies while still allowing them from certain sites:
- On your computer, open Google Chrome.
- At the top-right, click More Settings.
- At the bottom, click Show advanced settings.
- In the "Privacy" section, click Content settings.
- Under "Cookies," click Manage exceptions.
- Enter the site name for which you want to allow cookies.
- To allow cookies from an entire domain, insert
[*.]
before the domain name. For example,[*.]google.com
. This creates an exception for drive.google.com and calendar.google.com. - You can also put an IP address or a web address that doesn't begin with
http
.
- To allow cookies from an entire domain, insert
- To the right of the site name, click the Down arrow .
- Choose whether the site can set cookies. If you select Clear on exit, its cookies are deleted every time that you close your browser.
You can also edit or remove exceptions using this box.
- On your computer, open Google Chrome.
- At the top-right, click More Settings.
- At the bottom, click Show advanced settings.
- In the "Privacy" section, click Content settings.
- Under "Cookies," click Manage exceptions.
- Point to a site or domain.
- To the right, click Close .
- Click Finished.
If you're using a Chromebook at work or school, your network administrator might configure cookies for you, in which case you can't change these settings yourself. Find out about using a managed Chromebook.
If you've added cookies exceptions for specific domains, the address bar will show if cookies are blocked .
You can adjust cookie permissions for the page that you're on.
- On your computer, open Chrome.
- Go to the page for which you want to manage cookies.
- At the top, next to the web address, click Lock or Page .
- Click [number] from this site.
- Adjust the cookies:
- Re-block allowed cookies: in the "Allowed" tab, select the site from the list at the top and click Block.
- Allow cookies from a domain: in the "Blocked" tab, select the site from the list at the top and click Allow.
- Allow cookies from a domain until you exit or quit Chrome: in the "Blocked" tab, select the site from the list at the top and click Clear on exit. The cookies are deleted every time you close your browser.
You may need to reload the page for the changes to take effect. Even if you've allowed a site's cookies, its third-party cookies won't be accepted if you've ticked "Block third-party cookies and site data."
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Megan is a Google Chrome expert and the author of this help page. Help her improve this article by leaving feedback below.