What are cookies and what are the differences?

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Christian
18 April 2024

Article last updated on: 17 March 2025

Good cookies, bad cookies, necessary and unnecessary cookies: these are by no means the only distinguishing features. Instead, a distinction is first made between first-party and third-party cookies. Second-party cookies are a less common term, but we want to take a look at them anyway. In addition to an explanation of the most important differences, we will also look at other terms.

What are cookies anyway?

In the digital environment, the term "biscuit" describes a text file (HTTP cookie) that is usually stored in the browser when someone visits a website. The cookie is either generated via Javascript (in the browser) or transmitted from the server to the browser. However, not all cookies are the same: there are different types of these files, which can have different purposes.

To understand: The terms almost always overlap or complement each other. For example, a session cookie can be a necessary cookie as well as a functional cookie. However, for the sake of clarity, we want to list and describe the cookie types and terms individually.

First-party and third-party cookies: What is the difference?

Whether it is a first-party or third-party cookie depends on who (which website/domain) places the cookie:

A First-party cookie is only ever generated / stored by the visited domain. These can therefore be functional session cookies, for example.
Third-party cookies are generated and analysed by another website. These are usually non-essential tracking and advertising cookies. Indirectly or directly, the data is therefore available to partners of the second provider. However, such cookies are not dangerous.

If you are looking for tracking software that also works without cookies, then click here ? for an overview of the best Google Analytics alternatives

Are there second-party cookies?

As Second-party cookie Cookies that are set by a second domain but whose tracked data is not available to a third party could be referred to as first-party cookies. In this context, one also speaks of first-party cookies, Second and third-party data .

Necessary cookies

Necessary (essential) cookies must be set to ensure the correct functioning of a website. In particular, login data and shopping baskets are stored in this way.

Functional cookies

Functional cookies are partly necessary cookies, but also enable additional functions - for example, the provision of videos on websites. They therefore improve the user experience and only collect anonymised information.

Performance cookies

Performance cookies measure the performance of a website (e.g. loading time, functionality in different browsers). They also provide the website operator with information about whether users receive error messages. All information is anonymised and not personal.

Tracking cookies and analysis cookies

Tracking cookies, such as those set by the web analysis service Google Analytics, recognise how a user behaves on the website - whether they are visiting it for the first time, calling it up again, what specific actions they perform on the site, how long they stay on a page and which browser and end device they use to surf.

Advertising cookies (marketing cookies)

Advertising/(re)marketing cookies also track users. The aim is to display advertising as optimally as possible by tracking a user's surfing behaviour as precisely as possible.

Advertising cookies (marketing cookies)

Advertising/(re)marketing cookies also track users. The aim is to display advertising as optimally as possible by tracking a user's surfing behaviour as precisely as possible.

Social media cookies are always set when users utilise the services of platforms such as Facebook, Xing, Twitter and others. These can be functional cookies (login, likes, etc.) but also non-essential tracking and marketing cookies.

Session cookies

Session cookies are those with a short "lifespan". If a user ends the session or is inactive for a longer period of time, the session cookie is deleted.

Permanent cookies

The permanent cookie (also: persistent cookie) is, so to speak, the counterpart to the session cookie and is permanently active. It is only deleted as soon as the browser data is actively cleared. A classic example of the use of persistent cookies is the "Remember me" function in numerous web services.

Which cookies require consent?

According to the EU Cookie Directive only first-party cookies that are technically necessary and essential for the functioning of a website be active without users having given their prior consent. These can be session cookies for logins or shopping baskets, for example. Website operators have a legitimate interest in the use of such cookies.

The Activation of non-essential cookies (performance, tracking, marketing), on the other hand, should be regulated via an opt-in procedure.

Website operators (publishers) can only then (possibly) dispense with the user's active consent via a content banner, if no non-essential cookies are set and no personal data is processed. This is the case, for example, with web analysis tools such as Trackboxx. Tracking works without cookies - the tool does not store any personal data.

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Blocking certain cookies: useful or not?

Many browsers (Google Chrome, Edge, Firefox, Safari, etc.) offer functions for blocking or deleting various cookies by default. The usual consent banner (cookie banner) can also be used on many websites to set which cookies you accept as a user and which should remain inactive.

Blocking necessary session cookies, for example, would make no sense - unless you only want to use many websites to a very limited extent. Most third-party cookies, on the other hand, can be blocked without affecting the user experience. Nevertheless, deactivating such cookies can have disadvantages - for example, if websites provide live chat services via third-party cookies and you want to use a corresponding service.

Did you know that ...

... tracking (i.e., web analytics) is also possible without cookies? Trackboxx generates a hash instead of cookies. Personal data is not stored. This allows you to potentially even skip the consent banner under certain conditions. Sounds good? Then try Trackboxx completely free and without obligation.