How to Manually Check Cookies in a Web Browser: 4 Easy Ways (2024)

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  • Computers and Electronics
  • Internet
  • Internet Security

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Quickly find and manage the cookies and site data for your desktop browsers

Written byRain Kengly

Last Updated: January 15, 2023Fact Checked

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  • Using Google Chrome
  • |
  • Using Safari
  • |
  • Using Mozilla Firefox
  • |
  • Using Microsoft Edge
  • |
  • Video
  • |
  • |
  • Tips
  • |
  • Warnings

Do you want to look up your cookies on your computer's web browser? Cookies are pieces of information that help your browser remember a website's past visit. This makes the website easier and quicker to access. Cookies can usually be found in your browser's Settings, and you can view, delete, or manage them for individual websites. This wikiHow will show you how to view and access your browser's cookies on the desktop versions of Google Chrome, Safari, Firefox, and Microsoft Edge.

Things You Should Know

  • In Google Chrome, click ⋮ → "Settings" → "Privacy and security" → "Cookies and other site data" → "See all site data and permissions".
  • On Safari, click "Safari" → "Settings" → "Privacy" → "Manage Website Data…".
  • On Firefox, click ☰ → "Settings" → "Privacy & Security" → "Manage data…".

Method 1

Method 1 of 4:

Using Google Chrome

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  1. 1

    Open Google Chrome. This looks like a green, red, blue, and yellow sphere icon.

    • If needed, you can download Google Chrome.
  2. 2

    Click . This icon is in the top-right corner of the Chrome window.

    • A drop-down menu will open.

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  3. 3

    Click Settings. It's toward the bottom of the drop-down menu.

    • A new window will open.
  4. 4

    Click Privacy and security. This will be on the left panel, underneath Autofill.

  5. 5

    Click Cookies and other site data. You can find this between Privacy Guide and Security.

  6. 6

    Click See all site data and permissions. You may need to scroll down to find this option.

    • The All sites page will open.
  7. 7

    View your cookies. You'll see a list of visited websites.[1]

    • Click the drop-down menu for Sort by and select: Most visited, Data stored, or Name. You can also use the search bar in the top-right corner to search for specific websites.
    • Click the arrow next to each website to expand its details. You can adjust permission for each cookie here.
    • To delete a cookie, select a website and click the trashcan.
    • You can also delete Google Chrome history.
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Method 2

Method 2 of 4:

Using Safari

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  1. 1

    Open Safari. This resembles a blue compass.[2]

    • Make sure to update Safari. To do this, you'll need to update your Mac.
  2. 2

    Click Safari. This will be in the top toolbar, next to the Apple logo.

  3. 3

    Click Settings. A new window will open.

  4. 4

    Click Privacy. This is the top tab between Security and Websites.

  5. 5

    Click Manage Website Data…. You can find this below Cookies and website data.

  6. 6

    View your cookies. You'll see a list of visited websites. Use the search bar in the top-right to find specific websites, or scroll up and down.

    • To delete a cookie, select the website and click Remove. You can also click Remove All to clear all cookies.
    • When you're finished, click Done.
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Method 3

Method 3 of 4:

Using Mozilla Firefox

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  1. 1

    Open Mozilla Firefox. This looks like a globe with an orange fox encircling it.

    • Make sure to update FireFox.
  2. 2

    Click . This icon is in the top-right corner of the browser window.

  3. 3

    Click Settings. You can find this at the bottom, above More tools.

    • A new window will open.
  4. 4

    Click Privacy & Security. This will be on the left panel, underneath Search.

  5. 5

    Click Manage Data…. This is underneath the Cookies and Site Data header. You may need to scroll down.

    • A pop-up window will open.
  6. 6

    View your cookies. Click each title to sort by: Site, Cookies, Storage, and Last used.

    • Type into the search bar to find specific websites.
    • To remove a cookie, select the website and click Remove Selected. To remove all cookies, click Remove All.
    • When you're finished, click Save Changes in the bottom-right corner.
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Method 4

Method 4 of 4:

Using Microsoft Edge

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  1. 1

    Open Microsoft Edge. This looks like a blue and green stylized e.

  2. 2

    Click ••• . This will be in the top-right corner.

    • A pop-up menu will open.
  3. 3

    Click Settings. You can find this towards the bottom of the menu.

    • A new window will open.
  4. 4

    Click Cookies and site permissions. This will be on the left panel, underneath Share, copy and paste.

  5. 5

    Click Manage and delete cookies and site data. You can find this at the very top of the page. You'll be redirected to a new page.

  6. 6

    Click See all cookies and site data. This will be at the bottom of the first section.

  7. 7

    View your cookies. You'll see a list of visited websites.

    • Click Sort by and select: Name, Most cookies, Most data, or Last modified. You can also click Filter by and select: All, First party, or Third party.
    • To delete individual cookies, select the website, then click the trashcan icon. You can also click Remove all or Remove third-party cookies at the top-right.
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Community Q&A

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  • Question

    How do I know which cookies to keep? I have a ton of them.

    Only keep cookies of your favorite sites with which you have an account so you won't have to enter your account name and password to log in every time you visit. Other cookies are not necessary and some of them are used to track you across the web, which is an invasion of your privacy.

    Thanks! We're glad this was helpful.
    Thank you for your feedback.
    If wikiHow has helped you, please consider a small contribution to support us in helping more readers like you. We’re committed to providing the world with free how-to resources, and even $1 helps us in our mission.Support wikiHow

    YesNo

    Not Helpful 5Helpful 18

  • Question

    How do I check cookies in Bing?

    How to Manually Check Cookies in a Web Browser: 4 Easy Ways (34)

    Community Answer

    Bing is not a web browser, like Internet Explorer or Firefox. It is a search engine, like Yahoo and Google. Bing cannot store cookies.

    Thanks! We're glad this was helpful.
    Thank you for your feedback.
    If wikiHow has helped you, please consider a small contribution to support us in helping more readers like you. We’re committed to providing the world with free how-to resources, and even $1 helps us in our mission.Support wikiHow

    YesNo

    Not Helpful 9Helpful 18

  • Question

    Is Opera a web browser?

    How to Manually Check Cookies in a Web Browser: 4 Easy Ways (35)

    Community Answer

    Yes, it is.

    Thanks! We're glad this was helpful.
    Thank you for your feedback.
    If wikiHow has helped you, please consider a small contribution to support us in helping more readers like you. We’re committed to providing the world with free how-to resources, and even $1 helps us in our mission.Support wikiHow

    YesNo

    Not Helpful 6Helpful 8

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      Video

      Tips

      • Deleting your browser's cookies every couple of weeks will help your computer maintain its performance.

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      Warnings

      • Cookies help your computer load frequently visited sites faster, so if you delete a site's cookies, it will likely load slower than usual the next time you open it.

        Thanks

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      About This Article

      How to Manually Check Cookies in a Web Browser: 4 Easy Ways (51)

      Written by:

      Rain Kengly

      wikiHow Technology Writer

      This article was co-authored by wikiHow staff writer, Rain Kengly. Rain Kengly is a wikiHow Technology Writer. As a storytelling enthusiast with a penchant for technology, they hope to create long-lasting connections with readers from all around the globe. Rain graduated from San Francisco State University with a BA in Cinema. This article has been viewed 1,604,475 times.

      How helpful is this?

      Co-authors: 24

      Updated: January 15, 2023

      Views:1,604,475

      Categories: Internet Security

      Article SummaryX

      1. Open Chrome.
      2. Click the menu.
      3. Click Settings.
      4. Click Advanced.
      5. Click Content settings.
      6. Click Cookies.
      7. Click See all cookies and site data.

      Did this summary help you?

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      Thanks to all authors for creating a page that has been read 1,604,475 times.

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      How to Manually Check Cookies in a Web Browser: 4 Easy Ways (2024)

      FAQs

      How to Manually Check Cookies in a Web Browser: 4 Easy Ways? ›

      In Google Chrome, click ⋮ → "Settings" → "Privacy and security" → "Cookies and other site data" → "See all site data and permissions". On Safari, click "Safari" → "Settings" → "Privacy" → "Manage Website Data…". On Firefox, click ☰ → "Settings" → "Privacy & Security" → "Manage data…".

      How do I manually set cookies in my browser? ›

      chrome://settings/content/cookies

      Cookie-Editor is designed to have a simple to use interface that let you do most standard cookie operations. It is ideal for developing and testing web pages or even manual management of cookies for your privacy.

      How do I check if my browser allows cookies? ›

      You can allow or block third-party cookies by default.
      1. On your computer, open Chrome.
      2. At the top right, click More Settings .
      3. Click Privacy and security. Third-party cookies. ...
      4. Select an option: Allow third-party cookies.

      How do I manually enable cookies in my browser? ›

      Enabling Cookies in Your Browser
      1. Click 'Tools' (the gear icon) in the browser toolbar.
      2. Choose Internet Options.
      3. Click the Privacy tab, and then, under Settings, move the slider to the top to block all cookies or to the bottom to allow all cookies, and then click OK.

      How do I manually check cookies? ›

      In Google Chrome, click ⋮ → "Settings" → "Privacy and security" → "Cookies and other site data" → "See all site data and permissions". On Safari, click "Safari" → "Settings" → "Privacy" → "Manage Website Data…". On Firefox, click ☰ → "Settings" → "Privacy & Security" → "Manage data…".

      How do I view cookies stored on my computer? ›

      In general, to get to the Microsoft cookies folder in Windows 10 or 11, you can open the Run box, type shell:cookies, and press Enter. They're located in the INetCookies folder in the C: drive. Your cookies are located in the same folder if you use Windows 8 or Windows 8.1.

      How do I check my website for tracking cookies? ›

      In Google Chrome, open an Incognito window and insert the address of your website.
      1. Click the lock icon in the browser URL box.
      2. Click on cookies. You can also see right here how many cookies are placed.
      3. The active cookies on your web page are displayed. For more information, click on the little triangles in front of it.

      How do I analyze cookies on a website? ›

      Right-click on your web page and choose 'Inspect' Select 'Application,' then choose 'Cookies' under the 'Storage' section. Analyze the purpose of the cookies. Inform you of the user information collected by the cookies.

      How do I check for insecure cookies? ›

      You can determine whether or not a session cookie is missing the secure flag by checking the domain against https://securityheaders.com. Alternatively, you can validate with the Google Chrome developer tools when examining the HTTP Response header Set-Cookie.

      What happens if you don't accept cookies? ›

      What happens if you don't accept cookies? – The potential problem with refusing to accept cookies is that some website owners may not allow you to use their websites if you don't accept their cookies. Another downside is that without acceptance, you may not receive the full user experience on certain websites.

      How to see cookies in Chrome? ›

      To check cookies in Chrome:
      1. Right-click on the website and click Inspect or press F12 or Ctrl + Shift + I for Windows or command + option + J for Mac to open the developer console.
      2. Go to the Applications > Storage.
      3. Expand the Cookies dropdown and select the website to see the cookie details.

      Should you accept cookies? ›

      Accepting cookies from trusted sources can help maintain the security of your online interactions. Control - Most modern browsers provide options to control cookie settings. You can choose to accept all cookies, block all cookies, or selectively accept cookies from specific websites.

      Can you control the cookies on your browser settings? ›

      Manage your tracking protections

      If you choose to, you can block third-party cookies completely in your settings. You can manage your Tracking Protection preferences in your “Privacy and Security” settings. Tracking Protection. Block all third-party cookies: When you toggle this on, features on some sites may not work.

      How do you put cookies in your website? ›

      Outline your cookie use in a privacy policy and a cookie policy. Make users aware of both policies using clear language. Get clear, explicit consent from users before placing any cookies on their browsers. Allow users to change their cookie preferences or opt out of the tracking at any time.

      How do you enable cookies and local storage in your browser? ›

      Google Chrome/Chromium
      1. Click on the menu button in the top-right corner of your Chrome window.
      2. Select “Settings” from that menu.
      3. Click “Cookies and site permissions”.
      4. Click on “Cookies and site data”.
      5. Toggle on the setting for “Allow sites to save and read cookie data (recommended)”.

      How to cookie set? ›

      set() The set() method of the cookies API sets a cookie containing the specified cookie data. This method is equivalent to issuing an HTTP Set-Cookie header during a request to a given URL. The call succeeds only if you include the "cookies" API permission in your manifest.

      References

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