Clear, enable, 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 you visit. They make your online experience easier by saving browsing information. With cookies, 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 are created by the site you visit. The site is shown in the address bar.
  • Third-party cookies are created by other sites. These sites own some of the content, like ads or images, that you see on the webpage you visit.

Clear all cookies

If you remove cookies, you'll be signed out of websites and your saved preferences could be deleted.

  1. On your computer, open Chrome.
  2. At the top right, click More More and then Settings.
  3. Under "Privacy and security," click Cookies and other site data.
  4. Click See all cookies and site data and thenRemove all.
  5. Confirm by clicking Clear all.

Delete specific cookies

Change your cookie settings

You can allow or block cookies saved by websites.

Note: If you don't allow sites to save cookies, most sites that require you to sign in won't work.

Allow or block cookies

You can block or allow all cookies by default. You can also allow cookies from a specific site, while blocking third-party cookies in ads or images on that webpage.

  1. On your computer, open Chrome.
  2. At the top right, click More More and then 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."

Important: If you block third-party cookies, all cookies and site data from other sites will be blocked, even if the site is allowed on your exceptions list.

Allow or block cookies for a specific site

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 More and then Settings.
  3. Under "Privacy and security," click 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. SelectAdd.

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

Note: 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.

Delete cookies after you close Chrome

You can let sites remember information during your browsing session, but automatically delete the cookies when you close Chrome.

  1. On your computer, open Google Chrome.
  2. At the top right, click More More and then Settings.
  3. Under "Privacy and security," clickCookies and other site data.
  4. Turn on Clear cookies and site data when you close all windows.
    • If you're synced to Chrome, sync will pause when you quit your Chrome browsing session.

Related articles

  • Adjust website content settings
  • Clear browsing data
  • Clear cache and cookies

Was this helpful?

How can we improve it?