Free cookie policy template

A cookie policy explains which cookies and similar technologies your website uses, what they do and how visitors can control them. This template organizes cookies into the four categories most consent tools use. Replace the examples in [brackets] with the cookies your site actually sets.

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Last reviewed September 2026. General information, not legal advice.

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Cookie Policy

Last updated: September 29, 2026

This Cookie Policy explains how [Company Name] ("we", "us" or "our") uses cookies and similar technologies on [website name] (the "Site"). It should be read together with our [Privacy Policy].

1. What are cookies?

Cookies are small text files that a website stores on your device. They let the site remember things like whether you are signed in or which language you prefer. Similar technologies, such as local storage and pixels, work in a comparable way, and we refer to all of them as "cookies" in this policy.

2. Cookies we use

Category	What it does	Examples
Strictly necessary	Required for the Site to work, such as keeping you signed in and protecting forms. These can't be switched off.	[Session cookie, security token]
Preferences	Remember choices you make, such as language or theme.	[Theme setting]
Analytics	Help us understand how visitors use the Site so we can improve it.	[Google Analytics, Plausible]
Marketing	Used to show relevant ads and measure campaigns, sometimes across other websites.	[Meta Pixel, Google Ads]

3. Third-party cookies

Some cookies are set by third parties, such as analytics or advertising providers. These providers may use the information according to their own privacy policies.

4. Your choices

Where the law requires it, for example in the EU and the UK, we only use non-essential cookies after you agree to them in our cookie banner. You can change your choice at any time by [clicking "Cookie settings" in the footer]. You can also block or delete cookies in your browser settings, although parts of the Site may not work properly without them.

5. How long cookies last

Session cookies are deleted when you close your browser. Persistent cookies stay on your device for a set period, from a few days up to [13] months, or until you delete them.

6. Changes to this policy

We may update this Cookie Policy when we change the cookies we use. The date at the top shows when it was last updated.

7. Contact

If you have questions about our use of cookies, contact us at [[email protected]].

Do you need a cookie policy?

If your website sets any cookies that aren't strictly necessary, such as analytics or advertising cookies, and you have visitors from the EU or the UK, you generally need their consent first and you need to tell them clearly what the cookies do. A cookie policy is the place for those details. In the US, laws like the CCPA treat some advertising cookies as "sharing" personal information, which also needs to be disclosed.

These three work together. Your privacy policy covers all personal information you handle. The cookie policy goes into detail about cookies specifically. The cookie banner asks for consent and links to the cookie policy. Small sites often put the cookie section inside the privacy policy instead of publishing a separate page, which is fine as long as the information is there.

How to customize this template

Find the cookies you set. Open your site, then check the cookies and local storage in your browser's developer tools, or use a cookie scanner.
Put each cookie in a category. Keep only the categories you use and replace the examples in the table.
Describe how consent works. Explain where visitors can change their choice, such as a "Cookie settings" link in your footer.
Link it from your banner and footer. Visitors should be able to reach it before they accept any cookies.

Frequently asked questions

Do I need consent for analytics cookies?

For visitors in the EU and the UK, generally yes. Only cookies that are strictly necessary to provide the service you asked for can be set without consent.

Can I put the cookie policy inside my privacy policy?

Yes. What matters is that visitors can easily find clear information about the cookies you use. A separate page is simply easier to link from a cookie banner.

Does my site need a cookie policy if it has no analytics?

If you only use strictly necessary cookies, such as a login session, you don't need consent, but it's still good practice to mention them in your privacy policy.

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Need a policy for a specific platform? See the privacy policy generator and app privacy policy hosting.

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