How to See What Cookies are Firing on Site?

Cookies and Pixels are a critical component of websites today, serving functions ranging from user authentication to personalization and tracking. Understanding which cookies are firing on a site is essential for maintaining compliance with privacy laws and avoiding very costly litigation. We’ve seen a lot of lawsuits from VPPA claims as well as CIPA claims that are costing insurance companies and defendants millions of dollars. Other more well known privacy frameworks such as GDPR, CCPA, and ePrivacy Directive.

Below we provide screenshots as well as directions on how using browser developer tools, you can inspect active cookies, view their properties (e.g., name, value, domain, expiration), and filter them to identify specific cookies. If you use our free cookie scanner tool you can get details on what the cookies are as well as which are 1st party and 3rd party cookies in a downloadable PDF report. Additionally, network analysis tools in browsers allow you to track how cookies are set or transmitted through request and response headers. This level of visibility helps businesses ensure cookies are only used as intended and that users’ privacy rights are respected.

For programmatic insights, JavaScript provides a straightforward way to analyze cookies directly in the browser console. Developers can retrieve, filter, and monitor cookies dynamically using custom scripts, enabling real-time debugging and verification.

How to See What Cookies Are Firing on a Site

If you read our cookie checker guide than you’re probably already familiar with this next section on what a cookie is. Cookies are small files that websites store on users’ devices to track sessions, store preferences, and facilitate personalized experiences. Identifying which cookies are “firing” on a site is essential for debugging, compliance with data privacy regulations (e.g., GDPR, CCPA), and optimizing performance. This guide provides a step-by-step explanation of how to analyze cookies on a website using browser tools, developer tools, and code snippets.

First up take a look at an example from Disney.com where you can see on a Chrome browser under Application which cookies are available and what your screen should look like.

Why Analyze Cookies?

Understanding cookie activity helps with:

• Privacy Compliance: Ensuring cookies adhere to consent requirements under GDPR and other regulations.
• Debugging: Identifying potential issues with session management or tracking.
• Optimization: Reducing unnecessary cookies to improve page load times.
• Transparency: Providing users with accurate information in cookie policies and notices.

Using Browser Developer Tools on Google Chrome or Mozilla Firefox (Mac or Windows)

Step 1: Open Developer Tools

• Google Chrome:
  • Press Ctrl+Shift+I (Windows) or Cmd+Opt+I (Mac).
  • Navigate to the Application tab.
• Mozilla Firefox:
  • Press Ctrl+Shift+I (Windows) or Cmd+Opt+I (Mac).
  • Go to the Storage tab under Developer Tools.

Step 2: Navigate to the Cookies Section

• In Chrome, under the Storage section in the left-hand menu, click Cookies.
• Select your domain from the list of origins displayed.

Step 3: View Active Cookies

• In the main panel, you will see a table listing all the cookies for the selected domain.
  • Name: The name of the cookie.
  • Value: The value stored in the cookie.
  • Domain: The domain for which the cookie is set.
  • Path: The URL path where the cookie is accessible.
  • Expiration: When the cookie will expire.
  • HttpOnly/Secure/SameSite: Flags indicating cookie security and access restrictions.

Step 4: Filter Cookies

Use the search bar to filter cookies by name or value to quickly locate specific cookies.

Using Network Analysis to Track Cookies

Step 1: Open the Network Tab

• In Developer Tools, navigate to the Network tab.

Step 2: Reload the Page

• Reload the site to capture all network requests.

Step 3: Inspect Request Headers

• Click on any network request in the list.
• In the Headers section, look for the Cookie field under Request Headers to see which cookies are being sent to the server.

Step 4: Inspect Response Headers

• Similarly, check the Set-Cookie field in the Response Headers to identify cookies that the server instructs the browser to set.

Using JavaScript to Check Active Cookies

If you want to programmatically analyze cookies firing on your site, you can use JavaScript in the browser console.

Code Snippet: Display All Cookies

// List all cookies for the current page
console.log(document.cookie);

Code Snippet: Extract Specific Cookie

// Function to retrieve a specific cookie value by name
function getCookie(name) {
    let cookies = document.cookie.split(';');
    for (let i = 0; i < cookies.length; i++) {
        let cookie = cookies[i].trim();
        if (cookie.startsWith(name + '=')) {
            return cookie.substring(name.length + 1);
        }
    }
    return null;
}

// Example usage
console.log(getCookie('session_id'));

Using Third-Party Tools to Analyze Cookies

Several tools provide more in-depth cookie analysis, including historical tracking and detailed reports:

1. Cookie Scanners: There are a few companies that offer cookie scanners with Captain Compliance being the number 1 and by far the best solution for scanning for cookies. Other services such as cookie script, cookie bot, and cookieyes offers compliance scanning for GDPR and CCPA but only Captain Compliance’s scanner has features built in that captures results that are blocked on all of the other scanners according to tests run by some of the top privacy attorneys in the world.
2. Fiddler: A powerful HTTP proxy tool for capturing and analyzing cookies in network traffic.
3. WebPageTest: Helps track cookie behavior and its impact on site performance.

Understanding Real-Time Cookie Activity with Screenshots

Chrome Developer Tools:

1. Open Developer Tools and navigate to Application > Cookies.
2. Filter by cookie name or domain.
3. View the list of cookies actively firing, as shown below:
   (Insert a screenshot of the Cookies section in Developer Tools displaying cookies.)

Firefox Storage Inspector:

1. Go to Developer Tools > Storage > Cookies.
2. View detailed cookie information, including domain, value, and expiration dates.

Best Practices for Managing Cookies

1. Implement Consent Mechanisms:
   Use cookie banners to obtain user consent before setting non-essential cookies.
2. Categorize Cookies:
   Clearly differentiate between strictly necessary, functional, performance, and targeting/marketing cookies. Also distinguish between 1st and 3rd party cookies.
3. Review Regularly:
   Conduct periodic audits to identify redundant or unauthorized cookies.
4. Secure Cookies:
   • Use Secure and HttpOnly flags.
   • Set SameSite attributes to mitigate cross-site request forgery (CSRF) risks.
5. Maintain Compliance:
   Ensure cookies comply with regulations like GDPR, CCPA, and ePrivacy Directive.

So Now You Know How To View Which Cookies Are Firing on a Website

Understanding which cookies are firing on a site is crucial for maintaining transparency, ensuring compliance, and optimizing performance. By using browser developer tools, network analysis, JavaScript, or third-party solutions like the cookie scanner here at Captain Compliance, you can effectively monitor and manage cookie activity. Integrating best practices for cookie handling helps build trust with users while meeting regulatory requirements.

Book a Demo below to learn more about our data privacy software solutions for all things cookies.