Websites use different types of cookies to function and to provide users with a good experience. Some of these are crucial for the site to work properly, while others provide additional functionality and ensure business goals are met.
In this article, you’ll learn the difference between strictly necessary and non-essential cookies.
Strictly necessary cookies
Strictly necessary cookies are the ones that make the website work and provide the service a user requested. For instance, cookies can be used to remember items added to a shopping cart or to support user authentication.
You don’t need user consent for strictly necessary cookies. However, some legislation requires websites to inform users about necessary cookies and their purposes.
Non-essential cookies
Non-essential cookies aren’t required for the website to function. They improve the user experience and support business goals. For example, they can help you analyze the user behavior on your website, offer personalized ads, or remember users’ preferred language or region.
Functional cookies
Functional cookies help you personalize users’ browsing experience. These cookies support additional functionality that enhances your site. For example, they remember a user’s location, chosen language, chat session, and other settings.
These cookies don’t collect data on users’ browsing activity across other websites.
Statistical cookies
Statistical cookies collect information about users’ on-site behavior, such as which pages they visited, how long they stayed, and which links they clicked, without identifying a user. The main goal of using those cookies is to measure usage and improve site performance.
Marketing cookies
Marketing cookies are often persistent, third-party cookies that stay on a user’s device for a longer period. They help with advertising and personalization by collecting data on how people browse, including what they search for, which pages they visit, and what they click on. This type of data collection often includes activity across different websites.
