What It Is
A cookie is a small text file that a website stores in your browser. It helps the site remember you between pages and visits: that you are logged in, what is in your shopping cart, or which language you chose. Think of it like a coat check ticket. The ticket itself is small, but it lets the site match you to what it remembered. Some cookies come from your own site, others from outside tools like analytics or advertising services.
Why It Matters for Your Business
Cookies make important features work, such as online stores keeping items in a cart until checkout. They also power analytics and ad tracking, which raises privacy questions. Depending on where your visitors live and what tools you use, privacy laws may require you to explain your cookies and, in some cases, ask permission before setting non-essential ones. That is why many sites show a cookie notice.
Good to Know
Make a simple list of the outside tools on your site, such as analytics, ad pixels, chat widgets and embedded videos, because each may set cookies. Keep your privacy policy in line with that list. If you sell to customers in places with strict privacy rules, consider a consent tool and check with a qualified advisor about what applies to you.