What Information Should Be Included in a Cookie Policy?

A cookie policy should give users a clear understanding of how your website uses cookies, why those cookies are in place, and what control users have over them. It's not just a legal requirement under regulations like the GDPR, PECR, and CCPA, it’s also a key part of being transparent with your audience.

At its core, the policy should begin by explaining what cookies actually are, in plain language. This means describing them as small text files stored on a user's device that help the site remember things like preferences or login information. It’s important that this explanation avoids legal jargon or overly technical detail so that any visitor can understand it.

Next, the policy should outline the different categories of cookies your website uses. These generally include essential cookies that are needed for the site to work properly, analytics cookies that track usage to help improve performance, preference cookies that remember user settings, and advertising cookies used to personalise marketing. For each type, it should be made clear whether the cookie comes directly from your website or is placed by a third party, such as an embedded video provider or analytics platform.

Beyond just the categories, the policy should also detail the purpose of each cookie. This might mean explaining that one cookie remembers a user’s shopping cart contents, while another tracks how long they spend on each page. Including a table listing each cookie by name, provider, purpose, duration, and whether it's a first-party or third-party cookie adds further transparency and helps users make informed decisions.

Another vital section is about user consent and control. The policy should make it easy for users to understand how they can choose to accept or reject non-essential cookies and how they can withdraw their consent later. This might include a link to a cookie settings panel on the site or instructions for managing preferences through the user’s browser.

If your website uses third-party cookies, like those from social media plugins, embedded media, or marketing tools, you’ll need to disclose who those third parties are and what they use the data for. Users should also be informed if any of their data collected via cookies is shared with other organisations or transferred outside of the country.

It’s also essential to include contact details for users who want to ask questions or exercise their privacy rights, as well as information about how and when the cookie policy will be updated. Letting users know they should review the policy regularly and how they’ll be informed of changes is a helpful way to maintain ongoing trust.