How to clear cookies (and what happens when you do)
Clearing cookies is a quick fix for a surprising number of website glitches, and it is easy to do in any browser. Here is how, plus what to expect once you have done it.
What clearing cookies does
It deletes the small files sites have stored in your browser. That signs you out of most sites, forgets your preferences, and gives you a clean slate, which is why it often fixes login loops, stuck baskets, and pages that won’t load correctly.
How to clear cookies by browser
- Chrome: Settings, Privacy and security, Clear browsing data, tick Cookies and other site data.
- Safari: Settings, Safari, Clear History and Website Data (or Advanced, Website Data to pick one site).
- Firefox: Settings, Privacy & Security, Cookies and Site Data, Clear Data.
- Edge: Settings, Privacy, Choose what to clear, tick Cookies and saved website data.
You can usually clear cookies for just one site if you only want to fix that one, which saves signing back into everything else.
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Check my tracking freeWhat happens next
You will be logged out of most sites and will need to sign back in, and some preferences will reset. Your saved passwords are separate, so those are not deleted unless you specifically choose to clear them too. Nothing on your device is harmed; it is a routine, safe thing to do.
If you own a site, clearing cookies is also a testing tool
Clearing cookies (or using a private window) is exactly how you test whether your own tracking and consent fire correctly for a first-time visitor. If your tags only behave once you have already accepted, a fresh browser will reveal it.
Get your tracking verified from a clean slate
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See how it works & pricingRelated guides
What happens if you accept cookies? Should you accept cookies? What does accepting cookies mean? All guidesDatahound are analytics and ad-tracking specialists. We fix broken GA4, Google Ads, Meta and server-side tracking. See pricing · All guides · Back to datahound.agency
Clearing cookies: common questions
Will clearing cookies delete my passwords?
No, not unless you specifically choose to clear saved passwords too. Cookies and saved passwords are separate in every major browser, so clearing cookies just signs you out, it does not forget your passwords.
Does clearing cookies speed up my browser?
It can help with glitches and free a little space, but the main benefit is fixing site problems like login loops and stuck pages. It is not a major performance boost on its own.
Will I have to log back into everything?
Yes, into most sites, because clearing cookies removes the files that kept you signed in. You can clear cookies for just one site if you only want to fix that one without signing out everywhere.