What does 'accept cookies' actually mean?

That little 'Accept cookies' button sounds vaguely ominous, but it means something quite specific and fairly mundane. Here is exactly what you are agreeing to when you click it.

What you are actually agreeing to

Clicking Accept gives the website permission to store small text files, cookies, in your browser and to read them on later visits. In practice you are agreeing to two things beyond the essentials: letting the site count your visit with analytics, and letting it use advertising cookies to measure and personalise ads.

What it does not mean

• It does not give the site access to your files, camera, or anything outside the browser.
• It does not install software or run programs; a cookie is plain text.
• It does not hand over your name or email unless you separately type them in somewhere.

Essential vs non-essential, the real distinction

Essential cookies (keeping you logged in, holding your basket) load whether you accept or not, because the site cannot work without them. The Accept button is really about the non-essential ones: analytics and advertising. That is the choice the law wants you to have, which is why the banner exists at all.

For site owners, "accept" is where measurement begins

From the other side of the screen, a visitor clicking Accept is the moment your analytics and ad tags are allowed to do their job. If your consent setup is wired wrong, you can fail to measure even the people who accepted, which quietly understates everything.

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