Cookies Policy
Shopping from the comfort of home is now part of everyday life. People browse, compare and buy with just a few clicks, and many e‑commerce sites deliver a personalised experience. A part of these conveniences relies on cookies, small text files that store information about your visit. But they also involve personal data, and that means privacy rules apply.
A cookie policy explains what cookies are used on a website, why they are used, who sets them and how users can manage them. This guide explains how you can write an e‑commerce cookie policy, what to include, cookie policy examples and best practices.
What are cookies and why do e‑commerce websites need them?
Cookies are pieces of data placed on a user’s device when they visit a site. They typically contain a unique identifier and the site name. E‑commerce sites use multiple types of cookies for several practical reasons:
- User authentication and session management: Cookies remember login credentials, avoiding repeated logins. They also maintain shopping carts so items remain in the basket if a shopper navigates away.
- Personalisation: They store language, currency and other preferences, enabling customised recommendations, targeted offers and personalised content.
- Analytics and performance: Cookies track how visitors interact with a site, revealing which products are viewed, what is added to the cart and what leads to conversions. This helps merchants improve user experience and marketing strategies.
- Advertising and remarketing: They record browsing history to show relevant ads on other sites or social platforms.
- Security and fraud prevention: Cookies monitor behaviour for unusual patterns or failed logins, helping to detect suspicious activity.
- Third‑party integrations: Payment gateways, social media plugins and other services use cookies to function.
Therefore, many of the seamless and personalised features shoppers expect would not work without internet cookies.