Definition of Cookies

Cookies are small text files that Web sites place in your computer to help your browsers remember specific information. For example, they might store your passwords and user IDs. They are also used to store your preferences for content or personalized pages. Most shopping carts use cookies. These allow you to choose items and leave the virtual store, then return later and find that all the items are still in your shopping cart. Cookies are also used to build a profile of which sites you visit and which banner ads you click on. Advertisers use this information to deliver targeted ads directly to your computer. Some sites save your preferences on the cookie itself. Other sites assign users ID numbers or encoded passwords and keep records of your preferences at their end. Some sites use temporary cookies (called session cookies) that are deleted when you exit your browser. Others place persistent cookies, which stay on your hard drive for long periods.