Glossary/Privacy & Identity/First-Party Cookie
Privacy & Identity
First-Party Cookie
A cookie set by the domain a user is visiting, used for logins, preferences and analytics, and far less restricted by browsers than third-party cookies.
By Brandon Mina·CEO, BrandPilot AI·Updated November 2026
Short answer
A first-party cookie is a small file set by the domain a user is directly visiting. Sites use it to keep users logged in, remember preferences, maintain shopping carts and run analytics. Because it is not used for cross-site tracking, browsers restrict first-party cookies far less than third-party cookies, making them central to privacy-era measurement.