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The Madison Avenue Field GuideA field guide to marketing & advertising, by Brandon Mina

GlossaryPrivacy & IdentityThird-Party Cookie

Privacy & Identity

Third-Party Cookie

A cookie set by a domain other than the one a person is visiting, used for cross-site tracking.

By Brandon MinaCEO, BrandPilot AIUpdated November 2026

Short answer

A third-party cookie is a cookie set by a domain other than the website a person is visiting, typically by an ad tech or analytics provider. It has long been used for cross-site tracking, retargeting and attribution. Major browsers restrict or block such cookies, pushing advertisers toward first-party data alternatives.