What are Cookies?

A cookie is a small amount of information that is downloaded to your computer or device when you visit certain websites. On the Shopify website, we use a variety of cookies, including essential cookies, performance cookies, advertising cookies, and social media or content cookies. Cookies improve your browsing experience by allowing the website to remember your actions and preferences (such as login and region selection), so you don’t need to re-enter this information each time you return to the site or navigate from one page to another. Cookies also provide information on how people use the site, such as whether it’s their first visit or if they’re a frequent visitor. You can read more about cookies (and other similar tracking technologies) and how we use the data collected by these technologies in our Privacy Policy.

Which cookies do we use and why?

Some cookies are essential for you to browse our website, use its features, and access secure areas. The use of these cookies is essential for the website's functionality. For example, we use user input cookies for the duration of a session to keep track of a user’s inputs when filling out forms across multiple pages.

We also use functional cookies to remember the choices you’ve made or the information you’ve provided, like your username, language, or region. This allows us to customize your experience on the website. Authentication cookies, for instance, are functional cookies used for the duration of a session (or permanently if you agree to the “Remember Me” function) to allow users to authenticate themselves on subsequent visits or access authorized content across pages. Functional cookies we use include:

• User-centric security cookies to detect authentication abuses for a limited period, like repeated failed login attempts. These cookies are set for the specific task of enhancing service security.
• Session cookies for multimedia content players (Flash cookies) used during a session to store technical data needed to play video or audio content (such as image quality, network connection speed, and buffer settings).
• Session cookies for load balancing used for the duration of the session to identify the same server in the pool so that the load balancer can redirect user requests accordingly.
• Persistent cookies for user interface customization used to store a user’s preference regarding a service across multiple web pages.

Cookies required for store functionality:

Name	Function
_ab	Used in connection with access to the admin area
_orig_referrer	Used in connection with the shopping cart
_secure_session_id	Used in connection with navigation through a storefront
cart	Used in connection with the shopping cart
cart_sig	Used in connection with checkout
cart_ts	Used in connection with checkout
checkout_token	Used in connection with checkout
secret	Used in connection with checkout
secure_customer_sig	Used in connection with customer login
storefront_digest	Used in connection with customer login

Reporting and Analytics

Name	Function
_landing_page	Tracks landing pages
_orig_referrer	Tracks landing pages
_S	Shopify analytics
_shopify_fs	Shopify analytics
_shopify_s	Shopify analytics
_shopify_sa_p	Shopify analytics related to marketing and recommendations
_shopify_sa_t	Shopify analytics related to marketing and recommendations
_shopify_uniq	Shopify analytics
_shopify_visit	Shopify analytics
_shopify_y	Shopify analytics
_y	Shopify analytics
tracked_start_checkout	Shopify checkout analytics

How long do cookies stay on my device?

The duration of a cookie on your device depends on whether it is a "persistent" or "session" cookie. Session cookies last until you stop browsing, while persistent cookies last until they expire or are deleted. Most of the cookies we use are persistent and expire between 30 minutes and two years from the date they are downloaded to your device. For information on removing cookies before they expire, see the section on controlling cookies below.

How can cookies be controlled?

You can control and manage cookies in various ways. Please note that removing or blocking cookies can negatively impact your user experience, and parts of our website may no longer be fully accessible.

Most browsers automatically accept cookies, but you can choose whether to accept cookies via your browser controls. These are often found in the "Tools" or "Preferences" menu. For more information on modifying your browser settings or blocking, managing, or filtering cookies, consult your browser’s help file or websites like www.allaboutcookies.org.

Many of the third-party advertising and tracking services above offer you the option to opt out of their tracking systems. You can learn more about the data they collect and how to opt out via the privacy policies listed above.