HTTP Cookies is what | Insta

HTTP cookies, or internet cookies, are built specifically for Internet web browsers to track, personalize, and save information about each user’s session. A “session” just refers to the time you spend on a site.

Cookies are created to identify you when you visit a new website. The web server — which stores the website’s data — sends a short stream of identifying info to your web browser.

Browser cookies are identified and read by “name-value” pairs. These tell cookies where to be sent and what data to recall.

The server only sends the cookie when it wants the web browser to save it. If you’re wondering “where are cookies stored,” it’s simple: your web browser will store it locally to remember the “name-value pair” that identifies you.

If a user returns to that site in the future, the web browser returns that data to the web server in the form of a cookie. This is when your browser will send it back to the server to recall data from your previous sessions.

To put it simply, cookies are a bit like getting a ticket for a coat check:

• You hand over your “coat” to the cloak desk. In this case, a pocket of data is linked to you on the website server when you connect. This data can be your personal account, your shopping cart, or even just what pages you’ve visited.
• You get a “ticket” to identify you as the “coat” owner. The cookie for the website is given to you and stored in your web browser. It has a unique ID especially for you.
• If you leave and return, you can get the “coat” with your “ticket”. Your browser gives the website your cookie. It reads the unique ID in the cookie to assemble your activity data and recall your visit just as you left it.