HTTP Cookie

An HTTP cookie is a small piece of data that a website asks a browser to store and send back on later requests when the relevant rules permit. Cookies can help preserve a session, remember a preference, or support measurement and advertising features. They are not programs that run on a visitor's computer. A booking form might use a necessary session cookie, while optional analytics or marketing cookies raise different privacy and consent considerations. Cookies should be classified by purpose, duration, and access rather than treated as interchangeable. An HTTP cookie is the technical storage mechanism; a cookie consent banner is one possible interface for explaining choices.