What are cookies?

Cookies are small pieces of data, stored in text files, that are stored on your computer or other devices when websites are loaded in a browser. They are widely used to ‘remember’ you and your preferences, either for a single visit (through a ’session cookie’) or for multiple repeat visits (using a ‘persistent cookie’). They ensure a consistent and efficient experience for visitors and perform essential functions such as allowing users to register and remain logged in. Cookies may be set by the site that you are visiting (known as ‘first party cookies’), or by other websites who serve up content on that site (‘third party cookies’).

Cookies set by Jetpack

Cookies are used by Jetpack in a variety of different ways. The cookies set will depend on the Jetpack features that are enabled. The cookies are only set when a user interacts with one of these, or to allow admin functions to be performed in wp-admin.

More details are in the tables below, which lists the cookies that are set for visitors and registered users of sites with the Jetpack plugin installed.

Cookies set upon visitor interaction

Jetpack Comments

Cookie Name Duration Purpose
comment_author_ 347 days All three of these are site specific. They duplicate the cookies already set by Core for commenting.
comment_author_email_ 347 days As above.
comment_author_url_ 347 days As above.

Mobile Theme

Cookie Name Duration Purpose
akm_mobile 3.5 days Tracking whether or not a user wishes to view the mobile version of a site.

Subscriptions

Cookie Name Duration Purpose
jetpack_comments_subscribe_ 347 days Used to store the state of the post and comment subscription checkboxes.
jetpack_blog_subscribe_ 347 days As above.

EU Cookie Law Banner

Cookie Name Duration Purpose
eucookielaw 30 days Used to store the state of acceptance to the EU Cookie Law banner.

Cookies set for registered users

Jetpack

Cookie Name Duration Purpose
jetpackstate session Set to pass state message back to the user across requests
about module activation.

Jetpack Protect

Cookie Name Duration Purpose
jpp_math_pass 1 day Remember if the user has successfully completed a math problem to prove that they’re a real human.

Single Sign On

Cookie Name Duration Purpose
jetpack_sso_redirect_to 1 hour Allows for redirect URLs to be stored, necessary for Single Sign On.
jetpack_sso_remember_me 1 hour Stores ‘me’ values locally, rather than requiring them to be passed to WordPress.com every time for Single Sign On.
jetpack_sso_wpcom_name_ 1 week or cleared after completing login Stores the WordPress.com display name to show on login page.
jetpack_sso_wpcom_gravatar_ 1 week or cleared after completing login Stores the Gravatar url to show on login page.
jetpack_sso_original_request 1 hour Stores the URL of where the original SSO request was made from.
jetpack_sso_nonce 10 minutes Used for nonce verification.

Stats

Cookie Name Duration Purpose
stnojs 2 days The stats module may set an admin-area cookie if the user needs to view stats reports without javascript turned on.

Registered, but not connected

Cookie Name Duration Purpose
tk_ai session Used as an anonymous ID if the logged in user is not connected with WordPress.com.

Some Jetpack features make use of third party applications and services to enhance the experience of visitors. These include social media platforms such as Facebook and Twitter (through the use of sharing buttons). As a result, cookies may be set by these third parties, and used by them to track your online activity. We have no direct control over the information that is collected by these cookies.

Additional cookies are set for those using wp-admin, and through the connected WordPress.com account.

Controlling cookies

Visitors may wish to restrict the use of cookies, or completely prevent them from being set. Most browsers provide for ways to control cookie behavior such as the length of time they are stored – either through built-in functionality or by utilizing third-party plugins.

To find out more about how to manage and delete cookies, visit aboutcookies.org. For more details about advertising cookies, and how to manage them, visit youronlinechoices.eu (EU based), or aboutads.info (US based).

It’s important to note that restricting or disabling the use of cookies can limit the functionality of sites, or prevent them from working correctly at all.