Browsers are making it increasingly difficult to track visitors with third-party cookies. For business owners and website managers, this means that existing methods of tracking, remarketing and visitor analysis are becoming less reliable. Those who respond with their own data, a solid technical foundation and alternative measurement methods will retain insight into visitors without depending on third-party cookies.
What exactly are third-party cookies
A cookie is a small file that a website stores in a visitor’s browser. There is a distinction between first-party cookies, placed by the website someone visits, and third-party cookies, placed by another domain, such as an advertising network or tracking service. First-party cookies are often needed for basic functionality such as a shopping cart or login session. Third-party cookies are mainly used to track visitors across different websites, so that ads can be made more personalized.
Browsers such as Safari and Firefox already block third-party cookies by default, and other browsers are moving in that direction too. As a result, tracking methods that rely on them are yielding less and less data.
Why this matters for your website
Many business owners use third-party cookies without realizing it, for example through advertising pixels, remarketing scripts or embedded videos. If these cookies stop working, this affects:
- Remarketing: visitors who previously visited your site become harder to reach again with targeted ads.
- Analytics: reports on visitor behavior across multiple sessions and domains become less accurate.
- Conversion measurement: linking an ad click to a later purchase becomes more difficult.
Privacy legislation also plays a role: visitors must give explicit consent for tracking, and many people refuse. Websites that rely mainly on first-party data and their own email addresses are less vulnerable to these developments.
Alternatives to cookie tracking
Instead of relying on third-party cookies, you can focus on methods that are less dependent on external tracking:
- First-party data: collect data directly through your own website, for example via accounts, newsletter sign-ups or forms.
- Email marketing: your own mailing list keeps working regardless of cookie policy. A reliable sender domain via business email helps with the deliverability of those emails.
- Server-side tracking: measurements that run through the server instead of only through the browser are less sensitive to cookie blocking.
- Contextual advertising: advertising based on the content of a page instead of an individual visitor’s behavior.
- Consent management: a clear cookie banner where visitors make a conscious choice ensures cleaner and more usable data from those who do give consent.
What you can do now
You don’t have to wait until cookies disappear completely to prepare your website. A number of practical steps will make you less dependent on third-party tracking.
Take stock of which cookies you use
Check via the browser or a scanning tool which cookies and scripts are active on your website, and which of these come from third parties.
Make sure you have a correct cookie banner
Give visitors a real choice and only place tracking cookies after someone has given consent.
Invest in your own channels
Build an email list and encourage accounts or sign-ups, so you can keep reaching visitors even without cookies.
Check your technical foundation
A fast, reliable website with correctly configured SSL and DNS forms the basis for good measurements and a credible domain. You can easily manage this from Plesk on web hosting with NVMe storage.
Consider server-side measurement
Discuss with your developer or analytics agency whether server-side tracking is possible and worthwhile for your situation.
Frequently asked questions
Will all cookies disappear?
No, first-party cookies needed for functionality such as logging in or a shopping cart will keep working. It mainly concerns third-party cookies used for tracking across websites.
Does this affect my Google Analytics data?
Yes, especially reports on multiple sessions, devices or sources may become less complete. First-party measurements within your own site will continue to work well.
Do I need to adjust my cookie banner?
Check whether your banner gives visitors a real, specific choice per cookie type and whether tracking scripts only load after consent. This is already mandatory under privacy legislation anyway.
Is your own domain name and email address important here?
Yes, a recognizable and trustworthy domain via domain names and a properly set up business email address increase visitor trust and the deliverability of your newsletters.
Where can I find help with technical settings such as SSL and DNS?
You can find explanations of these settings in the knowledge base, and if in doubt you can always contact support.
Conclusion
The disappearance of third-party cookies changes how you can track and reach visitors, but it doesn’t mean the end of online marketing. By focusing on first-party data, your own email list, a correct cookie banner and a solid technical foundation, you’ll keep insight into your visitors and your website will keep functioning well, regardless of future changes in cookie policy.