cookies

Cookies are small baked confections that are eaten as desserts or snacks. The term also refers to data files used by web browsers to store information on a user's device.

Edible cookies are made from flour, sugar, fat, and a leavening agent, and may include flavors, chocolate chips, nuts, or dried fruit. They are prepared by combining ingredients into dough or batter, shaping, and baking until set. Common varieties include chocolate chip, oatmeal, sugar cookies, shortbread, and biscotti.

In computing, a web cookie is a small text file created by a web server and stored by a browser. They are used to remember login status, site preferences, and tracking information for analytics or advertising. Cookies are categorized as session cookies (which disappear when the browser is closed) or persistent cookies (which remain until a set expiration). First-party cookies are set by the site you visit; third-party cookies are set by other domains and are often used for advertising. Privacy and security concerns have led browsers to offer controls to block or delete cookies, and many jurisdictions require consent or disclosure for certain cookies.

The term is therefore ambiguous and its meaning depends on context: it can describe a food item or a digital data file. See also cookies (disambiguation) for related topics.