Cookies are small text files containing identifiers that are sent by web servers to web browsers and are located in browser directories.

Cookies are used by web developers to help users navigate their websites efficiently and perform certain functions.

When an individual uses a web browser to access the internet, their browser can create cookies that are stored on the user’s computer. Cookies are not programs and therefore cannot contain viruses or other malicious software.

There are two types of cookie:

Session:  This cookie only lasts for a single visit to the website.  When the browser is closed, the session cookie is automatically removed from the user's computer.

Persistent:  Persistent cookies are stored by the user's web browser, even when the web browser has been closed.  This means that the next time the user goes back to the website that originally set the cookie, the website can read information back from the cookie. Persistent cookies have an expiry date which controls when they are automatically deleted.

There are then four categories of cookies:

Necessary:  These are cookies that are required for the operation of the website. Without these cookies, the website cannot function. These are sometimes described as 'essential' cookies.

Performance:  These cookies collect information about how visitors use a website, for example, which web page a user visits, and if they see error messages from web pages. These cookies help us to improve the way a website works. 

Performance cookies don’t collect information that identifies a visitor; all information these cookies collect is anonymous. It is only used to improve how a website works.

Functional:  These cookies allow a website to remember choices you make as you use the site (such as your username, language or the region you are in) and provide enhanced features. 

These cookies can also be used to remember personalisation changes you have made to parts of web pages that you can customise. The information these cookies collect may be anonymised and they cannot track your browsing activity on other websites.

Advertising:  These are cookies that collect information about your browsing habits to make advertising relevant to you and your interests. They are also used to limit the number of times you see an advertisement as well as help measure the effectiveness of the advertising campaigns. 

They are usually placed by advertising networks with the website operator’s permission. They remember that you have visited a website and this information is shared with other organisations such as advertisers.

In very simple terms, a completely standard e-commerce site created by Citrus-Lime will only use necessary cookies.  That is, cookies that are essential to make the site work.

Once you add any additional functionality to the site, such as Google Analytics, or Salesfire, you introduce non-essential cookies.  This could be performance, functional, or advertising cookies, depending on the functionality you are introducing to your e-commerce site.