Definition

Noun: A session cookie is a small piece of data stored temporarily by a web browser. Its primary purpose is to maintain information about a user's activity during a single visit to a website. Unlike other types, it is automatically deleted when the user closes the browser or ends the "session."

Usage

Session cookies are essential for the basic functionality of many websites. They do not track users across different browsing sessions.

Examples: * The shopping cart on an e-commerce site uses a session cookie to remember your items until you close the browser. * When you log into your email, a session cookie keeps you authenticated on that tab. * The website places a session cookie to remember your language preference for your current visit.

Advanced Usage

• Technical Context: In web development, a session cookie typically lacks an explicit expiration date ( or attribute), which is what signals the browser to delete it at the end of the session.
• Security Consideration: Because they are not stored long-term, session cookies are generally considered more secure for handling sensitive temporary data, like login states, than persistent cookies.

Variants and Related Words

• Persistent Cookie (n): A cookie that remains on a user's device for a set period or until manually deleted, used for purposes like remembering login details or tracking user preferences over time.
• HTTP Cookie / Web Cookie (n): The general term for all types of cookies, including session cookies.

Synonyms

• Transient Cookie
• In-memory Cookie
• Temporary Cookie

Antonyms

• Persistent Cookie
• Permanent Cookie
• Stored Cookie

Noun

1. a cookie that is stored temporarily and is destroyed when you close the link