Should I Test Cookies from Incognito Mode or Regular Browsing Mode?
We generally recommend testing cookies in regular browsing mode rather than incognito mode for the following reasons:
- Realistic User Experience: Regular browsing mode more accurately represents the typical user experience on your website. Most users enable regular browsing mode, allowing cookies to store and persist across tabs and windows while browsing the internet.
- Cookie Behavior: Cookies behave differently in regular browsing and incognito mode. In regular mode, cookies store and share data across tabs and windows, enabling features such as maintaining user preferences, sessions, and tracking. However, in incognito mode, cookies typically do not persist after the browsing session ends, resulting in inconsistent behaviour and inaccurate testing results.
- Persistent Cookies: Tracking cookies or those for user authentication persist across sessions but may not function as intended in incognito mode.
- Third-Party Integrations: Many websites integrate third-party services (e.g., analytics, advertising, social media) that rely on cookies for their functionality. Testing in regular browsing mode ensures that these integrations and the associated cookies are properly handled and evaluated.
However, it’s important that incognito mode can be useful for testing specific scenarios or troubleshooting cookie-related issues, as it provides a clean slate with no pre-existing cookies. Additionally, some users may prefer to browse in incognito mode for privacy reasons, so it’s still important to ensure that your website functions correctly in both regular and incognito modes.
Generally, it’s advisable to test cookies extensively and simulate a realistic user experience by primarily testing them in regular browsing mode. This approach will provide a more accurate representation of how cookies behave on your website for most users.