---
title: "Does google analytics use cookies?"
subtitle: "Google Analytics uses cookies to identify unique users across browsing sessions."
source: "https://www.cookieyes.com?utm_source=cy_llm_widget&utm_medium=cy_llm_widget&utm_campaign=cy_llm_widget"
---

# Does google analytics use cookies?
Google Analytics [uses](https://developers.google.com/analytics/devguides/collection/gtagjs/cookies-user-id) “cookies to identify unique users across browsing sessions”. These cookies help remember a visitor’s previous interactions on a website and identify unique users.

When someone visits a website, Google Analytics drops a cookie that stores a ClientID (cid), which is used to identify users.  GA also uses UserID (uid) to help websites to associate a single user with sessions across multiple devices. [Cookies used by Google Analytics](https://developers.google.com/analytics/devguides/collection/analyticsjs/cookie-usage)include:

- _gid, distinguishes users for 24 hours
- _ga, distinguishes users on a domain and lasts 2 years
- _gat, limits the number of user requests and lasts 1 minute
- _utmv, user-defined variable cookies that can last 2 years


GA sets first-party cookies i.e. set by the domain a user is visiting. But it can also set third-party cookies by DoubleClick if websites use the advertiser features for retargeting.