A template cookie policy for a website, designed to meet the requirements of PECR (the Privacy and Electronic Communications Regulations 2003) and the UK GDPR in England & Wales.
How to use this template - Replace every
[SQUARE-BRACKET]field before use and list your actual cookies in the table (a cookie audit is the first step). - Under PECR, you must get the user's consent before setting non-essential cookies (analytics, preferences, marketing). Only "strictly necessary" cookies are exempt from consent. Consent must be a clear, affirmative choice, no pre-ticked boxes, and "reject all" should be as easy as "accept all". - This policy sits alongside your privacy notice, which explains how you use personal data more generally. - Have a solicitor review before publishing.
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Cookie Policy for [WEBSITE NAME]
Last updated: [DATE]
This policy explains how [BUSINESS NAME] ("we", "us") uses cookies and similar technologies on [WEBSITE URL].
1. What are cookies?
Cookies are small text files placed on your device when you visit a website. They help the site work, remember your preferences, and provide information to the site owner. Similar technologies (such as pixels and local storage) work in comparable ways.
2. How we use cookies
We use the following categories of cookies:
| Category | Purpose | Consent needed? |
|---|---|---|
| Strictly necessary | Make the site work (e.g. security, load balancing, remembering items in a basket) | No |
| Preferences / functionality | Remember choices like language or region | Yes |
| Statistics / analytics | Help us understand how visitors use the site | Yes |
| Marketing | Deliver and measure advertising | Yes |
(Replace with your actual cookies: name, provider, purpose, and expiry.)
3. Your consent and choices
When you first visit, our cookie banner lets you accept or reject non-essential cookies. You can change your choices at any time via [LINK / "Cookie settings"]. You can also control cookies through your browser settings, though blocking some cookies may affect how the site works.
4. Third-party cookies
Some cookies are set by third parties (for example, [ANALYTICS / ADVERTISING PROVIDERS]). We list these in the table above, and their own privacy policies explain how they use data.
5. Personal data and your rights
Where cookies involve personal data, we process it in line with the UK GDPR and our [Privacy Notice]. You have rights over your personal data, including to object to certain processing.
6. Contact
Questions about this policy? Contact us at [EMAIL / ADDRESS]. You can also complain to the Information Commissioner's Office (ICO).
--- This template is general information about the law of England & Wales as at 2026, not legal advice. Carry out a cookie audit and have a qualified solicitor review before publishing. Governing law: England & Wales.