Wix uses cookies to keep shoppers logged in, remember their region and language preferences, and collect data for analytics that enable more effective marketing. Wix cookies collect personal data.

Data privacy laws such as GDPR, CCPA, or PIPEDA require to obtain Cookie Consent for collecting personal data from users. Data privacy laws also require websites, including Wix websites, to have a Cookie Policy in place. Collecting user personal data without consent could lead to costly fines and decreased customer trust and reputation.

Thus, if you have a Wix site, you need to comply with relevant privacy regulations. This will help you to avoid costly fines and foster trust with your website visitors.

It is possible to use Wix cookies and implement your ad strategy for personal data collection in a privacy laws-compliant way. In this article, you will learn what Wix cookies are, why Wix sites use them, how Wix handles cookies by default, and how to achieve GDPR compliance.

What Are Wix Cookies and Why Do They Matter?

Wix cookies are small text files Wix websites use to remember visitor preferences and actions, like keeping keep shoppers logged in, remembering language or country settings, to create a personalized experience and ensure site functionality. Wix cookies also help track user actions and site performance that can be used for marketing.

Wix automatically places cookies on sites when someone visits your site.

Understanding your website’s Wix cookies is important for several reasons:

• Wix cookies collect user personal data and affect user privacy.
• The delivery of cookies is regulated by privacy laws.
• Some cookies are essential for your site to work properly.
• Other Wix cookies track user behavior and collect data, used for marketing and analytics.

Wix sites use both essential and non-essential cookies to support site functionality, user experience, and analytics. Essential cookies are always placed on users’ devices when they visit a Wix site to enable core features like user logins or shopping carts.

To use non-essential cookies, such as those for analytics or advertising, Wix site owners need to obtain explicit user consent. To comply with privacy regulations like GDPR, sites can place non-essential cookies only when user consent is obtained.

You can obtain user consent by adding cookie banners on Wix sites. A Cookie Banner is usually presented when the website user first visits the web page. The Cookie Banner informs users that the site collects user personal data, explains the reasons for data collection, and asks for consent to collect personal data.

A Consent Management Platform (CMP) is used to place cookie banners on Wix sites.

CookieScript is a reliable CMP, valued by users and partners. It is a Google-certified CMP with a Golden tier status.

In 2024, users ranked CookieScript CMP on G2, a peer-reviewed website, as the best CMP for small and medium-sized companies.

Why Do Wix Sites Use Cookies?

Wix sites use cookies for several reasons, including:

• Enabling functionality
  Wix cookies enable core features such as keeping users logged in, remembering shopping cart items, and retaining language preferences.
• Optimizing Personalization
  Wix cookies remember user choices and are used to deliver a more personalized experience like faster load times.
• Security
  Wix cookies help identify users and manage network security, making the platform safer to use and avoid data leaks.
• Performance analysis
  Wix cookies collect data about website performance and effectiveness. Analysis of this data provides insights for developers.
• Analytics
  These cookies collect data such as page views, clicks and conversion data. This data can be used to analyze user behavior and website performance directly, or used for integration with Google Analytics, Facebook Pixel and other analytics tools.
• Marketing
  Lastly, Wix cookies can be used for targeted advertising based on user behavior and interests.

Types of Cookies Used on Wix Websites

There are different types of cookies that collect various data and perform different functions. Some types of cookies, such as strictly necessary cookies, can be used without user consent, while others require obtaining consent. Websites need to disclose all cookies used on a website in their cookie declaration table. Thus, it is important to know what types of cookies are used on Wix websites.

There are basically four types of Wix cookies:

Essential cookies

These are strictly necessary cookies allowing the website to operate normally, implement site security, and manage sessions like shopping cart persistence.

Examples of Wix essential cookies include:

• XSRF-TOKEN: This cookie is used for fraud detection of calls.
• hs: It’s a security cookie for Hive (legacy).
• svSession: This cookie identifies unique visitors and tracks sessions, needed for login, shopping cart, etc.

You do not need user consent to use strictly necessary cookies, as they are fundamental for the website to operate.

functionality cookies

Wix functionality cookies help to improve Wix website's performance and functionality. They increase the user experience by remembering user preferences and settings, such as language, country, currency, etc., which helps to enhance browsing experience and provide a more personalized visit.

They help to maintain login information, handle shopping cart data, and enable advanced features like web chat services, personalized video playback, or customized search filters.

Their use depends on the features and apps installed on a specific Wix website, making the exact cookie names vary.

Websites need to collect user consent before dropping functionality cookies on user devices.

Performance & analytics cookies

Wix uses performance and analytics cookies to understand how visitors interact with the website. They track user behavior and collect data such as site performance issues, page visits, and errors, which is used to optimize the site.

Examples of Wix performance and analytics cookies include:

• SSR-caching: This cookie helps with the performance of the server-side rendering of pages, ensuring faster loading times.
• fedops.logger.sessionId: This cookie is used for resilience by tracking session errors and issues, which helps improve the overall stability of the site.

These are First-party cookies, placed on sites by Wix itself.

In addition, Wix sites use many third-party performance and analytics cookies, coming from third-party services that Wix integrates with. They gather more detailed information about website performance and usage.

The most common third-party performance and analytics cookies used by Wix are Google Analytics cookies. They collect anonymous data on how many users visited the site, which pages were visited, time spent on each page, user engagement, etc. Google Analytics cookies help website owners understand and improve their site's performance.

You need to obtain user consent for these cookies.

Targeting cookies

Wix targeting cookies collect user information across different websites for targeted advertising and track the effectiveness of marketing campaigns. They collect data on user behavior and preferences for personalized advertising.

Wix targeting cookies, also known as advertising cookies, are used to:

• Deliver personalized ads based on a user's browsing history and interests.
• Track user behavior across different websites and use this data for retargeting campaigns.
• Facilitate affiliate tracking, helping monitor sales and commissions for partners.

While Wix itself places targeting cookies, it also integrates third-party tracking tools set by third-party services.

The most common examples of Wix targeting cookies include:

• Google Analytics cookies 
  They track website traffic and user engagement and are often used in combination with Google Ads for retargeting.
• Facebook Pixel cookies 
  They help track conversions from Facebook ads, allowing for targeted advertising on Facebook and Instagram.
• Other Ad Platforms
  Other advertising platforms (e.g., Google Ads) also use targeting cookies to deliver targeted ads on Wix websites.

Wix mostly uses Third-Party Cookies for targeting or retargeting users. Thus, you need explicit user consent to use targeting cookies.

How Does Wix Handle Cookies by Default?

Wix automatically places cookies on all websites by default.

Essential cookies load automatically instantly.

Non-essential cookies, like tracking and analytics, may load as soon as the connected apps start running.

Privacy laws such as GDPR in Europe, CCPA in California, or PIPEDA in Canada require obtaining explicit Cookie Consent before setting cookies on users’ devices. Wix does not automatically block cookies; instead, it places cookies on its websites by default. This means if you have visitors from the EU, California, or other countries where Cookie Consent is necessary, you will not comply with the data privacy laws of these countries.

Non-compliance with privacy laws could lead to huge fines.

Under the GDPR, fines for the collection or management of personal data without consent could reach up to €20 million or 4% of annual global turnover, whichever is greater.

Wix Cookies and GDPR/ CCPA Compliance

Many privacy laws, including GDPR (EU) and CCPA (California) regulate the usage of cookies and personal data collection and management practices.

• GDPR/eprivacy directive: In Europe, you need to obtain explicit cookie consent before placing any non-essential cookies.
• CCPA/CPRA: Explicit cookie consent is not needed. However, you must inform users about the use of cookies and give them the right to opt out of tracking.

The most common way to inform users about the use of cookies and obtain cookie consent is through a Cookie Banner, also called a cookie pop-up. Implementing a compliant Cookie Banner and maintaining an updated Privacy Policy are essential steps for any Wix user whose site collects personal data.

Wix helps its users achieve GDPR and CCPA compliance by providing tools to implement Cookie Consent banners, manage user data, and generate consent logs. However, even if Wix offers a built-in cookie banner, site owners often use third-party Consent Management Platforms (CMPs) for full compliance with privacy laws.

Dedicated CMPs like CookieScript offer more advanced features like automated cookie scanning, automatic third-party cookie blocking, detailed consent logging, and integration with third-party tools such as Google Analytics, GTM, or platforms like Wix, Shopify, Joomla, etc.

CookieScript CMP also offers geo-targeting functionality. geo-targeting ensures that the right consent banner appears based on the user’s location and applicable regulations, ensuring compliance with many privacy laws. For example, the EU, Canada, China, or different US states have different requirements for a compliant cookie banner. CookieScript geo-targeting feature is available for 250 countries and 50 US states.

Only a dedicated Consent Management Platform can help your Wix site to ensure full compliance and avoid fines for non-compliance.

CookieScript is one of the best CMPs. It has a complete set of features needed for compliance, is trusted by many users, and offers good pricing.

Do You Need a Cookie Banner on Your Wix Site?

Yes, a cookie banner is required by many privacy laws. If your Wix website has visitors from Europe, California, Canada, or other regions with strict privacy laws, a cookie banner is essential.

A proper Wix cookie banner should:

• Clearly explain that your website uses cookies.
• Inform that your website uses Third-Party Cookies, if any, and reveal these third parties.
• Allow users to accept or reject non-essential cookies.
• Record and store user consent.

If your Wix website does not have a cookie banner, you risk huge fines for non-compliance and reduced trust from visitors. Penalties for not delivering a cookie banner, needed to obtain cookie consent, could reach up to €20 million or 4% of annual global turnover, whichever is greater.

How to Manage Cookies on Wix?

Managing cookies is essential for legal compliance and user trust. Wix allows you to set up a Cookie Consent banner on a website. However, creating a cookie banner is not enough.

You also need to create and regularly update a Cookie Policy or a Privacy Policy on your Wix website and give users options to withdraw their consent at any time.

Read this step-by-step guide on how to add a cookie banner in Wix:

Step 1. Add a Cookie Consent banner on your Wix site

1. Go to your Wix dashboard.
2. Click Settings > Privacy & Cookies.
3. Click on Display a Cookie Consent banner.
4. Customize the banner’s design: select text, colors, and button labels.
5. Add a link to your cookie or Privacy Policy.
6. Test your site to make sure the banner appears correctly.
7. Lastly, consider enabling a Decline All button and adding the Cookie Settings widget so your users can manage their cookie preferences at any time.

If you want a more advanced cookie banner with easier integration for full compliance, you could use a dedicated third-party cookie consent tool like CookieScript. CookieScript CMP enables Wix websites to collect granular consent for various cookie categories, including geo-targeting, self-hosted code, cookie banner sharing, and cross-domain cookie consent sharing. Additionally, it offers easy integration with third-party tools such as Google Analytics, Google Ads, GTM, and more.

Step 2. Create and regularly update a Cookie Policy

A compliant Cookie Policy should help users understand what data you collect, for what reasons, what you do with this data, and do you share this data with any third parties.

A Cookie Policy could make a part of a more general Privacy Policy on your website.

• Write a Cookie Policy or use CookieScript’s Privacy Policy Generator to create it automatically.
• Include information about cookie categories used on a site, their purposes, what data you collect and why, what you do with this data, and do you share this data with any third parties or services.
• Create a new page on your site and place your Cookie Policy/ Privacy Police there.
• Link this page in your Cookie Consent banner.
• Regularly update your Cookie Policy.

Step 3. Scan your site for cookies and set cookie categories

When adding cookies to a list of cookies in your Cookie Policy, you must assign these cookies to the right cookie category. Different cookie categories collect different types of information, and users could accept just some types of cookies. Thus, you should understand cookie categories.

There are four main categories used on Wix sites:

1. Essential cookies, which enable core site functions like logins, security, and cart persistence.
2. functionality cookies, which support user preferences such as language, currency, or layout settings.
3. Performance & analytics cookies, which track user behavior and measure site performance. These cookies help website owners to understand how visitors interact with the website.
4. Targeting cookies, which are used for targeted advertising and to track the effectiveness of marketing campaigns, affiliate tracking and remarketing.

Use these categories in your banner and give users the option to accept or reject each type, except for essential cookies.

With CookieScript Cookie Scanner, you can automatically scan your website for cookies and add them automatically to your Wix site’s Cookie Policy.

Best Practices for Cookie Consent on Wix

To ensure compliance with data privacy laws, you must use these best practices on your Wix site:

• Implement a cookie banner that informs users about the use of cookies and collects cookie consent to collect their data.
• Let users choose between “Accept All” and “Reject All.”
• Use clear, non-technical language on your cookie banner.
• Obtain valid cookie consent.
• Store cookie consent logs.
• Have a Cookie Policy.
• Regularly review your Cookie Policy and cookies added by new Wix apps.

How to Audit Cookies on Your Wix Site?

It’s not enough to just create a cookie banner and a Cookie Policy. To ensure compliance, you must regularly audit which cookies run on your site.

There are two ways to inspect cookies on your Wix site: either by opening each webpage of your Wix site and checking cookies manually or by using a Cookie Scanner.

How to audit Wix cookies manually?

To audit cookies on your Wix site manually, perform the following steps:

1. Open your site in an Incognito or Private window.
2. Open Chrome settings.
3. Choose Inspect to enter the Chrome Developer Tools.
4. Navigate to the Application or Storage tab and select Cookies.
5. Select each domain: your site, Wix site, and any third-party domain.
6. View each cookie: name, domain, purpose, category, and duration. Make sure that the cookie category corresponds to the right one: essential, analytics, functionality or targeting.

You can also read the guides:

• How to check or edit website cookies in Chrome and Firefox? 
• The guides about cookie management in various browsers and devices. 

How to audit Wix cookies using a Cookie Scanner?

Alternatively, you can audit cookies on your Wix site by using a Cookie Scanner:

1. Enter your Wix site’s domain into the CookieScript Cookie Scanner. It will scan your website for cookies and other trackers and create a cookie declaration table for free.
2. Open your cookie declaration table and inspect each cookie: name, domain, purpose, category, and duration. The cookie category must correspond to the right one: essential, analytics, functionality or targeting. You can find the cookie declaration table on your cookie banner, your Cookie Policy, or export it as a CSV file.

Common Mistakes to Avoid with Wix Cookies

Many site owners accidentally make mistakes that prevent their Wix site from being compliant. Make sure you avoid these common mistakes with Wix cookies:

1. Using Google Analytics without consent in the EU.
2. Cookie banners are absent or hidden.
3. Cookie banners are delayed.
4. The cookie policy was not updated after adding new apps.
5. Relying only on Wix’s default banner.

Different countries or regions have different legal requirements, so you must have a cookie banner, that complies with all privacy laws (impractical) or display different cookie banners for visitors from different countries.

The easiest and most reliable way to deliver the right cookie banners to visitors is by using the geo-targeting functionality. geo-targeting determines the user’s location and delivers the right consent banner on your website based on the user’s location and applicable regulations, ensuring compliance with many privacy laws.

CookieScript Consent Management Platform offers many features that help your Wix website ensure compliance:

• Compliant cookie banner
• Geo-targeting
• Cookie Scanner
• Cookie Policy/ Privacy Policy Generator
• Consent recordings
• Third-party cookie blocking
• Compliance with many privacy laws
• Integrations with CMS platforms like Wix, WordPress, Shopify, PrestaShop, etc.
• Google Consent Mode v2 integration
• IAB TCF v2.2 integration
• Google Tag Manager integration
• Certification by Google
• CookieScript API

Frequently Asked Questions

Do Wix sites automatically comply with GDPR?

No. You need to set up a cookie banner. For complete compliance, use a dedicated Consent Management Platform like CookieScript.

Do Wix apps set cookies?

Yes, Wix apps can set cookies on your website. These cookies help apps function properly, enhance user experience, and track visitor activity for analytics or marketing purposes. To comply with privacy laws, you must provide a cookie banner on your Wix site and obtain cookie consent to set cookies.

Can I disable cookies on my Wix site?

You can’t disable essential cookies, which are needed for a website to function normally. However, you can limit non-essential cookies such as functionality, targeting, or analytics. Use CookieScript CMP to manage cookies on your Wix site.

Is Wix’s built-in cookie banner enough?

It covers the basics, but for full compliance with GDPR, CCPA, and other laws, many businesses use advanced consent tools. Use CookieScript CMP to manage cookies to achieve full compliance on your Wix site.

How does Wix handle cookies by default?

Wix automatically places cookies on all websites by default: essential cookies load automatically instantly, while non-essential cookies may load as soon as the connected apps start running. To comply with data privacy laws such as GDPR, CCPA, or PIPEDA, you need to obtain explicit cookie consent before setting cookies on users’ devices. Use dedicated cookie management tools like CookieScript to set a cookie banner and obtain cookie consent from users.

Do you need a cookie banner on your Wix site?

Yes, a cookie banner is required by many privacy laws. If your Wix website has visitors from Europe, California, Canada, or other regions with strict privacy laws, your website must have a cookie banner. Use CookieScript to set up a cookie banner and obtain cookie consent.