What is the test_cookie cookie?
A short-lived check to confirm the browser accepts cookies before DoubleClick sets its real advertising cookies.
Marketing Needs consent
| Cookie name | test_cookie |
|---|---|
| Set by | Google DoubleClick |
| Category | Marketing |
| Typical duration | 15 minutes |
| Domain | .doubleclick.net |
| Consent required? | Yes — before it is set |
Does test_cookie need consent?
Yes. test_cookie is a marketing cookie, and under the EU ePrivacy rules (and the Irish ePrivacy Regulations) a site must get your prior, informed consent before setting it. If you see test_cookie on a site before you click "Accept" on a cookie banner — or on a site with no banner at all — that is very likely a compliance problem.
Is test_cookie a tracking cookie?
Builds a profile to target advertising, usually across sites. Always requires prior consent.
In practice that means Google DoubleClick can recognise your browser across different websites to build an advertising profile. It is not malware and it cannot read files on your device — but it is exactly the kind of cookie consent law is designed to cover.
How to see and remove test_cookie
- See it: open your browser's developer tools → Application (Chrome/Edge) or Storage (Firefox) → Cookies, and look for
test_cookie. - Remove it: clear cookies for the site, or use your browser's "Clear browsing data" for cookies. It will reappear if you keep using the site and consent is in place.
- Stop it being set: decline non-essential cookies on the site's banner. On a compliant site, clicking "Reject all" prevents test_cookie from being set at all.
Want to know which cookies your site sets — and whether any fire before consent? Scan it free and get the full list, categorised, with the ones that load too early flagged.
Fixing pre-consent cookies
If a scan shows test_cookie or other tracking cookies loading before the visitor consents, the fix is a consent management platform (CMP) that blocks non-essential tags until the visitor agrees. Cookies.ie is our GDPR / ePrivacy CMP — EU-hosted, with a real one-click "Reject all" and consent logging. See the fix guide for pre-consent trackers.
Related cookies
Cookie purposes and durations reflect vendor documentation and common consent databases as of 2026-06-25; a specific site may configure test_cookie differently. This is general information, not legal advice.