What are cookies?

[harzt03]

Can someone please explain to me what cookies are and how they work? I will really appreciete a good expplanation.

Thanks,

Hector

[Rob_TID]

A cookie is an electronic signature that a site can put on your computer so that it can identify you in the future.

In terms of affiliate marketing, when you click on an affiliate link, generally it will put a cookie on your computer so that if you follow the link and buy something, the merchant can connect your sale to the affiliate whose link you clicked.

Here's a more throrough explanation:

HTTP cookie - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

[Linda Buquet]

With respect to affiliate tracking - cookie length tells you how many days after the initial click, the merchant will track a sale.

So if the merchant has a 30 day cookie... The customer clicks your link today but does not buy - goes back to merchant directly or through a search engine 29 days later and buys, you still get credit for the sale.

[harzt03]

Thank you guys for your post. I should have known that but it is just one of those things that got by me.

Thanks again,

Hector

[tan]

How can I delete cookies from my computer or can tune up my computer to not save the cookies?

[Rob_TID]

In Firefox go to Tools>>Options>>Privacy

There will be an option to clear cookies.

I wouldn't if I were you. Most sites worth using use cookies.

[tan]

And in IE browser how can I do that?

[Linda Buquet]

tan, why do you want to delete cookies? Cookies help you surf the web, remember your passwords, remember your preferences and all kinds of things.

There is nothing bad about cookies. I NEVER delete mine. They don't clog up your computer or anything, they take up very little space.

Plus you are at a forum learning how to make money on the web, I assume that's why you are here... So realize that when you delete cookies you could be taking someone's commission away that they deserve if you make a purchase online for a product they helped you find. If you are trying to become an affiliate or have any affiliate links earning you revenue, do you want all your visitors deleting their cookies?

[James Martell]

I agree with Linda that there's no need to delete your cookies. As a rule I don't delete mine as well. As Linda says they allow the computer to "remember your passwords, remember your preferences" and so on.

James

[tan]

It's good, but when I testing my sites It'll be useful to delete coockies to test if the bug is fixed