How to set tracking cookie expiration?

Support & Bugs
1

Hi,

how can I set how long it takes until a tracking cookie expires? There is a “cookie_expire” setting, but with a note that says

This is used only if use_third_party_id_cookie = 1

In my case this is set to 0 because I dont wan’t to do cross websites analysis.
And like that note says, chaging cookie_expire to another value anyway won’t do anything, I gave it a try.

What can I do to change tracking cookie expiration then?

Thx!

PS: I noticed that setting cookie_expire value in config.ini.php has no effect even when you set use_third_party_id_cookie = 1. Weird.

2

You can customize these via JS tracker:

setVisitorCookieTimeout( seconds ) - the default is 2 years
setSessionCookieTimeout( seconds ) - the default is 30 minutes
setReferralCookieTimeout( seconds ) - the default is 6 months

see bottom of http://piwik.org/docs/javascript-tracking/

3

This is working fine, thanks. But what about users with no javascript enabled?

4

Users without JS are not tracked by default and do not get cookies

5

[quote=matt]
Users without JS are not tracked by default[/quote]
But isn’t there a

within the standard tracking code?
I thought that line makes sure that even users without javascript will be tracked because they will call http://example.org/analytics/piwik.php?idsite=1.

6

See the FAQ How to - Analytics Platform - Matomo And New to Piwik - Analytics Platform - Matomo
About Non Javascript tracking in Piwik for all the information and how to enable non js tracking

7

Oh ok, thanks. But why is there that tag within the standard code when it doesn’t do anything until you add that rec parameter?

And how can I set tracking cookie expiration for users without js?

8

[quote=matt]
You can customize these via JS tracker:

setVisitorCookieTimeout( seconds ) - the default is 2 years
setSessionCookieTimeout( seconds ) - the default is 30 minutes
setReferralCookieTimeout( seconds ) - the default is 6 months

see bottom of http://piwik.org/docs/javascript-tracking/[/quote]

I used this for years with the “old” tracking code and it works fine. But how/where I have to do it in the new JS Tracker?

I’ve tried with

_paq.push([“setVisitorCookieTimeout”, “604800”]);

but it doesn’t work.

9

it should work, did you put it before the trackPageview call?

10

[quote=matt]
it should work, did you put it before the trackPageview call?[/quote]

Ok, now it works! I had put it to the wrong position.

Thank you Matt!

11

Slight update for 2022:

  • setVisitorCookieTimeout( seconds ) - the default is 13 months
  • setReferralCookieTimeout( seconds ) - the default is 6 months
  • setSessionCookieTimeout( seconds ) - the default is 30 minutes

https://developer.matomo.org/api-reference/tracking-javascript

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