Cookie Inspector

Learn about browser cookies and how to inspect them using developer tools.

🔍 How to Inspect Cookies

  1. Open Developer Tools (F12 or Ctrl+Shift+I)
  2. Go to the Application tab (Chrome/Edge) or Storage tab (Firefox)
  3. Click on Cookies in the left sidebar
  4. Select the current domain to view its cookies

Cookie Attributes Reference

Name: Unique identifier for the cookie
Value: Data stored in the cookie
Domain: Which domains can access the cookie
Path: URL path the cookie is valid for
Expires/Max-Age: When the cookie expires
Size: Cookie size in bytes
HttpOnly: If true, JavaScript cannot access this cookie
Secure: If true, only sent over HTTPS
SameSite: Controls cross-site cookie sending (Strict, Lax, None)

Inspecting Cookies for Development

Cookie inspection is essential for web development, debugging, and security testing. Browser developer tools provide comprehensive views of stored cookies, their attributes, and their values. Understanding how to inspect cookies helps troubleshoot authentication issues and verify security configurations.

While JavaScript-based cookie viewers show accessible cookies, browser DevTools reveal all cookies including httpOnly ones that scripts can't access. This complete view is necessary for thorough development and debugging.

Reading Cookie Attributes

Each cookie has several attributes that control its behavior. Domain and Path determine where the cookie is sent. Expires/Max-Age set when it's deleted. Secure and HttpOnly provide security. SameSite prevents CSRF attacks.

Editing Cookies in DevTools

Developer tools allow cookie editing for testing. You can change values, modify expiration, or delete cookies entirely. This is useful for testing different user states or debugging session issues.

Cookie Debugging Tips

Check Secure flag if cookies aren't sent over HTTP. Verify Domain matches your server. Ensure SameSite=None requires Secure flag. Watch for expiration issues causing premature logout.

Privacy and Security Auditing

Regular cookie audits help ensure compliance with privacy regulations. Check for unnecessary cookies, verify appropriate expiration times, and confirm security attributes are properly set.

Related Tools

Cookie ViewerLocal StorageHTTP Headers