What strictly necessary cookies does the BBC use?

AM_REDIRECT_​BACK_SERVER_URL

Provides a redirection URL during sign in & registration events.

AMAuthCookie

Temporary cookie used to manage sign in.

uk-script.dotmetrics.net

Session Temp Internet Cookie. This cookie collects information about a general site visit to the tagged site.

uk-script.dotmetrics.net

Device key cookie. This cookie is an identifier of the device as seen by the system. Its purpose is to store information about the device to allow measurement of website traffic.

uk-script.dotmetrics.net

uk-script.dotmetrics.net

amlbcookie

Server side management of sign in.

announcement

In BBC Sounds, a cookie that ensures you only see announcements in the Radioplayer web console once per session.

atidvisitor / atuserid / idrxvr

The BBC’s analytics system uses cookies to gather information regarding visitor activity on the BBC's websites and other BBC online services. The data gathered is sent to AT Internet, the BBC's analytics partner, for analysis and reporting. The BBC uses this information to help improve the services it provides to its users.

AWSALB/AWSELB

Manages web traffic and balances traffic load.

BBCCOMMENTS​MODULESESSID

Reports back error messages in posting comments.

BBC-Latest-Blogs

Records the ID of the latest BBC Blog accessed.

_cb_ls / _cb_svref / _chartbeat2 / _chartbeat5 / _chartbeat4 /_cb / _cb_cp

Chartbeat is used to understand engagement with pages by tracking how far a user gets on a page and where they're clicking.

ckns_acad-​gateway

Academy page language setting.

ckns_atkn_pa

Indicates which Account is signed in, even if an associated Children’s Profile is currently active.

ckns_bbccom_beta

To present the correct version of the site.

ckns_bbcTvVod

Manages the Banner asking users to confirm that they have a TV Licence to be able to watch BBC programmes in iPlayer. The Cookie is set to display TV Licence advisory notice every every 3 months.

ckns_echo_​device_id

Used to synchronise the analytics device ID between the native and web layers of iOS/Android apps, e.g. BBC Sport

ckns_eds

Suppresses surveys already seen.

ckns_explicit

Stores whether or not a browser has explicitly actioned the cookie banner. 

ckns_id-session​-redirects

Counts redirects in the sign in flows so that the BBC can degrade gracefully during instances of infinite redirects.

ckns_idtkn / ckns_atkn / ckns_id / ckns_pp_id

Indicates that a user is signed in.

ckns_iplayer_activity

Indicates a user has recently interacted with iPlayer website.

ckns_iplayer_experiments

Used for iPlayer improvement experiments to give a user the correct variation of a test where personalisation is enabled in BBC Account.

ckns_IVOTE_​HISTORY

Stores voting history per user.

ckns_jwt

Indicates the state of the sign in session.

ckns_mvt

Identifies visitors included in website optimisation tests to understand if the website is operationally efficient and delivering the right customer experience.

ckns_nav​_promofail

Counts how often the footer "promo" cards fail to load, so we can tell browsers to stop further attempts to loads.

ckns_nonce

Helps to keep BBC accounts secure while signed in.

ckns_orb_fig_​cache

Stores if the browser visiting the page is in the UK, EU & the device type they use when they visit (Mobile, Tablet or Desktop). Used by BBC products to load specific services such as cookie compliance messaging and to optimise the page loading to reduce data usage and page loading times.

ckns_orb_nofig

Remembers any failures on pages using our older, deprecated global navigation (ORB).

ckns_orb_​nopromo

Counts how often the footer "promo" cards fail to load, so we can tell browsers to stop further attempts to loads.

ckns_otsi_enabled

Indicates we already have an authenticated user that can be signed in without the user having to re-enter their credentials.

ckns_pgAge​Confirm

Stores parental guidance confirmation that you're over 16.

ckns_pgPIN

Stores Parental Guidance PIN number.

ckns_pg​Unlocked

Stores Parental Guidance Lock state.

ckns_policy

Stores current user's cookies settings.

ckns_policy​_exp

Cookie storing date and time the user saw the BBC cookie banner, allows us in the future to redisplay cookie banner for compliance reasons, with new wording or updates to browsers who only viewed the banner before the new wording date.

ckns_privacy

Stores whether or not a browser has been displayed the privacy policy banner. 

ckns_profile

Indicates that the Children’s Profile is currently active, rather than the signed in Parent Account.

ckns_realm

Tracks the area of the BBC website a user is signed in to.

ckns_rtkn

Refresh token (refresh expired access and identity tokens).

ckns_sa_labels​_persist

Persists statistics tracking when users move between different BBC websites.

ckns_session

Indicates that a user has signed in recently. Provides additional security for accessing sensitive information in the BBC account settings.

ckns_sounds_experiments

Used for Sounds improvement experiments to give a user the correct variation of a test where personalisation is enabled in BBC Account.

ckns_settings-​nonce

Stores a unique identifier for the signed in session.

ckns_sscid

Analytics device ID for BBC Affiliates (World Service, GNL).

ckns_stateless

Controls user journey based on web session type, i.e. stateless or stateful.

uk-script.dotmetrics.net

Site ID Cookie. Indicates which site or what site category is in question.

ckns_sylphid

This cookie value can be disabled by turning off personalisation, it stores the hashed user ID to track signed in activity.

ckns_taster_csrf​_token

Ensures that feedback about pilots on Taster is only submitted from legitimate BBC websites.

ckns_taster​_dsc

Remembers how many times Taster disclaimer banner has previously been shown and if the user has explicitly dismissed it.

ckns_taster_​rate_id

Stores audience members ratings to pilots on Taster, and answers to feedback questions.

ckns_telescope/ckns_telescope_(\d+)

Stores voting history per user.

ckns_usip

Manages sign-in prompting logic in News and Sport.

ckps_bbcLive​SignIn​Dismissable​Count

Stores the number of times a user has dismissed the mandatory sign in banner.

ckps_bbcLive​SignIn​Dismissable​CountMet

Displays mandatory sign in banner.

ckps_bbcTv

Determines if a user has accepted the tv license banner and if they have, we don’t display the banner again.

ckps_id_ptrt

Provides a redirection URL at the end of sign in & registration events.

ckps_sounds_stations

Stores the last two live radio stations you’ve listened to, in order to personalise the homepage.

ckps_tap_​implicit

Stores content consumption information for non-signed in users, and information on promotional banners seen for BBC services on TVs.

ckps_tap_users

Stores credentials information for signed in users on BBC services on TVs.

ecos.dt

Stores information about Online Quality Survey.

guid

In BBC Sounds, a cookie in the Radioplayer web console that sets an identifier for each unique browser to allow aggregated analysis. 

i00 Kantar for BARB

Shares anonymous data about use of online and mobile media players with the Broadcasters' Audience Research Board (BARB), to understand how many people watch online, and how much they watch.

identitytoken

Indicates that a user is signed in.

identitytoken (Transversal)

Remembers the visitor between sessions. Mainly for logging statistics. If not present, could not track repeat visits.

interstitial

In BBC Sounds, a cookie in the Radioplayer web console to ensure you only see any radio station-provided advertising once per session.

lastplayed

In BBC Sounds, a cookie in the Radioplayer web console to remember the last station you listened to.

listening​history

In BBC Sounds, a cookie in the Radioplayer web console to remember the stations you've listened to, for your Recents list.

metafaq​Session​ID

Maintains a visitor's session. Mainly for logging statistics. If not present, could not track a user journey.

nightfall​RefreshToken

Stores a game token for the Nightfall game, so a user's progress can be attributed to them.

nightfall​SessionToken

Stores a game token that allows Nightfall game session tokens to be renewed. Needed to authenticate a user so their game progress can be attributed to them.

optimizelyEnd​​UserId

Identifies visitors included in website optimisation tests to help improve the customer experience.

_pk_cvar

Used by the Matamo (formerly Piwik) 3rd party statistics tool. Provides enhanced metrics on top of Transversal's native statistics tracking.

_pk_id

Used by the Matamo (formerly Piwik) 3rd party statistics tool. Provides enhanced metrics on top of Transversal's native statistics tracking.

_pk_ref

Used by the Matamo (formerly Piwik) 3rd party statistics tool. Provides enhanced metrics on top of Transversal's native statistics tracking.

_pk_ses

Used by the Matamo (formerly Piwik) 3rd party statistics tool. Provides enhanced metrics on top of Transversal's native statistics tracking.

preferences

In BBC Sounds, a cookie in the Radioplayer web console to remember whether you've seen certain one-time messages.

presets

In BBC Sounds, a cookie in the Radioplayer web console to remember radio stations you've added to your My Stations (favourites).

primed

In BBC Sounds, a cookie that allows the Radioplayer web console to work well on Safari on iOS devices.

rpsde_​client_id

In BBC Sounds, used for analytics in the Radioplayer web console to recognise your device each time you visit. 

sa_labels

Allows the BBC to track which links on the BBC website a user has clicked on, so that we know what the previous BBC page was the user came from.

seencookieanno

In BBC Sounds, a Radioplayer cookie that records whether you've been shown the message describing how cookies are used to store station favourites.

SID

Remembers routes a user takes through the website/quizzes.

site24x7rumID

Allows site availability to be measured based on actual visitor usage rather than polling from external machines every few minutes.

stations​listprefix

In BBC Sounds, a Radioplayer cookie that helps make the A-Z station list work well by storing the last letter viewed.

volume

In BBC Sounds, a Radioplayer cookie that remembers your last volume level value.