Cookie

A cookie is small text data that web servers store in browsers. Cookies maintain login sessions, shopping carts, user preferences, and analytics - foundational web technology.

In QR code marketing, cookies track post-scan behavior. Setting a cookie when users access a landing page via QR code enables tracking of page views, time on site, and conversions. Combined with UTM parameters, cookies enable attribution analysis - identifying which QR code led to a purchase.

However, the cookie landscape is shifting dramatically. GDPR and similar regulations require user consent for cookie tracking. Safari's ITP blocks third-party cookies, and Chrome is phasing them out.

QR code analytics are migrating to cookie-independent methods: server-side log analysis, first-party data, and unique URL parameters per QR code. Understanding cookie limitations and designing privacy-respecting measurement is now a prerequisite for QR code marketing.