Cookies: how to enable
Cookies are files that contain information on which websites the user has visited; they store browsing information, such as your site preferences or profile information, on the user's browser. This can save time when visiting a certain website frequently. It is important to be aware of your cookie settings because cookies can allow sites to track your navigation during your visit to those sites
Some web browsers block cookies automatically. Often cookies need to be enabled for the user to access a web site, or certain content, so you will see a prompt to enable cookies.
Important: you should clear your browsing history from time to
time, as the more is in there, the slower your web browser will be to
respond, and not doing so can cause errors. See further here on clearing history, especially cache.
Click here for more information about what cookies are and how they work.
Click here to learn more about managing cookies. Note: this relates to Google Chrome but all web browsers are similar.
To enable cookies in Mozilla Firefox:
- Go to Open menu button, top right hand corner and 3 black lines:
- Click on Options
- On the left hand side panel, select Privacy
- At Firefox will: select Use custom settings for history
- Tick Accept cookies from sites; and accept third party cookies always (here you can also tick to remember browsing, download, search and form history; this is your choice).
- Choose whether to keep them until they expire, or until you close Firefox, at Keep until:
- At Exceptions, enter the URL of sites that you wish to block cookies being stored, or sites that you wish to allow cookies to be stored. Note that it is best to have been to the website and copied the URL first. Save Changes.
- There is no save here for the Privacy settings; it is automatically saved.
To enable cookies in Google Chrome:
- Click Customize and control Google Chrome button – 3 little lines at far right end of address bar:
- Click Settings, and Show advanced settings at end of list (probably after Default browser)
- Under Privacy, click Content settings button
- At Cookies, choose Allow local data to be set; this is the recommended which means cookies will be saved
- You can block cookies from any specific sites by clicking Manage exceptions, and add the site URL and Block. Note it is best to have copied the URL of the website/s first.
- Or allow specific sites: Manage exceptions, add the site URL, and Allow.
- Click Done in bottom right corner of Content settings window to save. Close settings tab to return.