What is the __adroll cookie?
__adroll is an HTTP cookie placed by AdRoll, an advertising and retargeting platform owned by NextRoll, used by many online retailers to remind visitors of products they viewed. The cookie usually appears when a site has the AdRoll tracking script installed for retargeting or ad conversion campaigns.
It is set on the domain of the visited site (appearing as first-party to the user), but the collected data is used by AdRoll for advertising across its partner network.
What data it stores
The cookie stores a unique, randomly generated identifier tied to the visitor's browser. This identifier typically does not contain directly identifiable information (name, email), but it allows AdRoll to recognize the same visitor on return visits or across other partner sites.
The exact value format may vary and is not publicly documented in detail by AdRoll. Data collected through this identifier is sent to AdRoll/NextRoll servers for processing.
What it is used for
The main purpose is ad retargeting: AdRoll uses the identifier stored in __adroll to build a behavioral profile of the visitor (products viewed, pages visited) and later shows relevant ads on other websites or social networks.
For the site owner, the cookie helps measure advertising campaign performance and improve conversion rates by bringing interested visitors back.
Does it require consent?
__adroll is classified as a marketing cookie and is not strictly necessary for the website to function. Under GDPR and the ePrivacy Directive (transposed in Romania via Law 506/2004), this type of cookie may only be set after obtaining the visitor's explicit consent.
The site owner should list __adroll in the cookie policy, categorize it correctly under marketing/advertising in the consent banner, and avoid activating it before the visitor opts in.
How to block or delete __adroll
A visitor can delete or block the __adroll cookie from browser settings (Chrome, Firefox, Safari, Edge – per-site cookie management), or use the opt-out options AdRoll/NextRoll provides for personalized advertising.
- Manual deletion from browser settings
- Blocking via anti-tracking extensions
- Direct opt-out through NextRoll's interest-based advertising tools
For site owners, the AdRoll script should be blocked automatically until consent is given. A CMP like CookieFix can prevent the AdRoll script from loading before a visitor accepts the marketing category, avoiding the cookie being set without consent.
Frequently asked questions
It's a marketing cookie set by the AdRoll retargeting platform to recognize visitors and show them personalized ads based on browsing behavior.
Yes, as a marketing/advertising cookie, it requires prior visitor consent under GDPR and the ePrivacy rules as applied in Romania.
The typical duration is about 1 year, after which it expires automatically unless renewed by a new visit.
It can be deleted from browser settings, blocked with anti-tracking extensions, or automatically prevented by a CMP that doesn't load the AdRoll script until consent is given.