What is the __stid cookie?
__stid is an HTTP cookie set by ShareThis, a provider of social sharing widgets (share, like, follow buttons) embedded on a large number of news sites, blogs, and online stores.
The cookie is typically set when a page loads the ShareThis script, whether or not the visitor actually clicks a share button. Since it is set on the .sharethis.com domain, it is a third-party cookie rather than one belonging to the site itself.
What data it stores
__stid usually stores a unique identifier assigned to the visitor's browser, used to recognize it on return visits, both on the current site and on other sites using ShareThis. The exact value format may vary and is not publicly documented in detail by the provider.
Data collected through this identifier is sent to ShareThis servers (sharethis.com domain), where it may be combined with information about pages visited, interactions with sharing widgets, and other behavioral signals for advertising and profiling purposes.
What it is used for
For ShareThis, __stid helps build a behavioral profile of the visitor across multiple partner sites, useful for ad targeting, campaign measurement, and audience segmentation.
For the site owner, the benefit is indirect: using ShareThis widgets provides functional share buttons and content virality statistics, but in exchange allows a third party to track visitors.
Does it require consent?
__stid is classified as a marketing cookie (advertising/tracking), used for cross-site identification and potentially targeted advertising. Under GDPR and the ePrivacy rules (transposed in Romania via Law 506/2004), this type of cookie requires prior user consent before being set.
- The site owner must disclose __stid and ShareThis in the cookie policy, including purpose and duration.
- The ShareThis script should not load automatically on page access, only after the visitor has accepted the „marketing” category in the consent banner.
- Refusing consent must not block access to the site's content.
How to block or delete __stid
A visitor can manually delete or block __stid via browser cookie settings (managing cookies for sharethis.com) or use tracker-blocking extensions. Deleting the cookie will generate a new ShareThis identifier on the next visit.
For site owners, the recommended solution is a CMP (Consent Management Platform) such as CookieFix, which automatically blocks the ShareThis script until the visitor gives explicit consent for the marketing category, avoiding non-compliant placement of this cookie.
Frequently asked questions
It's a marketing cookie set by ShareThis, used to identify visitors long-term for tracking and advertising purposes across multiple sites.
Yes, as a marketing/tracking cookie, it can only be set after the visitor has given explicit consent for the marketing category.
Its typical duration is about 1 year from being set or last updated.
It can be deleted manually from the browser's cookie settings, and at the site level it can be automatically blocked before consent using a CMP.