What is the _hjTLDTest cookie?
_hjTLDTest is an HTTP cookie set by the Hotjar analytics script, used by many websites for heatmaps, session recordings, and on-site surveys. It appears as soon as the Hotjar code loads on a page, before the visitor interacts with the site in any way.
Its role is purely technical: Hotjar uses it to test whether cookies can be set at the root domain level (e.g. example.com) or only at the subdomain level, so that the rest of Hotjar's cookies (such as _hjSessionUser) work correctly across every page of the site.
What data it stores
_hjTLDTest does not contain personal data or tracking identifiers. Its value is a technical test flag (typically a simple boolean-like marker) used only to verify cookie scope, not to store content about the visitor.
The cookie is created and read locally in the visitor's browser and is automatically removed by the Hotjar script right after the domain test completes, usually within moments of the page loading.
What it is used for
For Hotjar, this cookie ensures its analytics suite (heatmaps, session recordings, feedback tools) works consistently regardless of the subdomain structure of the site it is installed on.
For the site owner, its presence signals that the Hotjar script is active and preparing the ground for the other Hotjar analytics cookies, which actually collect data about visitor behavior.
Does it require consent?
In CookieFix's classification, _hjTLDTest falls under the statistics (analytics) category, since it is part of the Hotjar suite used to measure user behavior. Under the GDPR and the ePrivacy Directive (implemented in Romania via Law 506/2004), cookies in this category require the visitor's prior consent, even though this particular cookie does not itself collect behavioral data.
Site owners should disclose Hotjar (including _hjTLDTest) in their cookie policy and make sure the script only loads after consent has been given for the statistics category.
How to block or delete _hjTLDTest
- Visitors can delete or block this cookie through their browser settings (Chrome, Firefox, Edge, Safari) or via privacy extensions.
- Because it is a very short-lived session cookie, manual deletion has little practical effect — it reappears the next time the Hotjar script loads.
- Site owners should prevent the Hotjar script from loading before consent is given, rather than only deleting the cookie afterwards.
A consent management platform like CookieFix automatically blocks the Hotjar script (and by extension _hjTLDTest) until the visitor accepts the statistics category, then unblocks it dynamically without manual work from the site owner.
Frequently asked questions
It's a session cookie set by Hotjar to test at which domain level the rest of its cookies should be placed, so they work correctly across all subdomains of a site.
Not directly. It has a purely technical role — configuring the domain scope for Hotjar's cookies — while actual behavioral data is collected by other cookies in the Hotjar suite.
Yes, in practice it is treated as part of Hotjar's statistics category and requires prior consent, since it is not strictly necessary for the site to function.
It's a session cookie with a very short lifespan — it's typically deleted automatically by the script right after the domain test finishes.