What is the ANID cookie?
ANID is an HTTP cookie set by Google on the .google.com domain. It doesn't usually appear directly on third-party websites; instead, it's placed when a visitor interacts with Google services (search, ads, connected Google products) or when a site integrates Google advertising tools such as Google Ads.
It's related to other Google advertising cookies (for example IDE, DSID) and is part of Google's infrastructure for serving and measuring ads across the web.
What data it stores
ANID stores a unique identifier tied to the browser or account used to access Google services. The exact value is an opaque string generated and read only by Google's systems; its internal format isn't publicly documented.
Data collected through this cookie is sent to Google's servers and can be combined with other Google advertising signals (ad interactions, visits to partner sites) to build an interest profile used for advertising purposes.
What it is used for
ANID's main purpose is advertising: Google uses it to recognize the visitor over the medium-to-long term, measure ad effectiveness, and in some regions personalize the ads shown.
For a website owner, this cookie's presence usually results from integrating Google advertising services (Google Ads, remarketing) and indirectly supports campaign performance reporting rather than core site functionality.
Does it require consent?
ANID is classified as a marketing (advertising/tracking) cookie. Under the ePrivacy Directive (2002/58/EC) and GDPR, this type of cookie may only be set after the visitor's prior, explicit consent.
- Website owners must disclose it in their cookie policy under the marketing category.
- The script that triggers ANID must be blocked by default until the visitor accepts the marketing category in the consent banner.
- Data protection authorities can sanction placing this type of cookie without valid consent.
How to block or delete ANID
Visitors can delete or block the ANID cookie manually through their browser's cookie settings (Chrome, Firefox, Edge, Safari) under the google.com domain, or use ad- and tracking-blocking extensions.
Website owners can't directly control cookies set on google.com, but they can control the Google scripts (Ads, remarketing) embedded on their own domain. A CMP like CookieFix automatically blocks these scripts until the visitor gives explicit consent for the marketing category, preventing the cookie from being set prematurely.
Frequently asked questions
It's a marketing cookie set by Google on the .google.com domain, used for advertising and ad measurement.
It typically lasts 13 months from being set or last updated.
Yes, as a marketing cookie it requires prior consent under GDPR and the ePrivacy Directive.
By using a CMP that blocks Google advertising scripts until the visitor accepts the marketing category.