What is the bscookie cookie?
bscookie is an HTTP cookie set by the linkedin.com domain, belonging to the LinkedIn social media and recruitment platform (owned by Microsoft). It appears on a website when that site loads LinkedIn resources — for example a „Share on LinkedIn” button, a profile or company widget, or the LinkedIn Insight Tag, the conversion-tracking script used by marketers.
Even if the site visitor does not have a LinkedIn account or is not logged in, the cookie can still be set when the browser contacts LinkedIn's servers to load these elements.
What data it stores
LinkedIn publicly documents bscookie as being used for session identification and security (browser identifier / secure session), while also being classified by the provider as having an analytics/advertising component. No public details are available about the exact format of its value (it is not a human-readable ID but a technical string generated by LinkedIn).
Data collected through this cookie is sent to LinkedIn's (Microsoft's) servers and may be used to link activity on the third-party site to a profile or a device identifier used for advertising purposes, including retargeting.
What it is used for
For LinkedIn, this cookie supports secure session handling and helps build cross-site tracking profiles for targeted advertising and measuring conversions from LinkedIn Ads campaigns.
For the site owner who embeds a LinkedIn button or the Insight Tag, this cookie's presence enables measurement of recruitment or marketing campaigns run on LinkedIn, but it also involves transferring visitor data to a third party.
Does it require consent?
- Category: marketing (advertising/tracking)
- Requires prior consent under the GDPR and the ePrivacy Directive, as it is not strictly necessary for the site's core functionality.
- The site owner must disclose it explicitly in the cookie policy, naming the provider (LinkedIn/Microsoft) and duration (1 year), and must not let it load before the visitor gives consent.
How to block or delete bscookie
A visitor can delete or block bscookie via browser cookie settings (for example, clearing cookies for linkedin.com) or by using tracker-blocking extensions. They can also reject the „marketing” category in the site's consent banner, if it is properly implemented.
For site owners, the script that triggers bscookie (LinkedIn button, widget, Insight Tag) must be technically blocked until consent is given. A consent platform like CookieFix can do this automatically, preventing LinkedIn scripts from loading until the visitor accepts the marketing category.
Frequently asked questions
It is an HTTP cookie set by linkedin.com, used by LinkedIn for session identification and for tracking/advertising purposes, appearing on third-party sites that load LinkedIn widgets or scripts.
It is not strictly necessary for the host website to function; it is classified as a marketing cookie, so it requires the visitor's consent before being set.
Its typical duration is 1 year from being set, according to LinkedIn's public documentation.
You need to technically block the script that generates it (LinkedIn button, widget, Insight Tag) until the visitor accepts the marketing category, for example using a CMP like CookieFix that automatically delays loading of such scripts.