What is the cookielawinfo-checkbox-necessary cookie?
cookielawinfo-checkbox-necessary is an HTTP cookie created by CookieYes, one of the most widely used cookie consent management platforms (CMP), available as a plugin for WordPress and other site platforms. The "cookielawinfo" prefix reflects CookieYes's origin as the "CookieLaw Info" plugin.
The cookie appears as soon as a visitor interacts with the CookieYes consent banner on a site — either on first banner display or after the visitor saves their choices in the cookie preferences panel. It is set by CookieYes's JavaScript running in the visitor's browser, not by an external server.
What data it stores
The stored value is typically a simple boolean-style flag such as yes or no, indicating whether the visitor has accepted the "necessary" cookie category. The exact value format can vary slightly between CookieYes plugin versions.
The cookie is stored locally in the visitor's browser on the site's own domain, and is read only by the CookieYes script running on that site — it is not sent to CookieYes servers as part of active behavioral tracking.
What it is used for
The cookie's purpose is purely functional: it lets the CookieYes banner know the visitor has already reviewed the consent notice, so it isn't shown again on every page, while respecting the saved choice for strictly necessary cookies.
For the site owner, this cookie is part of the technical infrastructure that makes the consent banner work correctly and avoids repeatedly re-prompting visitors, contributing to a consistent user experience.
Does it require consent?
CookieFix classifies this cookie as strictly necessary (needed for the consent mechanism itself to function). Under the ePrivacy Directive (2002/58/EC, transposed in Romania via Law 506/2004) and GDPR, strictly necessary cookies do not require prior user consent, since without them the site cannot deliver the requested functionality — in this case, consent management itself.
However, the site owner should still list this cookie in the cookie policy, along with its purpose and duration, for transparency and to meet GDPR information obligations.
How to block or delete cookielawinfo-checkbox-necessary
A visitor can delete or block this cookie from browser settings (Chrome, Firefox, Edge, Safari — cookie and site data management sections). Blocking it may cause the consent banner to reappear on every visit.
As a strictly necessary cookie, a CMP like CookieFix does not block it before consent — instead, CookieFix blocks scripts from categories that require agreement (statistics, marketing, preferences) until consent is given, leaving strictly necessary cookies like this one unaffected.
Frequently asked questions
It's a technical cookie set by CookieYes to remember that a visitor has accepted the strictly necessary cookie category in the consent banner.
No, it's classified as strictly necessary since it supports the consent mechanism itself, but it should still be listed in the site's cookie policy.
The browser will forget the saved preference, and the CookieYes consent banner may reappear on the next visit.
No, it only stores a technical yes/no value tied to a consent category, without tracking browsing behavior.