What is the DV cookie?
DV is a cookie set by Google on the .google.com domain, commonly encountered when a visitor interacts with Google services such as Search, Maps, or any page that loads Google components (for example reCAPTCHA or embedded search tools).
It typically appears as soon as a user visits a Google page or a website integrating a Google service, without requiring an explicit action such as logging in.
What data it stores
According to Google's public documentation, the DV cookie stores technical information related to the user's recent search or interaction activity, used to personalize results and advertisements. The exact value is a string generated by Google and its detailed format is not publicly documented.
Data collected through DV is sent to Google's servers and may be correlated with other Google cookies (such as NID or cookies from the __Secure family) to build a profile of the user's online behavior.
What it is used for
For Google, DV helps measure and optimize the relevance of displayed results and ads, as well as analyze how users interact with various Google services embedded on third-party websites.
For the website owner embedding a Google service (for example reCAPTCHA or a Google Maps widget), DV does not provide a direct functional benefit to the site itself — it is a side effect of loading the Google resource, which is why it is classified as a marketing/tracking cookie.
Does it require consent?
CookieFix classifies DV under the marketing category. Under the GDPR (Regulation 2016/679) and the ePrivacy Directive (transposed in Romania through Law 506/2004), marketing/tracking cookies require the user's prior, explicit consent before being placed.
Website owners must disclose DV in their cookie policy, correctly categorize it as marketing in the consent banner, and ensure the Google script that generates it does not run before the visitor gives consent.
How to block or delete DV
A visitor can delete or block DV directly from their browser settings (Chrome, Firefox, Edge, Safari), under the cookie management section for google.com, or use private/incognito browsing to limit its persistence.
For website owners, the recommended approach is using a consent management platform (CMP) such as CookieFix, which automatically blocks the Google scripts that generate the DV cookie until the visitor consents to the marketing category.
Frequently asked questions
It's an HTTP cookie used by Google on the .google.com domain, related to the user's search and advertising activity, with a typical lifespan of about 1 day.
Yes, since it's classified as a marketing/tracking cookie, it requires the visitor's prior consent under GDPR and Romania's Law 506/2004.
Its typical duration is around 1 day, after which it expires and may be regenerated on a new visit or interaction.
You can use a consent management platform like CookieFix, which automatically blocks the associated Google scripts until the user accepts the marketing category.