What is the i cookie?
The i cookie belongs to OpenX, a company operating an ad exchange platform used by publishers and agencies to bid on and deliver ads in real time. It is not set directly by the website you visit, but by OpenX through advertising integrations — displayed ads, bidding pixels, or partners embedding OpenX scripts on the page.
It typically appears when a page loads an ad slot managed through OpenX, or through a partner connected to the OpenX ecosystem, even if the visitor never directly interacts with a visible OpenX element.
What data it stores
The cookie stores a unique identifier tied to the visitor's browser, used by OpenX to recognize the same user on subsequent visits across different sites that use the platform. The exact value format is not publicly documented in detail and may vary.
Data collected through this identifier is sent to OpenX's servers (the .openx.net domain) and may be combined with other browsing behavior data to build an advertising profile.
What it is used for
The cookie's purpose is advertising-related: it allows OpenX and its partners in the programmatic bidding chain to recognize the visitor across multiple sites, apply frequency capping to avoid repeating the same ad, measure campaign performance, and serve ads relevant to the user's browsing history.
For the website owner, this cookie supports monetization through ad inventory sold via real-time bidding, but it also brings legal obligations around visitor consent.
Does it require consent?
The OpenX „i” cookie is classified as marketing/advertising. Since it is used for cross-site tracking and ad profiling, it falls under Article 4(5) of Law 506/2004 (Romania's transposition of the ePrivacy Directive) and requires the visitor's explicit, prior consent before being set, in line with GDPR and ANSPDCP guidance.
The site owner must disclose this cookie in the cookie policy, list it under the marketing category of the consent banner, and ensure the related script does not run before the visitor has given consent.
How to block or delete i
A visitor can delete or block this cookie through browser settings (per-domain cookie management or clearing browsing data), as well as through ad-tracking blockers or opt-out tools offered by advertising networks (e.g. NAI/EDAA opt-out pages).
- Chrome/Edge/Firefox: Settings → Privacy → Cookies and site data → find openx.net → delete
- Site-level blocking: a CMP such as CookieFix automatically keeps the OpenX script blocked until the visitor accepts the marketing category, preventing the cookie from being set prematurely
Frequently asked questions
No, it is not malicious; it is used solely for programmatic advertising and visitor identification for ad bidding, not for attacks or collecting sensitive data.
It is set indirectly, through ad slots or partners on the visited site that use OpenX's infrastructure for ad bidding and delivery.
Yes, as a marketing/tracking cookie it requires the visitor's explicit consent before being set, under Law 506/2004 and GDPR.
You can run a cookie scan of your site (for example with CookieFix) to automatically detect all third-party cookies, including those from OpenX.