What is the keep_alive cookie?
keep_alive is an HTTP cookie set by Shopify, the e-commerce platform powering the store a visitor is browsing. It appears automatically when any page of a Shopify store is accessed, regardless of whether the visitor has an account or what action they take (browsing, adding to cart, checkout).
It is set by Shopify's core infrastructure itself, not by the merchant's theme or installed apps, and is present on virtually all stores built on this platform.
What data it stores
The cookie stores a technical identifier tied to the visitor's current session on Shopify's infrastructure, used for routing and maintaining the connection to the platform's servers. Shopify does not publicly document the exact format of the value.
Data is sent to Shopify's own domains (the store itself and associated infrastructure), not to external third parties.
What it is used for
Its main role is to keep the visitor's session functional while interacting with the store – for example, ensuring page loads, the shopping cart, and checkout work correctly and consistently even when requests are distributed across multiple servers within Shopify's infrastructure.
For the merchant, this cookie underpins the basic operation of the online store; without it, the browsing and purchasing experience could become unreliable.
Does it require consent?
In CookieFix's classification, keep_alive is categorized as strictly necessary, since it supports a technical function essential to delivering the service (maintaining the session on the platform the store runs on). Under Law 506/2004 (Romania's transposition of the ePrivacy Directive) and ANSPDCP guidance, strictly necessary cookies do not require the visitor's prior consent.
- It should not be placed in categories requiring an active opt-in in the consent banner.
- It should still be listed, with its purpose and duration, in the store's cookie policy for GDPR transparency.
- The Shopify store administrator cannot disable this cookie without affecting the platform's operation.
How to block or delete keep_alive
Visitors can delete or block this cookie from browser settings (Chrome, Firefox, Safari, Edge – per-site cookie management), but doing so may affect the store's proper functioning, including the shopping cart.
Since it is strictly necessary, site administrators should not, and in practice cannot, block it via a CMP without breaking the store – the role of a system like CookieFix is instead to automatically block scripts from categories that require consent (statistics, marketing) until the visitor accepts, leaving strictly necessary cookies like keep_alive untouched.
Frequently asked questions
No, it is classified as strictly necessary and supports the store's technical operation, so it falls outside the prior consent requirement under ePrivacy rules.
The session on the Shopify store may become unstable, and features like the shopping cart or checkout may stop working correctly.
It is set automatically by Shopify's core infrastructure on any store built on the platform, not by the merchant or installed apps.
Yes, even though it doesn't require consent, it should be disclosed with its purpose and duration to meet GDPR transparency requirements.