What is the li_gc cookie?
li_gc is an HTTP cookie set by LinkedIn on the .linkedin.com domain. It is not placed directly by the site a visitor is browsing, but appears when a page loads a LinkedIn script or element — for example a share button, a "Sign in with LinkedIn" widget, or the LinkedIn Insight Tag used for analytics and advertising.
The cookie belongs to LinkedIn's group of consent-management cookies, used to remember a visitor's consent-related settings across LinkedIn's ecosystem, regardless of which website they're on.
What data it stores
According to LinkedIn's public documentation, li_gc stores an internal technical value related to the visitor's consent state (for example, whether consent status has already been evaluated). The exact value format is not publicly documented by LinkedIn and may vary.
The data is sent to LinkedIn's servers (owned by Microsoft) and is tied to their consent-management infrastructure rather than to the hosting website.
What it is used for
The stated purpose of li_gc is to let LinkedIn determine whether a visitor has already expressed a consent preference, avoiding repeated consent prompts and coordinating the behavior of other LinkedIn cookies (such as analytics or advertising ones) based on that status.
For the website embedding LinkedIn elements, the cookie is a technical side effect of including those resources and does not provide additional functionality directly useful to the site owner.
Does it require consent?
Based on LinkedIn's stated purpose, li_gc is classified as strictly necessary (needed for LinkedIn's own consent mechanism to function), which is why CookieFix places it in the "necessary" category. However, since it is set by a third party (LinkedIn) and can be linked to other analytics/marketing cookies from the same provider, the site owner should assess the actual context of use.
- If it appears only as a result of a LinkedIn share button or widget, it should be disclosed in the cookie policy, even though it does not require separate consent under the Romanian implementation of the ePrivacy Directive.
- If it accompanies the LinkedIn Insight Tag for remarketing or measurement, the whole set of LinkedIn cookies must be treated as marketing/statistics and requires prior consent under GDPR and ePrivacy.
How to block or delete li_gc
A visitor can delete or block li_gc through browser settings (Chrome, Firefox, Safari, Edge – per-site cookie management) or by using tracker-blocking extensions. Since it is set by linkedin.com, blocking it only affects interaction with LinkedIn elements on the page, not the site's overall functionality.
For site owners, real control happens at the script-loading level: elements that trigger this cookie (widgets, Insight Tag) should load conditionally rather than automatically on page load. A CMP platform like CookieFix can automatically block the LinkedIn script until the visitor gives consent for the relevant category, preventing premature third-party cookie placement.
Frequently asked questions
Not always separately — as LinkedIn's internal consent mechanism it can be considered necessary, but if it appears alongside LinkedIn analytics or advertising cookies, the whole set requires prior consent under GDPR/ePrivacy.
LinkedIn sets it, not the visited website itself, whenever the page includes a share button, a login widget, or the LinkedIn Insight Tag.
The typical reported duration is 6 months from when it was last set, after which it expires automatically.
By conditionally loading LinkedIn scripts, using a CMP that delays their execution until the visitor accepts the relevant cookie category.