What is the li_sugr cookie?
li_sugr is a cookie placed by the linkedin.com domain, used by the LinkedIn social media and advertising platform (owned by Microsoft). It appears on a site when that site includes a "Share on LinkedIn" button, a LinkedIn social plugin, or - most commonly - the LinkedIn Insight Tag used for remarketing and conversion tracking.
The cookie is set the first time a browser interacts with an embedded LinkedIn service, regardless of whether the visitor has a LinkedIn account.
What data it stores
li_sugr stores an identifier assigned to the browser, used by LinkedIn to correlate browsing data across different sites that include LinkedIn services. The exact format of the value is not publicly documented by LinkedIn and may vary.
The collected data is sent to LinkedIn/Microsoft servers and may be combined with other LinkedIn cookies (such as bcookie or UserMatchHistory) to build a user profile for advertising purposes.
What it is used for
For LinkedIn, li_sugr helps consistently identify a visitor across multiple sessions and domains, supporting retargeting campaigns and ad performance measurement.
For the site owner, its presence indicates the use of a LinkedIn tool (share button, widget, or Insight Tag) that can drive advertising traffic or conversions, but also brings consent-related responsibilities.
Does it require consent?
li_sugr is classified as a marketing/advertising cookie. Under Romania's Law 506/2004 (transposing the ePrivacy Directive) and the GDPR, this type of cookie cannot be set before the visitor has given explicit consent through active acceptance in the cookie banner.
The site owner must declare it in the cookie policy, classify it under the marketing category in the CMP, and ensure the LinkedIn script does not load until consent is obtained.
How to block or delete li_sugr
Visitors can delete or block li_sugr from browser settings (Chrome, Firefox, Edge, Safari - cookie management for linkedin.com), use private/incognito mode, or install tracker-blocking extensions.
- Site owners must automatically block LinkedIn scripts (share buttons, Insight Tag) until consent is obtained.
- A CMP platform like CookieFix can do this automatically, preventing the LinkedIn script from loading before the visitor accepts the marketing category.
- Romania's data protection authority (ANSPDCP) can sanction the lack of prior consent for marketing cookies.
Frequently asked questions
Yes, since it is classified as a marketing cookie, it requires explicit prior consent under the GDPR and Law 506/2004.
The typical reported duration is 3 months, after which the browser automatically removes it unless renewed.
No, it is a third-party cookie set by LinkedIn, which appears when a site includes LinkedIn services such as share buttons or the Insight Tag.
Embedded LinkedIn features may still work partially, but LinkedIn will no longer be able to consistently track the visitor for advertising purposes on that site.