What is the lidc cookie?
lidc is an HTTP cookie placed by the linkedin.com domain. It is not set directly by the host website but by a LinkedIn script or embedded resource loaded on the page — for example a "Share on LinkedIn" button, a company page follow widget, or the LinkedIn Insight Tag used for advertising and conversion tracking.
It appears as soon as the visitor's browser executes the embedded LinkedIn code, even if the visitor has no LinkedIn account or is not logged in.
What data it stores
According to LinkedIn's public documentation, lidc is used internally for routing traffic to LinkedIn's data centers (load balancing/routing). Its value is a server-generated string with no publicly standardized format, and it does not contain data directly readable by the host site.
Data collected through this cookie and related LinkedIn cookies (such as bcookie or UserMatchHistory) is sent to LinkedIn/Microsoft servers, where it can be correlated with other signals for targeted advertising and conversion measurement.
What it is used for
For LinkedIn, lidc supports the technical operation of its infrastructure (distributing requests across servers), but it is part of the set of cookies associated with LinkedIn's advertising and analytics services (Insight Tag, remarketing, conversion measurement).
For the site owner embedding LinkedIn widgets or the Insight Tag, this cookie's presence helps measure the effectiveness of LinkedIn Ads campaigns and track visitors coming from LinkedIn or interacting with embedded LinkedIn content.
Does it require consent?
CookieFix classifies lidc under marketing (advertising/tracking), since it is tied to LinkedIn's advertising ecosystem, even though LinkedIn also attributes it a technical routing role.
- Under GDPR and Romania's Law 506/2004 (transposing the ePrivacy Directive), marketing cookies require the visitor's prior consent before being set.
- Site owners must disclose lidc in their cookie policy, listing the provider (LinkedIn Corporation), its purpose, and duration.
- The script generating this cookie (widget, share button, Insight Tag) must be blocked until consent is obtained.
How to block or delete lidc
A visitor can delete or block lidc via browser cookie settings (per-site cookie management) or by using third-party tracker blocking extensions. Blocking it does not affect browsing but may disable features like embedded LinkedIn widgets.
For site owners, the recommended approach is to automatically block elements that load LinkedIn scripts (share buttons, Insight Tag, follow widgets) until consent is given. A consent management platform such as CookieFix can prevent these third-party scripts from loading and only activate them after the visitor accepts the marketing category.
Frequently asked questions
It's an HTTP cookie set by linkedin.com, officially used for routing requests within LinkedIn's infrastructure, but also associated with advertising/tracking functions when it appears alongside LinkedIn widgets or the Insight Tag.
Typically around 1 day from when it's set, after which it expires automatically in the browser.
Yes, if your site uses LinkedIn widgets or the Insight Tag, lidc should be treated as a marketing cookie and only set after the visitor gives consent, per GDPR and Romania's ePrivacy legislation.
It's enough for the page to load a LinkedIn script (share button, follow widget, conversion pixel) for lidc to be set, regardless of whether the visitor has a LinkedIn account.