What is the LOGIN_INFO cookie?
LOGIN_INFO is an HTTP cookie set by YouTube, a Google-owned service, on the .youtube.com domain. It typically appears when a website displays an embedded YouTube video, or when a user interacts directly with youtube.com or other connected Google services.
The cookie is not set by the hosting website itself, but by YouTube, when the browser loads the video player or other YouTube resources. Whether it appears on a third-party site depends on how the player is embedded (for example, the youtube.com domain versus youtube-nocookie.com).
What data it stores
The cookie stores an encoded value linked to the user's Google/YouTube login state and account preferences associated with the video session. Google does not publicly document the exact value format, and its content may vary by context.
The data is sent to Google/YouTube servers on subsequent requests to the .youtube.com domain, not to the hosting website. The site embedding the video does not have direct access to this cookie's contents.
What it is used for
For Google/YouTube, LOGIN_INFO helps recognize logged-in users across sessions and correlate video views with a Google account, supporting content personalization, recommendations, and, indirectly, targeted advertising across Google's ecosystem.
For the website owner embedding a YouTube video, the cookie provides no functionality of its own — it is a side effect of using the standard YouTube player rather than the privacy-enhanced variant.
Does it require consent?
In CookieFix's classification, LOGIN_INFO falls under the marketing category, since it contributes to cross-site tracking and profiling of the user by Google, similar to other advertising cookies.
- Under GDPR (Regulation 2016/679) and the ePrivacy Directive, this cookie requires the visitor's prior, explicit consent before being set.
- Site owners must disclose the cookie in their cookie policy and list it under the marketing/advertising category.
- The YouTube player should not load automatically when the page is displayed; it should load only after consent is obtained, or the youtube-nocookie.com variant should be used where tracking-free playback is desired.
How to block or delete LOGIN_INFO
A visitor can manually delete or block the LOGIN_INFO cookie through their browser's cookie settings for the youtube.com domain, use private/incognito browsing, or install tracking-blocking extensions.
For site owners, a consent management platform such as CookieFix can automatically block the YouTube player from loading (and thus prevent LOGIN_INFO from being set) until the visitor gives consent for the marketing category, replacing the embed with a placeholder until acceptance.
Frequently asked questions
It is not malicious, but it is used for tracking and profiling by Google, which is why it is classified as marketing and requires consent under GDPR.
Its typical duration is around 2 years from being set or last updated, though the exact period can vary based on Google's policies.
Yes, if you embed standard YouTube videos, you need to obtain visitor consent for the marketing category before the player loads.
Yes, using the youtube-nocookie.com domain for embeds reduces tracking, although Google does not guarantee complete elimination of all account-related cookies.