What is the mailchimp_landing_site cookie?
The mailchimp_landing_site cookie is set by Mailchimp, the email marketing and automation platform owned by Intuit, on websites that embed Mailchimp signup forms, popups, or widgets.
It usually appears as soon as the Mailchimp embed script loads on a page, regardless of whether the visitor fills out a form. Its role is to store the visitor's entry page (landing page) so it can later be matched against a newsletter signup or other marketing actions.
What data it stores
The cookie generally stores the URL of the page where the visitor first landed on the site, along with a timestamp. The exact value format is not publicly documented by Mailchimp and may vary.
The data is sent to Mailchimp's servers (domains such as list-manage.com or mailchimp.com) when the visitor interacts with a Mailchimp form on the site or when the script reloads.
What it is used for
For Mailchimp, this cookie helps reconstruct the visitor's path before signing up – where they came from and which page they saw first – information used for attribution reporting and audience segmentation.
For the site owner, this data helps explain how traffic from different entry pages (campaigns, blog posts, ads) converts into new newsletter subscribers, which is useful for optimizing content and promotion channels.
Does it require consent?
It is classified as a marketing cookie (advertising/tracking), since it contributes to attribution and audience segmentation for promotional purposes. Under GDPR and the ePrivacy Directive (transposed in Romania via Law 506/2004), this type of cookie requires the visitor's prior consent before being set.
- The site owner must list it explicitly in the cookie policy, under the "marketing" category.
- The Mailchimp script should only load after the visitor accepts the marketing category in the consent banner.
- Setting this cookie before consent is obtained can be considered non-compliant and may expose the site to sanctions from the data protection authority.
How to block or delete mailchimp_landing_site
A visitor can manually delete or block this cookie from browser settings (Chrome, Firefox, Safari, Edge – per-site cookie management) or use tracker-blocking extensions. Blocking it does not affect the site's core functionality, but may limit personalization of Mailchimp campaigns.
For site owners, the safest approach is to automatically block the Mailchimp script until consent is given, using a CMP such as CookieFix, which prevents marketing widgets from loading until the visitor explicitly selects the "marketing" category in the banner.
Frequently asked questions
It's a marketing cookie set by Mailchimp to remember the page a visitor first landed on, later used to attribute newsletter signups.
No. It's classified as a marketing/tracking cookie and requires prior visitor consent under GDPR and ePrivacy rules.
It typically lasts around 30 days before it expires automatically in the browser.
It can be deleted manually from browser settings or blocked automatically by a CMP like CookieFix, which prevents the Mailchimp script from loading before consent is given.