What is the tk_ai cookie?
tk_ai belongs to the tk_ family of cookies (short for "Tracks"), Automattic's internal analytics system. Automattic owns both Jetpack and WooCommerce, so this cookie shows up on stores where Jetpack is installed and active, or where store statistics are connected to the WordPress.com/Automattic infrastructure.
It typically appears on the first visit to a store page, as soon as the Jetpack stats script loads in the browser, regardless of whether the visitor buys anything.
What data it stores
tk_ai stores a randomly generated identifier used to distinguish one unique visitor from another within statistics sessions. It does not hold a name, email address, or other user-entered data, though the exact value format is not publicly documented in detail by Automattic and may vary.
The value is sent to Automattic's servers (WordPress.com/Jetpack infrastructure) when page view or interaction events are recorded, feeding the traffic reports shown in the store's statistics dashboard.
What it is used for
Its main purpose is statistical: counting unique visitors, distinguishing new from returning visits, and building the traffic reports that Jetpack Stats or WooCommerce Analytics display to the store owner (pages viewed, traffic sources, general browsing behavior).
For the site owner, this data helps gauge store performance; for Automattic, it feeds the shared analytics infrastructure used across sites running Jetpack.
Does it require consent?
In CookieFix's classification, tk_ai falls under statistics (analytics). It is not strictly necessary for the site or shopping cart to function, so it falls under Romania's Law 506/2004 (transposing the ePrivacy Directive) and the GDPR: prior, freely given visitor consent is required before this cookie is placed.
Site administrators must list it explicitly in their cookie policy, with purpose, duration, and provider, and make sure it isn't set automatically before consent is obtained.
How to block or delete tk_ai
- Visitors can delete or block tk_ai from their browser's cookie settings (Chrome, Firefox, Safari, Edge), either individually or by clearing all cookies for the store's domain.
- Tracker-blocking browser extensions can also prevent it from being set in the first place.
- On the site side, the correct approach is a consent management platform such as CookieFix, which automatically blocks the Jetpack/WooCommerce script responsible for tk_ai until the visitor accepts the "statistics" category, so the cookie is never dropped without agreement.
Frequently asked questions
It's a statistics cookie set by Automattic's tracking infrastructure (Jetpack/WordPress.com Stats) on WooCommerce stores, used to anonymously identify unique visitors.
The cookie itself only stores a randomly generated identifier, with no name or email, but it can be considered indirect personal data when combined with an IP address, which is why GDPR still applies.
Yes. Since it's a statistics cookie and not strictly necessary, ePrivacy-based national law and the GDPR require the visitor's prior consent before it is set.
You can remove tk_ai from your browser's privacy/cookie settings like any other cookie, or reject the "statistics" category in the site's consent banner if it uses a CMP.