What is the vuid cookie?
The vuid cookie (Vimeo Unique ID) is set by Vimeo, the video hosting platform owned by Vimeo, Inc., when a visitor loads a page containing an embedded Vimeo video player. The visitor doesn't need to press play — simply having the player rendered on the page can trigger this cookie.
Vimeo uses it for analytics purposes to understand how videos are watched across third-party websites, not just on vimeo.com.
What data it stores
The cookie stores a randomly generated unique identifier tied to the visitor's browser. It does not directly contain personal information such as a name or email address, and the exact value format is not documented in detail by Vimeo publicly.
Data collected through this identifier (views, player interactions) is sent to Vimeo's servers, operated by the US company Vimeo, Inc.
What it is used for
For Vimeo, vuid helps recognize unique visitors across sessions and pages, generate aggregated viewing statistics, and improve its video product.
For the website owner, it indirectly supports performance data about embedded video content (views, engagement), which can be reflected in analytics reports available to Vimeo business/creator accounts.
Does it require consent?
In CookieFix's classification, vuid falls under statistics (analytics). Under the ePrivacy Directive (as implemented locally, e.g. Romania's Law 506/2004) and the GDPR, cookies in this category are not strictly necessary for the site to function, so they require the visitor's prior consent.
- The site owner must disclose this cookie in the cookie policy, including provider, purpose, and duration.
- The Vimeo player should not load before consent is obtained for the statistics category.
- Data protection authorities can sanction unjustified use of analytics cookies without user consent.
How to block or delete vuid
A visitor can delete or block vuid through their browser's privacy settings (Chrome, Firefox, Edge, Safari) under cookie management for the vimeo.com domain, or by using tracker-blocking browser extensions.
For website owners, the correct approach is to load the Vimeo player only after the visitor has given consent for the statistics category. A consent management platform like CookieFix can automatically block the Vimeo embed (and therefore the setting of the vuid cookie) until consent is given, preventing premature placement of analytics cookies.
Frequently asked questions
It doesn't directly contain a name or email, just a random unique identifier, but GDPR treats it as potentially contributing to identifying a person when combined with other data, which is why it's classified as statistics rather than strictly necessary.
The cookie is set by Vimeo, not by your site, whenever you embed a Vimeo video; it appears regardless of whether you, as the site owner, have a Vimeo account.
Yes, since it's a statistics/analytics cookie, it requires the visitor's prior consent under the ePrivacy rules and GDPR, so the Vimeo player should be blocked until acceptance.
Its typical duration is around 2 years from being set or last updated, unless the visitor manually clears it from their browser.