What is the wp-settings-time cookie?
The wp-settings-time-{ID} cookie is generated automatically by WordPress core when a user logs into the admin area (wp-admin). The {ID} suffix corresponds to the unique user ID in the WordPress database, so each account gets its own cookie.
It only appears for logged-in users (administrators, editors, authors, etc.), not for regular site visitors. It is set by WordPress core files, not by third-party themes or plugins.
What data it stores
This cookie works alongside wp-settings-{ID}, which stores the user's display preferences in the admin dashboard (for example, table column widths or the collapsed/expanded state of certain boxes). wp-settings-time-{ID} itself stores only a Unix timestamp, marking when those preferences were last updated.
The data stays stored locally in the user's browser and is sent only to the WordPress site's own domain, with each request to wp-admin. It is not transmitted to third-party servers.
What it is used for
Its purpose is purely functional: WordPress uses this timestamp to decide when the interface preferences stored in wp-settings-{ID} need to be refreshed. In practice, it helps the admin dashboard remember how the user has customized the display of their working screens.
For the site administrator, this cookie has no marketing or analytics value — it is part of WordPress's internal session mechanism, needed for a consistent back-office experience.
Does it require consent?
Under CookieFix's classification, this cookie falls into the strictly necessary category. It is not used for profiling, advertising, or analytics — only for the functioning of the admin area, which is accessible solely to authenticated users, not the general public.
- Under GDPR and the ePrivacy Directive (transposed in Romania via Law 506/2004), strictly necessary cookies do not require prior visitor consent.
- The site administrator should still list it in the cookie policy, with its actual purpose and duration.
- Since it only affects users logged into wp-admin, it is not relevant to the consent banner shown to the site's public visitors.
How to block or delete wp-settings-time
A visitor can delete or block this cookie via browser settings (Chrome, Firefox, Edge, Safari — cookie management section). Blocking it in wp-admin may cause the loss of saved display preferences in the dashboard, though the login session itself is not directly controlled by this cookie.
Because it is strictly necessary and limited to authenticated users, it should not be included among the scripts a Consent Management Platform (CMP) blocks pending consent. A platform like CookieFix automatically blocks only scripts from categories that require consent (analytics, marketing, preferences), leaving strictly necessary cookies like this one free to function normally for site operation.
Frequently asked questions
It's a technical cookie set by WordPress in the admin area that records when a logged-in user's interface preferences were last updated.
No. It's classified as strictly necessary since it supports the core functioning of the WordPress admin dashboard and isn't used for tracking or marketing.
No, it only appears for users who have logged into wp-admin, not for the public browsing the front-end site.
You may lose your saved display preferences in the admin dashboard, but this doesn't directly affect your login status.