What is the wpEmojiSettingsSupports cookie?
wpEmojiSettingsSupports is generated by the emoji script bundled by default with most WordPress installations, regardless of theme or active plugins. Its purpose is to detect whether the visitor's browser can correctly display certain emoji sets (for example newer emoji added later to the Unicode standard).
It appears automatically when loading any WordPress page that hasn't explicitly disabled the emoji script, without any action from the visitor. It's specific to the WordPress core and doesn't depend on a third-party plugin installed by the site owner.
What data it stores
The stored value is technical in nature: an object or internal test result (typically boolean/numeric values) indicating, for each emoji category, whether the browser supports it natively (for example flags, emoji 4 or 12). It contains no personal data, user identifiers, or tracking information.
The data stays exclusively in the visitor's browser, in the domain's sessionStorage, and is never sent to a server or to WordPress.org. It's automatically cleared when the tab or browser closes.
What it is used for
The purpose is purely functional: the WordPress emoji script runs the support test once per browsing session and caches the result, so it doesn't repeat it on every page viewed on the same site. This slightly reduces client-side JavaScript processing.
For the site owner, the effect is correct and consistent emoji rendering in content, comments, or widgets, with no noticeable performance cost to the visitor.
Does it require consent?
In CookieFix's classification, wpEmojiSettingsSupports falls under the preferences (functional) category, since it affects how content is displayed, doesn't collect personal data, and doesn't track the user across sites.
- It contains no personal data and isn't used for profiling or advertising.
- In practice, many CMPs treat it as strictly necessary/technical, but since it's generated by a script that can be disabled without breaking the site, it's more accurately classified as a functional preference, to be disclosed in the cookie policy.
- The site owner should list it among the cookies/local storage items in the privacy policy, even if it doesn't strictly require separate active consent.
How to block or delete wpEmojiSettingsSupports
Visitors can manually clear the sessionStorage entry from browser Developer Tools (Application/Storage), or simply by closing the tab/window, at which point the value disappears automatically. Removing it doesn't affect core site functionality — at most, the browser re-runs the emoji support test.
Site owners can fully disable the WordPress emoji script (via code in functions.php or a dedicated plugin), which also removes this entry. If the site uses a consent platform like CookieFix, the script that generates wpEmojiSettingsSupports can be automatically blocked until the visitor accepts the preferences/functional category, preventing it from writing to storage prematurely.
Frequently asked questions
No, it contains no personal data and isn't used for cross-site tracking. It's a technical entry used only to remember whether the browser correctly renders certain emoji.
It appears automatically because WordPress loads an emoji script by default on most pages. It isn't manually installed by the site owner — it comes from the platform's core.
Since it's classified as a functional preference with no privacy impact, many sites disclose it in the cookie policy without requesting separate consent, but CookieFix recommends including it under the preferences category and blocking it until acceptance, for consistency.
By disabling the WordPress emoji script (for example via functions.php or an optimization plugin), or, as a visitor, by manually clearing sessionStorage in the browser.