What is the yandexuid cookie?
yandexuid is an HTTP cookie set by Yandex, the Russian company behind the Yandex search engine as well as online advertising and analytics services (Yandex Ads, Yandex Metrica) used by third-party websites.
The cookie appears on a website when that site integrates a Yandex script — for example Yandex Metrica (analytics) or a Yandex advertising widget. Although it is issued from the .yandex.ru domain, its effect extends to any site loading Yandex services, since it identifies the visitor at the provider level.
What data it stores
yandexuid stores a unique, automatically generated identifier assigned to the visitor's browser the first time it interacts with a Yandex service. The value is an alphanumeric/numeric string with no directly readable personal information.
This identifier is sent to Yandex's servers and used to link the same browser's visits and actions over time, across multiple sites that use Yandex services.
What it is used for
For Yandex, the cookie serves to recognize unique visitors, measure traffic through Yandex Metrica, and deliver targeted advertising or retargeting through its ad network.
For the site owner, the presence of yandexuid indicates the use of a Yandex analytics or advertising tool; the resulting aggregated data can be useful for audience statistics or marketing campaigns, but control over the collected data remains primarily with Yandex.
Does it require consent?
In CookieFix's classification, yandexuid falls under the marketing category (advertising/tracking), as it is a third-party cookie used for identification and targeting.
- Under GDPR and Romania's Law 506/2004 (transposing the ePrivacy Directive), this type of cookie requires the user's prior consent, explicitly given via a consent banner, before the Yandex script can run.
- The site owner must disclose the cookie in the cookie policy, correctly assign it to the marketing category in the CMP, and ensure it is not loaded by default for EU/Romanian visitors.
- Since this involves a data transfer to a provider outside the EU, it's also worth reviewing implications under the international data transfer rules (GDPR Articles 44-49).
How to block or delete yandexuid
A visitor can manually delete or block this cookie from browser settings (Chrome, Firefox, Edge, Safari – per-site cookie management), or use tracker-blocking browser extensions.
For site owners, the recommended solution is a CMP that automatically blocks the Yandex script until the visitor gives explicit consent for the marketing category — for instance, CookieFix can load such scripts only after consent is granted, preventing the yandexuid cookie from being set prematurely.
Frequently asked questions
It's a marketing cookie set by Yandex to uniquely identify visitors and deliver targeted advertising or traffic statistics through services like Yandex Metrica.
It typically lasts 1 year from when it's set, after which it expires automatically unless renewed on a new visit.
Yes, since it's a marketing/tracking cookie, GDPR and Law 506/2004 require obtaining the user's prior consent before it is set.
By using a CMP that blocks the Yandex script until consent is given; visitors can also block it manually via browser settings or anti-tracking extensions.