A marketing cookie is a cookie used to show visitors ads based on their interests and to measure advertising performance. It enables profiling by tracking visitors across websites; retargeting campaigns rely on these cookies. It is the cookie category with the most intensive personal data processing, and its use requires explicit consent.
Marketing (advertising) cookies track a visitor's interests and behaviour so that ad networks can build profiles. Meta Pixel, Google Ads conversion tags and programmatic advertising cookies are typical examples. Most of them are third-party cookies: they are written from the ad provider's domain and recognise the visitor on every site where that provider can read its cookies. This cross-site tracking makes the category the most privacy-sensitive cookie type, and under the KVKK and GDPR it is never considered necessary; explicit consent is required before use.
Running an ad pixel without consent means sharing visitor data with ad networks without permission. In a correct setup, marketing scripts are wired to consent management: pixels do not load unless the visitor approves the marketing category, and mechanisms like Google Consent Mode pass the consent state to ad tags automatically. Practical steps for site owners: inventory the ad tags and pixels on the site, present them as a separate marketing category in the banner, name the providers in the cookie policy, and test that pixels really stay blocked when consent is refused.
Frequently asked questions
Does a site keep working if marketing cookies are rejected?
Yes. Marketing cookies are not technically required for the site to function; rejecting them does not affect page viewing, shopping or account features. What changes is the advertising side: the visitor may still see ads, but they are not personalised to their interests, and conversion measurement is limited. Rejection therefore does not break the visitor experience.
Do Meta Pixel and Google Ads tags count as marketing cookies?
Yes. Both track visitor behaviour for advertising, measure conversions and build retargeting audiences, so they belong in the marketing category and require explicit consent. In a correct setup, these tags do not load at all until the visitor approves the marketing category. For Google tags, Consent Mode is the standard way to pass the consent state automatically.
This content is for information only and is not legal advice.