GOV.UK
GOV.UK puts small files (known as ‘cookies’) onto your computer to collect information about how you browse the site.
Cookies are used to:
- measure how you use the website so it can be updated and improved based on your needs
- remember the notifications you’ve seen so that we don’t show them to you again
GOV.UK cookies aren’t used to identify you personally.
You’ll normally see a message on the site before we store a cookie on your computer.
Find out more about how to manage cookies.
How cookies are used on GOV.UK
Measuring website usage (Google Analytics)
We use Google Analytics software to collect information about how you use GOV.UK. We do this to help make sure the site is meeting the needs of its users and to help us make improvements.
Google Analytics stores information about:
- the pages you visit on GOV.UK - how long you spend on each GOV.UK page
- how you got to the site
- what you click on while you’re visiting the site
We don’t collect or store your personal information (eg your name or address) so this information can’t be used to identify who you are.
We don’t allow Google to use or share our analytics data.
Google Analytics sets the following cookies:
| Name | Purpose | Expires |
|---|---|---|
| _utma | Determines the number of unique visitors to the site | 2 years |
| _utmb | This works with _utmc to calculate the average length of time you spend on our site | 30 minutes |
| _utmc | This works with _utmb to calculate when you close your browser | when you close your browser |
| _utmz | This provides information about how you reached the site (eg from another website or a search engine) | 6 months |
| ga_nextpage_params | This stores data to be sent to Google on the next page you request | when you close your browser |
| GDS_successEvents and GDS_analyticsTokens | These help us identify how you use GOV.UK so we can make the site better | 4 months |
You can opt out of Google Analytics cookies.
Our introductory message
You may see a pop-up welcome message when you first visit GOV.UK. We’ll store a cookie so that your computer knows you’ve seen it and knows not to show it again.
| Name | Purpose | Expires |
|---|---|---|
| seen_cookie_message | Saves a message to let us know that you have seen our cookie message | 1 month |
Your progress when applying for a licence
When you apply for a licence using the ‘apply for a licence’ service, we’ll set a cookie to remember your progress through the forms. These cookies don’t store your personal data and are deleted once you’ve completed the transaction.
| Name | Purpose | Expires |
|---|---|---|
| licensing_session | Set to remember information you have entered into a form when applying for a licence | When you close your browser |
YouTube videos
We use YouTube to provide videos on some pages of the site. YouTube sets cookies when you visit one of these pages.
| Name | Purpose | Expires |
|---|---|---|
| _use_hitbox | This is a randomly generated number that identifies your browser | When you close your browser |
| VISITOR_INFO1_LIVE | Lets Youtube count the views of embedded Youtube videos | 9 months |
Directgov-branded government services
Some of the Directgov-branded government services we link to may set additional cookies.
Browser upgrade prompt
We log a cookie the first time you visit GOV.UK to let us know you’ve visited once.
If you’re using an out-of-date browser the next time you visit, we’ll show you a message suggesting you upgrade.
We’ll also save a cookie that lets us know you don’t want to see the prompt if you dismiss it.
| Name | Purpose | Expires |
|---|---|---|
| govuk_not_first_visit | Stops us prompting you to upgrade an out-of-date browser until after your first visit | 28 days |
| govuk_browser_upgrade_dismissed | Saves a message to let us know you’ve seen and dismissed the browser upgrade prompt | 28 days |
Our user satisfaction survey
We select some users to take part in a user-satisfaction survey. If you choose to take part, or dismiss the survey, we’ll save a cookie that lets us know that you’ve seen the message so that we don’t show it to you again.
| Name | Purpose | Expires |
|---|---|---|
| govuk_takenUserSatisfactionSurvey | Saves a message to remember if you’ve taken the survey or dismissed it | 4 months |
We use SurveyMonkey to collect responses to the survey. If you take part, SurveyMonkey will save extra cookies to your computer to track your progress through it.
| Name | Purpose | Expires |
|---|---|---|
| mbox | This is used to keep your progress through the survey | 30 minutes |
| SSOE | This is used for testing different content and features on the survey website to help make it better | When you close your browser |
| TS5159a2 and TSd0b041 | These are used to manage survey traffic by sending your computer to a specific server | When you close your browser |
| ep201 | This is used to help us identify how you use the survey | 30 minutes |
| ep202 | This works with ep201 to help us identify how you use the survey | 1 year |
Multivariate testing
We sometimes test different versions of pages with different users to see which work better. We’ll save a cookie so that you consistently see the same version when browsing GOV.UK.
| Name | Purpose | Expires |
|---|---|---|
| multivariatetest_cohort_topics_menu_text | Remember which version of the page you were shown | 1 month |
Security restrictions
We use a cookie to override security settings if we know the machine you are using to visit GOV.UK is known to be trusted.
| Name | Purpose |
|---|---|
| _cfduid | Overrides security settings if your machine is trusted |