Collecting cookies: our tips
Updated 4 months ago
by
Yana Shch
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Why do I need to collect cookies?
When it comes to managing multiple accounts, cookies are crucial, as they help establish a browsing history that looks more authentic and less suspicious to websites. In our experience, a lack of cookie history is a common cause of account restrictions. Thus, it's essential to utilize cookies along with other strategies to avoid being detected.
Do websites see cookies from all other websites I visit?
Not exactly. Because of the same-origin policy, websites don't see cookies planted by other domains (for example, bbc.com can't see cookies from etsy.com).
However, cookies can be transmitted to the target website through certain identifiers or tracking scripts.
For example, a Facebook pixel (a “share”, “like“ buttons or a comment form) is placed on many websites, which means that Facebook can plant a cookie with a unique identifier on the computer that visits them. Later, by reading this very cookie file, it tracks your browsing history across the internet. Another example is Google that can access cookies using Google analytic scripts placed on other websites.
Collecting cookies in Multilogin: best strategies
Since Multilogin browsers work exactly like the usual Chrome and Firefox browsers, you can collect browsing history manually by visiting random websites. However, this approach takes time, which is not convenient when you manage multiple profiles. That's why we also have the option of cookie import and an automated crawler CookieRobot.
Cookie import
Cookie import function is particularly useful when you already have a file with browsing history in JSON or Netscape formats, exported from another browser.
You can also import cookies into your browser profiles by using cookieImportJSON and cookieImportNetscape Local REST API endpoints. Both endpoints are described in our swagger documentation.
CookieRobot
CookieRobot crawls websites and collects cookies automatically. To access it, click on browser profile settings and select “Run CookieRobot”.
How many websites should CookieRobot visit?
Your target website only has access to its own cookies or cookies obtained through identifiers. Since we usually don't know if a particular website has those identifiers, we can't say whether visiting it is useful. Therefore, the more websites you visit, the higher the chance is that among them will be those that transmit information to your target website.
How long should CookieRobot crawl each website?
The longer the crawling time is, the more links within the website will be accessed, and the more cookies will be gathered. Usually crawling every URL for 2–5 minutes is enough.
Should I enter all the links at once?
We suggest dividing the number of URLs you put per crawl. For example, if you have 20 URLs, it would be better if you could divide it into 2–3 parts and run each of them separately. Once you finish with this pack of URLs, you can always enter new ones, so that CookieRobot can gather cookie files from different sources.
Does cookie age matter?
When collecting cookies, it is important to consider their age. It is best to wait a few days and gather them again before starting to work on a target website. This can help you establish a more authentic browsing history and avoid detection by websites.
