Hubspot Cookie Security Guide

Understanding how Hubspot uses cookies is essential if you manage tracking, consent, or privacy on your website. This guide explains what each Hubspot cookie does, how long it lasts, and how you can configure consent, security settings, and privacy safeguards based on the official documentation.

Overview of Hubspot Cookie Types

When you install the Hubspot tracking code, several cookies can be set in your visitors’ browsers. These cookies help distinguish users, track sessions, and remember interactions with forms and chat tools.

Broadly, Hubspot cookies fall into three categories:

• Essential cookies for core site and analytics functionality
• Analytics cookies for traffic and performance measurement
• Functionality cookies for features like chat and cookie banners

The exact set of cookies used on your site depends on which Hubspot tools are active, such as forms, analytics, and chatflows.

Key Hubspot Analytics Cookies Explained

The primary analytics cookies set by Hubspot are used to recognize visitors and track sessions across pages.

hubspotutk: Visitor Tracking Cookie

The hubspotutk cookie is a main identifier used to uniquely track visitors:

• Purpose: Stores a unique user token to associate page views with a single visitor
• Usage: Sent to Hubspot on form submissions and used for deduplication of contacts
• Storage scope: First-party cookie stored in the visitor’s browser
• Impact: Helps your analytics show accurate visit histories for known contacts

__hstc: Main Tracking Cookie

The __hstc cookie is the primary session and visit tracking cookie for Hubspot:

• Purpose: Tracks domain, user token, first visit, last visit, current visit, and session number
• Function: Enables reports on returning vs new visitors and visit timestamps
• Behavior: Updated on each page load to maintain an accurate session history

__hssc and __hssrc: Session Cookies

Two additional cookies manage sessions and determine whether a session is new:

• __hssc: Keeps session count and timestamps to decide if a session should be incremented
• __hssrc: Set when Hubspot changes the session cookie; if it does not exist on reload, a new session is assumed

Together, these cookies allow Hubspot to distinguish between page views within the same visit and across multiple visits.

Hubspot Cookies for Forms and Lead Capture

Hubspot forms rely on cookies to link submissions to prior visits and to avoid duplicated contacts.

How Hubspot Uses Cookies with Forms

When a visitor fills out a form embedded via Hubspot:

1. The hubspotutk cookie is read (if present) and sent with the submission
2. Hubspot uses this identifier to associate the form with an existing visitor profile
3. Form data and prior activity are merged to create or update a contact record

If cookies are blocked or no identifier exists, Hubspot will still process the form but cannot fully associate it with historic visit data.

Impact of Visitor Consent on Forms

If you configure cookie consent in your portal, you can choose whether analytics cookies are set before or after a user accepts tracking. Depending on consent status:

• With consent granted, Hubspot analytics cookies will be stored and used with future form submissions
• Without consent, form tracking will be limited, reducing the amount of behavioral data linked to a contact

Hubspot Chat and Functionality Cookies

Hubspot chat and other interactive tools also set cookies that maintain continuity for visitors.

Cookies Used by Hubspot Chatflows

When you enable live chat or bots in Hubspot, the system may store cookies to:

• Remember chat session state between page loads
• Identify returning visitors to continue previous conversations
• Control when chat widgets appear or minimize

Without these cookies, your Hubspot chat experience becomes more limited, and visitors may be treated as new each time they load a page.

Interaction with the Hubspot Cookie Banner

If you use the built-in cookie banner, Hubspot sets functionality cookies to store consent choices. These cookies remember whether a visitor has:

• Accepted or rejected tracking categories
• Dismissed the banner
• Updated preferences on prior visits

This ensures that the banner behavior stays consistent with the visitor’s prior decision.

Configuring Hubspot Cookie Consent

Proper consent configuration helps balance analytics needs with privacy obligations.

Steps to Configure Consent in Hubspot

Within your account’s privacy settings, you can:

1. Enable cookie consent banner for one or more domains
2. Choose the banner style and text, aligning with your policy
3. Decide whether Hubspot cookies are loaded prior to consent or only after acceptance
4. Publish the updated banner to your live site

Always align your configuration with applicable regulations (such as GDPR or similar laws in your region).

Controlling Hubspot Tracking in Different Regions

If your audience spans multiple countries, you can:

• Serve the Hubspot cookie banner selectively based on location
• Customize text to reference local legal frameworks
• Adjust which categories of cookies require explicit consent

These options help you respect regional privacy expectations while still gathering valid analytics data.

Privacy and Security Practices for Hubspot Cookies

Hubspot cookies are designed with security and privacy controls aimed at protecting visitor data.

Data Stored in Hubspot Cookies

Most Hubspot cookies store identifiers and timestamps rather than full personal details. Typical data elements include:

• Unique visitor or session IDs
• Session counts and visit timestamps
• Flags indicating consent or functional preferences

Personally identifiable information is processed in the Hubspot platform rather than stored in the cookie itself.

Managing Lifespan and Deletion

Visitors can clear Hubspot cookies at any time through their browser. When cookies are deleted:

• Return visitors appear as new until a new identifier is created
• Session continuity is reset
• Existing contact records in your CRM remain, but future tracking may start fresh

Administrators should ensure their privacy notices explain how to opt out and manage cookies.

Best Practices for Using Hubspot Cookies Responsibly

To use Hubspot cookies in a compliant and transparent manner, follow these guidelines:

• Document which Hubspot features are active on your site
• List the main cookies and their purposes in your privacy or cookie policy
• Use the Hubspot consent tools where required by law
• Limit unnecessary tracking categories and respect user choices

Regular reviews of your configuration help keep your implementation aligned with evolving regulations and internal policies.

Where to Learn More About Hubspot Cookie Details

For the most accurate and up-to-date information, always refer to the official Hubspot documentation on cookie security and privacy. You can review the current details directly at Hubspot cookie security and privacy.

If you need strategic help aligning your Hubspot tracking strategy with broader marketing and compliance goals, you can also consult specialists at Consultevo.

By understanding how Hubspot cookies work and carefully configuring consent, you can maintain valuable analytics while protecting visitor privacy and meeting legal requirements.

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If you want expert help building, automating, or scaling your Hubspot , work with ConsultEvo, a team who has a decade of Hubspot experience.

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