# JavaScript Cookie Management Made Easy
with Zebra Cookie  [](https://twitter.com/intent/tweet?text=A+ridiculously+small+(~500+bytes+minified)+JavaScript+API+for+writing,+reading+and+deleting+browser+cookies&url=https://github.com/stefangabos/Zebra_Datepicker&via=stefangabos&hashtags=jquery,javascript) *A very lightweight JavaScript library for easy cookie management — set, read, and delete browser cookies effortlessly* [](https://www.npmjs.com/package/zebra_cookie) [](https://www.npmjs.com/package/zebra_cookie) [](https://www.npmjs.com/package/zebra_cookie) [](https://www.jsdelivr.com/package/npm/zebra_cookie) [](https://github.com/stefangabos/Zebra_Cookie/blob/master/LICENSE.md) ## Zebra Cookie: Lightweight JavaScript Library for Easy Cookie Management - very easy to write, read and delete browser cookies - simple and intuitive syntax - extremely small: with around 1KB when minified (605 bytes gzipped), it is probably the smallest and most optimized API for handling browser cookies from JavaScript Zebra Cookie is a convenient choice if you want a small, dependency-free solution for cookie management, especially for projects where managing cookies is required but using a larger library isn't necessary. Check out the [demos](https://stefangabos.github.io/Zebra_Cookie/) > Starting with version 4.0.0 this library introduced the `max-age` and `SameSite` attributes used in modern browsers and therefore it is not compatible anymore with pre-2018 browsers like IE11 and older Safari. Please use version 3.0.0 if you need to support those browsers. ## Installation Instructions for Zebra Cookie JavaScript Library Zebra Cookie is available as a [npm package](https://www.npmjs.com/package/zebra_cookie). To install it use: ```bash # the "--save" argument adds the plugin as a dependency in packages.json npm install zebra_cookie --save ``` ## How to Set, Read, and Delete Cookies with Zebra Cookie Load Zebra Cookie: ```html ``` Alternatively, you can load Zebra Cookie from [JSDelivr CDN](https://www.jsdelivr.com/package/npm/zebra_cookie) like this: ```html ``` Usage ```javascript // at this point "Cookie" object will be available in the global namespace // the object exposes 3 methods that you can use to write, read and delete cookies // create a session cookie (expires when the browser closes) Cookie.write('cookie_name', 'cookie_value'); // create a cookie that expires in 1 day Cookie.write('cookie_name', 'cookie_value', 24 * 60 * 60); // read a cookie’s value // following the examples above, this should return "cookie_value" Cookie.read('cookie_name'); // the "read" method returns null if the cookie doesn’t exist Cookie.read('non_existing_cookie_name'); // delete the cookie Cookie.destroy('cookie_name'); ``` ## Methods ### `destroy(name)` Removes a cookie from the browser. Returns `TRUE` on success or `FALSE` otherwise. | Argument | Description | |---|---| |`name` | The name of the cookie to remove ```javascript // create a session cookie (expires when the browser closes) Cookie.write('cookie_name', 'cookie_value'); // delete the cookie Cookie.destroy('cookie_name'); ``` ### `read(name)` Reads the value of a cookie. Returns the value of the requested cookie or `null` if the cookie doesn't exist. | Argument | Description | |---|---| |`name` | The name of the cookie to read ```javascript // create a session cookie (expires when the browser closes) Cookie.write('cookie_name', 'cookie_value'); // read a cookie's value // following the examples above, this should return "cookie_value" Cookie.read('cookie_name'); ``` ### `write(name, value, [expire = 0], [path = /], [domain = ""], [secure = ""], [SameSite = "Lax"])` Sets a cookie in the browser. Returns `TRUE` if the cookie was successfully set, or `FALSE` otherwise. Additionally, it will throw an error if the cookie name is invalid, the cookie's size exceeds the maximum allowed limit (`4KB`), or if `SameSite=None` without `secure=true`. | Argument | Description | Required | Default | |---|---|---|---| |`name` | The name of the cookie to set | Yes | |`value` | The value to set | Yes | |`expire` | The life time of the cookie, in seconds.
If set to `0`, or omitted, the cookie will expire at the end of the session (when the browser closes) | Optional | `0` | `path`| The path on the server in which the cookie will be available on.
If set to `/`, the cookie will be available within the entire domain. If set to `/foo/`, the cookie will only be available within the `/foo/` directory and all subdirectories such as `/foo/bar/` of the domain | Optional | `/` |`domain` | The domain that the cookie will be available on.
To make the cookie available on all sub-domains of `example.com`, domain should be set to to `.example.com`. The `.` (dot) is not required but makes it compatible with more browsers. Setting it to `www.example.com` will make the cookie available only in the `www` sub-domain | Optional | `""` | `secure` | Indicates whether cookie information should only be transmitted over a HTTPS connection.

Valid values are `TRUE`, `FALSE` and `""` (empty string).

Default value is `""` (an empty string) which will instruct the script to automatically set this attribute to `TRUE` when the current page is `https`, or `FALSE` otherwise | Optional / Automatic | `""` |`SameSite` | Controls when cookies are sent with cross-site requests, providing protection against cross-site request forgery attacks.

Possible values are:

- `Strict` - cookie is only sent in a first-party context (same-site requests only)
- `Lax` - cookie is sent with same-site requests and top-level navigation (links)
- `None` - cookie is sent with all cross-site requests (requires `secure=true`)

Default is `Lax` to match modern browser behavior.

_When using `None` as value, the `secure` parameter must be set to `TRUE`!_ | Optional | `Lax` ```javascript // create a session cookie (expires when the browser closes) Cookie.write('cookie_name', 'cookie_value'); // create a cookie that expires in 1 day Cookie.write('cookie_name', 'cookie_value', 24 * 60 * 60); ``` ## 🎂 Support the development of this project Your support means a lot and it keeps me motivated to keep working on open source projects.
If you like this project please ⭐ it by clicking on the star button at the top of the page.
If you are feeling generous, you can buy me a coffee by donating through PayPal, or you can become a sponsor.
Either way - **Thank you!** 🎉 [](https://github.com/stefangabos/Zebra_Cookie) [](https://www.paypal.com/cgi-bin/webscr?cmd=_s-xclick&hosted_button_id=BB4S849EMJH48) [](https://github.com/sponsors/stefangabos)