Does the _gat cookie need consent?

In the EU and the UK, yes. _gat is an analytics cookie, so it may be set only after the visitor agrees. Under the CCPA, California residents can opt out if the data is sold or shared.

How long does the _gat cookie last?

_gat usually lasts 1 minute. The exact lifetime depends on the site's settings and the version of the script that sets it.

Who sets the _gat cookie?

_gat is set by Google Analytics. It is in the Analytics category.

How do I block or delete the _gat cookie?

Visitors can delete _gat in their browser's cookie settings. On your own website, a consent banner can keep the script that sets it waiting until the visitor accepts analytics cookies. Kukie.io's banner does this for known trackers by default, and for any other script you tag with its category.

Analytics

_gat cookie

Set by Google Analytics.

What it does

Used to throttle request rate.

Cookie name: _gat
Category: Analytics
Provider: Google Analytics
Duration: 1 minute
Data source: Kukie.io

Consent

Needed in the EU and the UK

_gat is in the Analytics category. In the EU and the UK, analytics cookies need the visitor's consent before they are set. California's CCPA works differently: it lets residents opt out of the sale or sharing of their personal information.

GDPR and ePrivacy (EU): Prior consent is needed before setting _gat. Analytics cookies are not covered by the strictly necessary exemption; only a few regulators (for example France's CNIL) allow a narrow exemption for first-party audience measurement under strict conditions.
UK GDPR and PECR: Consent is needed before setting _gat. The ICO treats analytics cookies as non-essential.
CCPA and CPRA (California): Disclose _gat in your privacy policy and honour opt-out requests, including the Global Privacy Control signal, if the analytics data is shared or sold.

Managing _gat with a consent banner

A consent banner can keep the script that sets _gat waiting until the visitor accepts analytics cookies. Kukie.io's cookie scanner finds _gat and sorts it into a category. The banner holds back known trackers by default, and any other script you tag with its category waits too.

Learn more about script blocking

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