What Happens If You Visit a Website Without Accepting Cookies

On most days, you probably find yourself browsing your favorite sites, reading the news or perhaps looking up recipe ideas or comparing prices on shopping sites. The moment you land on a new site, however, that annoying pop-up window appears to ask you about “cookies“—and not the edible kind.

You’re certain you’ve clicked or tapped through these pesky permissions before, but you can’t recall if you should accept them, and if so, do you choose all cookies or only essential cookies? Or decline them altogether? Or, if you’re eager to get on with your content, you just close the window altogether. What’s the harm in that, right? Who understands this stuff anyway?

Not many of us, it seems. According to a 2025 report by All About Cookies, an informational website that provides advice about online privacy and digital security, less than half (46%) of people know what internet cookies are. Read on for a refresher on what cookies are and what happens if you leave a website without accepting or rejecting them.

Get Reader’s Digest’s Read Up newsletter for more tech, cleaning, travel, humor and fun facts all week long.

What is a cookie?

Before we get into whether you should accept, reject or ignore them, it helps to understand what cookies are, in relation to the internet. Essentially, cookies are tiny data files that contain information about web pages you’ve visited, online searches you’ve conducted and preferences you’ve set within your browser. There are two types of cookies: first-party cookies and third-party cookies.

First-party cookies

“First-party cookies come directly from the website you’re visiting, and they’re used to make your experience smoother and more personalized,” says Amy Bunn, an online safety advocate at McAfee. They can be helpful, as they do things like remembering where you live (to give you relevant weather or the address of the closest nail salon), your layout preferences (such as prioritizing your favorite team on a sports site) or things you left in your shopping cart (so you can still buy them when you return to the online store).

Another example: Your debit card number and/or username is stored on your banking website, so you don’t have to type it in each time you want to check your balance—and, thus, only your password is required.

Third-party cookies

“Third-party cookies, on the other hand, are ‘tracking cookies,’ which come from other companies, usually advertisers, that are allowed to place cookies on the site you’re visiting,” Bunn explains. “These track what you do online, like the websites you visit and the content you view, so they can share ads that match your interests.”

Along with advertisers, search engine companies, device manufacturers and social media giants also created third-party (aka “nonessential”) cookies to track you online and/or show you ads based on your searching or browsing topics and habits.

As you might expect, these kinds of cookies could invade your privacy, whether you browse the web on a smartphone, tablet, laptop or desktop computer.

What happens if you don’t accept or reject cookies?

If you click out of a cookie permission pop-up window without accepting or denying cookies, some websites may not work properly.

“This can mean you may not be able to use some features, or you could be blocked from using the site entirely,” cautions Bunn. “Other websites may allow you to access content, but that content may not be as relevant, and the experience may not be as smooth or personalized.”

In other words, you’re still going to see ads and curated news content, but they could be of no interest, such as seeing banner advertisements for diapers or MSN articles about babies when you don’t have any children.

Is it OK to accept all cookies?

Accept cookies button on web page SEAN GLADWELL/GETTY IMAGES

“Cookies are text files, not programs, and they won’t harm your computer when a website sends them,” says Bunn. “However, it’s still important to be cautious, as some cookies can store personal information like your email and passwords. If you visit an untrustworthy website or use an unsecured public Wi-Fi network, your information could be at risk.”

A serious potential downside is that some cybercriminals use AI to trick you into visiting harmful websites that look legit and have prompts for you to enter your personal info. You may be sent fake emails, text messages or DMs over social media that look like the real deal.

“That’s why you should not accept all cookies automatically, only allow them on websites you trust,” Bunn says. “If a criminal hijacks your cookies, they may be able to access your browsing history or even log into your accounts. This could lead to providing access to sensitive information, unauthorized purchases or even identify theft.”

Which cookies should you always reject?

You should always decline cookies on websites that aren’t secure. You can check if a site is secure by looking at the web address; secure sites start with “https” (the “s” stands for secure) and often show a small lock icon in the address bar. If you don’t see those, don’t accept cookies.

You should also think twice about accepting cookies if a website mentions sharing your data with third parties. While that usually means your information could be passed along to advertisers, when in doubt, it’s safer to click “decline.”

Should you clear your cookies?

While “clearing” cookies, which all web browsers let you do in their Settings area, means your browser will delete any stored (and potentially handy) information for you (like your credit card when you’re about to make a purchase), there are three main reasons why you may want to clear cookies:

To protect your privacy. How much do you want big tech to know about you and your likes and dislikes? Also, it’s possible that a site that keeps your sensitive information automatically loaded could suffer a data breach.
To fix a website bug. If a site isn’t loading properly or is having display glitches or login issues, clearing cookies could resolve the issue.
If you’re on a public computer. Clearing the cookies on a shared computer—say, at a public library, hotel lobby or airport lounge—is a good way to quickly make sure you logged out of all the websites you just accessed so that no one else can sit down and keep using your accounts.

RELATED:

About the expert

Amy Bunn has worked in technology and cybersecurity for the past 15 years. She currently serves as an online safety advocate and the head of communications at McAfee, a leading digital security software company. She also contributes regularly to McAfee’s blog.

Why trust us

Reader’s Digest has published hundreds of articles on personal technology, arming readers with the knowledge to protect themselves against cybersecurity threats and internet scams as well as revealing the best tips, tricks and shortcuts for computers, cellphones, apps, texting, social media and more. We rely on credentialed experts with personal experience and know-how as well as primary sources including tech companies, professional organizations and academic institutions. We verify all facts and data and revisit them over time to ensure they remain accurate and up to date. For this piece, Marc Saltzman tapped his 30-year experience as a technology journalist, the author of several books (including Apple Vision Pro for Dummies) and the host of the syndicated Tech It Out radio show and podcast to ensure that all information is accurate and offers the best possible advice to readers. Read more about our team, our contributors and our editorial policies.

Sources:

All About Cookies: “40% of Americans Blindly Accept Internet Cookies, but Most Don’t Know What They Do”
Amy Bunn, online safety advocate and head of communications at McAfee; interviewed, May 2025
Norton: “Should you accept cookies? 5 times you definitely shouldn’t”
European Commission: “Cookies policy – European Commission”