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Third-Party Cookie Management

Major browsers like Safari, Firefox, and Chrome (including Chromium-based browsers like Edge) have added or are planning to add restrictions to third-party cookie usage. This change entails replacing third-party cookie usage patterns by web browsers with a new partitioned cookie type or blocking them entirely.

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Google Chrome has announced plans to move towards a more privacy-focused web environment with initiatives like the Privacy Sandbox, which aims to provide personalization while protecting user privacy. Google is planning to introduce a new experience in Chrome that lets people make an informed choice that applies across their web browsing, including (but not limited to) third-party cookie usage.

Mozilla Firefox and Apple's Safari have already implemented strict third-party cookie blocking by default:

  • Safari uses Intelligent Tracking Prevention (ITP) to block cookies used by advertisers to track users across sites
  • Firefox uses Enhanced Tracking Protection (ETP) for similar functionality
  • Other Chromium-based browsers, like Microsoft Edge, are expected to follow Chrome's implementation

Impact on Glean Functionality​

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Since Glean is embedded on customers' websites, it is classified as a third-party and this change can have an impact on critical workflows. Glean's embedded widgets and other functionalities rely on third-party cookies for authenticating users and these would be affected if third-party cookies are blocked.

Glean has an inbuilt flow that requests users for third-party cookie access if needed. After login, you will see the following screen:

Glean 3P Cookie Access Request

To grant access:

  1. Click on "Allow Cookies"
  2. You will see a browser prompt:

Browser 3P Cookie Access Prompt

Browser prompt for third-party cookie access

  1. Click on "Allow" to grant Glean access to third-party cookies
  2. Glean will complete the login process successfully

Frequently Asked Questions​

How do I grant access if I accidentally clicked 'Block'?

If you clicked "Block" when the browser asked for third-party cookie access, any subsequent click on "Allow cookies" will automatically be rejected. To manually grant access:

  1. Click on the cookie access icon in the top-right corner of the URL address bar
  2. In the prompt, switch the glean.com toggle to "On":
Allow Cookies Chrome
  1. Click on "Allow Cookies" in the Glean UI
  2. The login should complete successfully
Why don't I see a prompt after clicking 'Allow Cookies'?

This can occur in two scenarios:

  1. Access was previously denied or the prompt was dismissed multiple times (see solution above)
  2. The embedding iframe configuration needs to meet specific requirements:
    • If the iframe is not sandboxed, there are no issues
    • If sandboxed, it must include these sandbox attributes:
      • allow-storage-access-by-user-activation
      • allow-scripts
      • allow-same-origin
Do I need to grant access for each domain separately?

Yes, cookie access is domain-specific. The duration of access varies by browser:

  • Google Chrome/Chromium: Access persists for the current user profile
  • Firefox: Access persists for the current user profile
  • Safari: Access is limited to the current browser tab only