AnalyticsConsent required
What is the _gat Cookie?
Set by Google Analytics (Google LLC). Expires after 1 minute.
Purpose
Used to throttle request rate, limiting data collection on high-traffic sites.
Cookie Details
| Cookie Name | _gat |
| Service | Google Analytics |
| Provider | Google LLC |
| Category | Analytics |
| Duration | 1 minute |
| Consent Required | Yes — requires explicit opt-in |
Category: Analytics
Analytics cookies help website owners understand how visitors interact with websites by collecting and reporting information anonymously. Consent is required under GDPR.
GDPR Requirements
Under GDPR and the ePrivacy Directive, the _gat cookie requires explicit user consent before it can be set. This means:
- The cookie must not be set when a user first visits your site — not even for a fraction of a second
- A consent banner must be displayed, and the user must actively accept analytics/marketing cookies
- If the user rejects or ignores the banner, this cookie must remain blocked
- The cookie must be listed in your cookie policy with its name, purpose, and retention period
- Users must be able to withdraw consent at any time, which must also remove or invalidate this cookie
How to Handle This Cookie
- Block it by default — configure your Consent Management Platform (CMP) or tag manager to prevent Google Analytics from loading until the user accepts analytics cookies.
- Include it in your consent categories — map it to the "Analytics" category in your CMP configuration.
- List it in your cookie policy — document the cookie name, purpose, provider (Google LLC), and expiry (1 minute).
- Sign a DPA — ensure you have a Data Processing Agreement with Google LLC covering their use of data collected via this cookie.
- Verify it works — in an incognito browser, reject cookies and confirm
_gatis not set.
Other Google Analytics Cookies
Is this cookie on your website?
Scan your website to see every cookie it sets, whether they're blocked before consent, and get a full GDPR compliance report.
Scan your website free →