Skip to content
AnalyticsConsent required

What is the _pk_ses.* cookie?it needs consent first

Set by Matomo (Matomo (InnoCraft Ltd.)). Expires after 30 minutes.

Block it until the visitor opts in

Under the ePrivacy Directive (Art. 5(3)) and GDPR, _pk_ses.* may only be set after the visitor accepts analytics cookies.

Purpose

Stores temporary data for the visit.

Cookie details

Cookie name
_pk_ses.*
Service
Matomo
Provider
Matomo (InnoCraft Ltd.)
Category
Analytics
Duration
30 minutes
Consent
Required — opt-in

GDPR requirements

Analytics cookies help website owners understand how visitors interact with websites by collecting and reporting information anonymously. Consent is required under GDPR.

For _pk_ses.* to be compliant, it must be:

  • Not set on the first visit — not even for a fraction of a second
  • A consent banner is shown, and the visitor actively accepts analytics cookies
  • Stays blocked if the visitor rejects or ignores the banner
  • Listed in your cookie policy with its name, purpose and retention period
  • Removed or invalidated when the visitor withdraws consent

How to handle it

  1. 1
    Block it by default

    Configure your consent platform (CMP) or tag manager so Matomo doesn't load until the visitor accepts analytics cookies.

  2. 2
    Map it to a consent category

    Put it under “Analytics” in your CMP configuration.

  3. 3
    List it in your cookie policy

    Name, purpose, provider (Matomo (InnoCraft Ltd.)) and expiry (30 minutes).

  4. 4
    Sign a DPA

    Have a Data Processing Agreement with Matomo (InnoCraft Ltd.) covering the data this cookie collects.

  5. 5
    Verify it works

    In a private window, reject cookies and confirm _pk_ses.* is not set.

Other Matomo cookies

is _pk_ses.* on your site?scan it in 2 minutes

Free scan · see every cookie before and after consent