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Cookies won't reappear after clearing them

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Recently, I cleared the cookies and site data from my browser as I'd noticed they were taking quite of lot of space on my harddrive. I thought clearing them would just reset them, but it looks like they were completely wiped instead.

Now, the browser never remembers any login information, so I have to connect to every site I use everytime I open my computer. It's troublesome when some of them have double verification and I have to go through the trouble of checking my email and entering a code everytime. The websites don't ask me to enable cookies again, so I don't know how to make them remember my informations again.

Is there a way to re-enable cookies, or have the websites ask me to enable cookies again?

Recently, I cleared the cookies and site data from my browser as I'd noticed they were taking quite of lot of space on my harddrive. I thought clearing them would just reset them, but it looks like they were completely wiped instead. Now, the browser never remembers any login information, so I have to connect to every site I use everytime I open my computer. It's troublesome when some of them have double verification and I have to go through the trouble of checking my email and entering a code everytime. The websites don't ask me to enable cookies again, so I don't know how to make them remember my informations again. Is there a way to re-enable cookies, or have the websites ask me to enable cookies again?

All Replies (2)

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Detail like websites remembering you and log you in automatically is stored in cookies, so make sure you aren't clearing important cookies.

You can use these steps to make a website recognize and remember you.

  • create a cookie allow exception with the proper protocol (https:// or http://) to make a website remember you

You can check that you aren't clearing important cookies.

  • using "Delete cookies and site data when Firefox is closed" to clear cookies keeps cookies with an allow exception
    in 102+ version toggling this setting makes changes to the "Clear history when Firefox closes" settings and those settings prevail
  • using "Clear history when Firefox closes" in Firefox 102+ honors exceptions and keeps cookies with an allow exception, previous versions removed all cookies

Make sure to keep the "Site settings".

  • clearing "Site settings" clears exceptions for cookies, images, pop-up windows, and software installation and exceptions for passwords and other website specific data
  • Settings -> Privacy & Security
    Cookies and Site Data: "Manage Exceptions"
  • Settings -> Privacy & Security
    Firefox will: "Use custom settings for history":
    [X] "Clear history when Firefox closes" -> Settings
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Do you recall the steps you used to clear your cookies and site data? You can clear them temporarily as a one-time operation using the "Clear Data" button (or get specific about sites using the "Manage Data" button), but you might also have turned on a feature to clear cookies or other data when Firefox closes. There's a checkbox for that in the same area of the Settings page. (This is just background for cor-el's reply.)