Where to find the cookie clearing tool in Edge

Open Microsoft Edge and select the three-dot menu in the top right corner. Choose Settings, then Privacy, search, and services from the left sidebar. Under the "Clear browsing data" section, click Choose what to clear. A window will appear with checkboxes for different data types — Cookies and other site data is one of them.

If you want to clear cookies immediately without opening Settings, you can use the keyboard shortcut Ctrl + Shift + Delete on Windows or Command + Shift + Delete on Mac. This opens the same clearing window directly.

Key Takeaways

  • You can clear cookies through Settings > Privacy, search, and services > Clear browsing data, or use the keyboard shortcut Ctrl + Shift + Delete.
  • Choose your time range — "All time" removes every cookie Edge has stored, while "Last hour" or "Last 24 hours" removes only recent ones.
  • Clearing cookies will sign you out of most websites, so save any work before you proceed.
  • You can set Edge to clear cookies automatically every time you close the browser if you prefer not to do it manually.

Selecting what data to clear alongside cookies

The clearing window shows several checkboxes. Cookies and other site data is usually checked by default. You can also remove browsing history, download history, cached images and files, and other data types in the same action. Most people clear cookies and cached data together, since both are stored by websites to track your activity.

If you only want to remove cookies and nothing else, uncheck the other boxes before clicking Clear now. This is useful if you want to keep your browsing history but remove tracking data.

Choosing the time range for clearing

The "Time range" dropdown at the top of the clearing window controls how far back Edge looks. The options are typically Last hour, Last 24 hours, Last 7 days, Last 4 weeks, and All time. Selecting "All time" removes every cookie Edge has ever stored. Selecting a shorter range removes only cookies from that period.

If you want to remove cookies from a specific website but keep cookies from others, this time-range approach will not work — you will need to use the site-specific method described below instead.

Clearing cookies from a single website

Visit the website whose cookies you want to remove. Click the lock icon or information icon to the left of the address bar, then select Cookies and site permissions. You will see a list of cookies that website has stored. Click the trash icon next to each cookie to delete it individually, or select all and delete them together.

This method is slower than clearing all cookies at once, but it lets you keep cookies from websites you trust while removing them from sites you do not.

Setting Edge to clear cookies automatically

If you want Edge to clear cookies every time you close the browser, go to Settings > Privacy, search, and services and scroll down to "Clear browsing data." Toggle on Choose what to clear every time you close the browser. A new section will appear below it with checkboxes for what to clear — make sure Cookies and other site data is checked.

With this setting enabled, Edge will remove the selected data types whenever you close all Edge windows. You will be signed out of websites automatically, and websites will not be able to track you across sessions using stored cookies. This does not affect cookies stored during your current browsing session.

What happens after you clear cookies

Once you clear cookies, you will be signed out of most websites. The next time you visit a site, it will not remember your login information, preferences, or items in your shopping cart. Websites may also load slightly slower on your first visit because they cannot use cached data to speed things up.

Some websites store information in other ways besides cookies — such as local storage or session storage — which the "Cookies and other site data" option also removes. A few sites may behave unexpectedly after clearing, but this is rare and usually resolves itself after you log back in.

Frequently Asked Questions

Will clearing cookies delete my saved passwords?

No. Passwords are stored separately from cookies. If you want to remove saved passwords, you need to go to Settings > Passwords and remove them individually. The "Clear browsing data" window does not touch your password vault unless you specifically check a box for passwords, which is separate from the cookies checkbox.

Can I clear cookies from just one website without clearing all of them?

Yes. Visit the website, click the lock or information icon next to the address bar, select "Cookies and site permissions," and delete individual cookies from that site. This is slower than clearing all cookies at once, but it preserves cookies from other websites you want to stay logged into.

What is the difference between clearing cookies and clearing cache?

Cookies are small files that store login information and preferences. Cache is larger files like images and scripts that websites store to load faster on repeat visits. Both can be cleared together in the same window, but they serve different purposes. Clearing cache frees up more storage space, while clearing cookies removes tracking and login data.

If I clear cookies, will websites still be able to track me?

Clearing cookies removes one tracking method, but websites can still track you through other means like IP address, browser fingerprinting, or pixel tags. Clearing cookies regularly reduces tracking, but it does not eliminate it completely. For stronger privacy, consider using Edge's InPrivate browsing mode, which does not store cookies at all during that session.