{"slug": "cookie-autodelete", "name": "Cookie AutoDelete", "category": "browsers", "category_name": "Browsers and extensions", "description": "Browser extension that automatically deletes cookies and site data from closed tabs unless whitelisted.", "recommenders": 7, "commenters": 8, "warners": 0, "score": 6.329, "rising": -0.96, "first": "2025-11-05", "latest": "2026-10-10", "why": "HN commenters recommend it for automatically clearing a site's cookies and storage when you close the tab or leave the domain, with a whitelist for sites you want to stay logged into.", "why_is_quote": false, "has_verdict": true, "sentiment": {"recommend": 7, "neutral": 1, "compare": 0, "warn": 0}, "spark": [3, 1, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 1, 0, 1, 1, 0], "listed": true, "loved": ["Auto cookie cleanup", "Whitelisting"], "caveat": "Maintenance doubts", "short_quote": "For Firefox I recommend Cookie AutoDelete 3.8.2 addon.", "icon": true, "domain": null, "github_repo": null, "official_url": "https://github.com/Cookie-AutoDelete/Cookie-AutoDelete", "pricing": "open source", "aliases": ["Cookie AutoDelete", "Cookie Auto-Delete", "Cookie Auto Delete"], "verdict": [{"text": "HN commenters recommend it for automatically clearing a site's cookies and storage when you close the tab or leave the domain,", "cites": [{"id": 793654672, "item_id": 49603417, "url": "https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=49603417", "by": "gitowiec", "date": "2026-09-07", "stance": "recommend", "quote": "For Firefox I recommend Cookie AutoDelete 3.8.2 addon.", "excerpt": "For Firefox I recommend Cookie AutoDelete 3.8.2 addon. It is possible to configure it to erase all storage (cookies, indexeddb, localSorage and others) after chosen time (default 15s) after changing/leaving domain. It has many other useful options. Another good addon is ClearURLs 1.27.3 which clears suspicious parameters of query strings on everything what's loaded by page. It sometimes break sites.", "context": "", "use_case": "auto-erasing cookies and storage", "switched_from": "", "story": "My practical approach to surfing the web safely"}, {"id": 786166369, "item_id": 49135398, "url": "https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=49135398", "by": "timbit42", "date": "2026-08-01", "stance": "recommend", "quote": "I also use, 'Cookie Auto-Delete', which deletes a sites cookies as soon as I close the tab", "excerpt": "I don't see these because I use the, 'I still don't care about cookies' add-on. I also use, 'Cookie Auto-Delete', which deletes a sites cookies as soon as I close the tab, unless I specify to keep them, which I do on sites I want to remain logged into. It surprises me people put up with these annoyances, or ads either.", "context": "", "use_case": "deleting cookies on tab close", "switched_from": "", "story": "Ten Ways NAS Is Getting Enshitified"}]}, {"text": " with a whitelist for sites you want to stay logged into.", "cites": [{"id": 786166369, "item_id": 49135398, "url": "https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=49135398", "by": "timbit42", "date": "2026-08-01", "stance": "recommend", "quote": "I also use, 'Cookie Auto-Delete', which deletes a sites cookies as soon as I close the tab", "excerpt": "I don't see these because I use the, 'I still don't care about cookies' add-on. I also use, 'Cookie Auto-Delete', which deletes a sites cookies as soon as I close the tab, unless I specify to keep them, which I do on sites I want to remain logged into. It surprises me people put up with these annoyances, or ads either.", "context": "", "use_case": "deleting cookies on tab close", "switched_from": "", "story": "Ten Ways NAS Is Getting Enshitified"}, {"id": 774520866, "item_id": 48407554, "url": "https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=48407554", "by": "k310", "date": "2026-06-04", "stance": "recommend", "quote": "I also have cookie-auto-delete for sites other than my whitelist.", "excerpt": "No problem with Firefox. But I have ublock-origin and every paywall buster I could find. Common fixes are to clear cookies, for \"soft\" paywalls and turning off javascript for the site. consult your browser for easy ways to do this. I use an extension with Firefox. I also have cookie-auto-delete for sites other than my whitelist. I works for me with javascript turned on or off. On ios Safari, I use an app Sheriff, tha", "context": "", "use_case": "clearing cookies", "switched_from": "", "story": "Walmart investors reject AI workplace report as automation expands in the US"}]}, {"text": " The main caveats are that one longtime user found it seemingly unmaintained", "cites": [{"id": 800487136, "item_id": 50030446, "url": "https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=50030446", "by": "usr1106", "date": "2026-10-10", "stance": "neutral", "quote": "I used to use Cookie Auto Delete for years. But when I last checked it seemed unmaintained.", "excerpt": "Yes, it has access to the internal storage mechanisms of the browser. I used to use Cookie Auto Delete for years. But when I last checked it seemed unmaintained. I log out of all somewhat important services anyway every time I am done. For important stuff like banking I use Firefox containers. Yeah, all of them could have their weaknesses and vulnerabilities. I just hope no attacker hits exactly the stack I use...", "context": "", "use_case": "cookie cleanup", "switched_from": "", "story": "Telegram Desktop vulnerability allowed any user's file to be stolen"}]}, {"text": " and that its config has to be copied between browsers by hand.", "cites": [{"id": 733280065, "item_id": 45830004, "url": "https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=45830004", "by": "xenophonf", "date": "2025-11-05", "stance": "recommend", "quote": "I use Containerise plus Cookie AutoDelete plus Temporary Containers to give me what is effectively per-tab private browsing.", "excerpt": "Firefox profiles suck. Their UX is so bad. Containers are better but still have their issues. I use Containerise plus Cookie AutoDelete plus Temporary Containers to give me what is effectively per-tab private browsing. The major downside is that I have to copy containers.json (which enumerates all of the dedicated containers I have defined, e.g., for Facebook), my Containerise rules (which automatically puts certain ", "context": "", "use_case": "deleting cookies automatically", "switched_from": "", "story": "Firefox profiles: Private, focused spaces for all the ways you browse"}]}], "praise": [{"label": "Auto cookie cleanup", "summary": "Deletes a site's cookies shortly after you close its tab or leave the domain.", "quotes": [{"id": 793654672, "item_id": 49603417, "url": "https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=49603417", "by": "gitowiec", "date": "2026-09-07", "stance": "recommend", "quote": "For Firefox I recommend Cookie AutoDelete 3.8.2 addon.", "excerpt": "For Firefox I recommend Cookie AutoDelete 3.8.2 addon. It is possible to configure it to erase all storage (cookies, indexeddb, localSorage and others) after chosen time (default 15s) after changing/leaving domain. It has many other useful options. Another good addon is ClearURLs 1.27.3 which clears suspicious parameters of query strings on everything what's loaded by page. It sometimes break sites.", "context": "", "use_case": "auto-erasing cookies and storage", "switched_from": "", "story": "My practical approach to surfing the web safely"}, {"id": 786166369, "item_id": 49135398, "url": "https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=49135398", "by": "timbit42", "date": "2026-08-01", "stance": "recommend", "quote": "I also use, 'Cookie Auto-Delete', which deletes a sites cookies as soon as I close the tab", "excerpt": "I don't see these because I use the, 'I still don't care about cookies' add-on. I also use, 'Cookie Auto-Delete', which deletes a sites cookies as soon as I close the tab, unless I specify to keep them, which I do on sites I want to remain logged into. It surprises me people put up with these annoyances, or ads either.", "context": "", "use_case": "deleting cookies on tab close", "switched_from": "", "story": "Ten Ways NAS Is Getting Enshitified"}]}, {"label": "Whitelisting", "summary": "Lets you keep cookies for chosen sites, such as ones you want to stay logged into.", "quotes": [{"id": 786166369, "item_id": 49135398, "url": "https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=49135398", "by": "timbit42", "date": "2026-08-01", "stance": "recommend", "quote": "I also use, 'Cookie Auto-Delete', which deletes a sites cookies as soon as I close the tab", "excerpt": "I don't see these because I use the, 'I still don't care about cookies' add-on. I also use, 'Cookie Auto-Delete', which deletes a sites cookies as soon as I close the tab, unless I specify to keep them, which I do on sites I want to remain logged into. It surprises me people put up with these annoyances, or ads either.", "context": "", "use_case": "deleting cookies on tab close", "switched_from": "", "story": "Ten Ways NAS Is Getting Enshitified"}, {"id": 774520866, "item_id": 48407554, "url": "https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=48407554", "by": "k310", "date": "2026-06-04", "stance": "recommend", "quote": "I also have cookie-auto-delete for sites other than my whitelist.", "excerpt": "No problem with Firefox. But I have ublock-origin and every paywall buster I could find. Common fixes are to clear cookies, for \"soft\" paywalls and turning off javascript for the site. consult your browser for easy ways to do this. I use an extension with Firefox. I also have cookie-auto-delete for sites other than my whitelist. I works for me with javascript turned on or off. On ios Safari, I use an app Sheriff, tha", "context": "", "use_case": "clearing cookies", "switched_from": "", "story": "Walmart investors reject AI workplace report as automation expands in the US"}, {"id": 733280065, "item_id": 45830004, "url": "https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=45830004", "by": "xenophonf", "date": "2025-11-05", "stance": "recommend", "quote": "I use Containerise plus Cookie AutoDelete plus Temporary Containers to give me what is effectively per-tab private browsing.", "excerpt": "Firefox profiles suck. Their UX is so bad. Containers are better but still have their issues. I use Containerise plus Cookie AutoDelete plus Temporary Containers to give me what is effectively per-tab private browsing. The major downside is that I have to copy containers.json (which enumerates all of the dedicated containers I have defined, e.g., for Facebook), my Containerise rules (which automatically puts certain ", "context": "", "use_case": "deleting cookies automatically", "switched_from": "", "story": "Firefox profiles: Private, focused spaces for all the ways you browse"}]}, {"label": "Long-term use", "summary": "Commenters report using it for years and finding it handy.", "quotes": [{"id": 734276928, "item_id": 45892308, "url": "https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=45892308", "by": "godelski", "date": "2025-11-11", "stance": "recommend", "quote": "This is pretty handy and I've been using it for years", "excerpt": "This is pretty handy and I've been using it for years[0]. I like the idea of Brave but we have a bigger fight that requires us to have no chromium. Chromium winning is Google winning, allowing them to control the Internet. I don't want that power in any single entity's hands. So I do ask that more people switch to Firefox or Safari as those are the best options to fight back and have decent market shares (even if sma", "context": "", "use_case": "auto-clear cookies", "switched_from": "", "story": "Firefox expands fingerprint protections"}, {"id": 800487136, "item_id": 50030446, "url": "https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=50030446", "by": "usr1106", "date": "2026-10-10", "stance": "neutral", "quote": "I used to use Cookie Auto Delete for years. But when I last checked it seemed unmaintained.", "excerpt": "Yes, it has access to the internal storage mechanisms of the browser. I used to use Cookie Auto Delete for years. But when I last checked it seemed unmaintained. I log out of all somewhat important services anyway every time I am done. For important stuff like banking I use Firefox containers. Yeah, all of them could have their weaknesses and vulnerabilities. I just hope no attacker hits exactly the stack I use...", "context": "", "use_case": "cookie cleanup", "switched_from": "", "story": "Telegram Desktop vulnerability allowed any user's file to be stolen"}]}, {"label": "Configurable cleanup", "summary": "Can be set to erase all storage, including IndexedDB and localStorage, after a chosen delay.", "quotes": [{"id": 793654672, "item_id": 49603417, "url": "https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=49603417", "by": "gitowiec", "date": "2026-09-07", "stance": "recommend", "quote": "For Firefox I recommend Cookie AutoDelete 3.8.2 addon.", "excerpt": "For Firefox I recommend Cookie AutoDelete 3.8.2 addon. It is possible to configure it to erase all storage (cookies, indexeddb, localSorage and others) after chosen time (default 15s) after changing/leaving domain. It has many other useful options. Another good addon is ClearURLs 1.27.3 which clears suspicious parameters of query strings on everything what's loaded by page. It sometimes break sites.", "context": "", "use_case": "auto-erasing cookies and storage", "switched_from": "", "story": "My practical approach to surfing the web safely"}, {"id": 733280065, "item_id": 45830004, "url": "https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=45830004", "by": "xenophonf", "date": "2025-11-05", "stance": "recommend", "quote": "I use Containerise plus Cookie AutoDelete plus Temporary Containers to give me what is effectively per-tab private browsing.", "excerpt": "Firefox profiles suck. Their UX is so bad. Containers are better but still have their issues. I use Containerise plus Cookie AutoDelete plus Temporary Containers to give me what is effectively per-tab private browsing. The major downside is that I have to copy containers.json (which enumerates all of the dedicated containers I have defined, e.g., for Facebook), my Containerise rules (which automatically puts certain ", "context": "", "use_case": "deleting cookies automatically", "switched_from": "", "story": "Firefox profiles: Private, focused spaces for all the ways you browse"}]}, {"label": "Pairs with containers", "summary": "Combined with Containerise and Temporary Containers, it gives effectively per-tab private browsing.", "quotes": [{"id": 733280065, "item_id": 45830004, "url": "https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=45830004", "by": "xenophonf", "date": "2025-11-05", "stance": "recommend", "quote": "I use Containerise plus Cookie AutoDelete plus Temporary Containers to give me what is effectively per-tab private browsing.", "excerpt": "Firefox profiles suck. Their UX is so bad. Containers are better but still have their issues. I use Containerise plus Cookie AutoDelete plus Temporary Containers to give me what is effectively per-tab private browsing. The major downside is that I have to copy containers.json (which enumerates all of the dedicated containers I have defined, e.g., for Facebook), my Containerise rules (which automatically puts certain ", "context": "", "use_case": "deleting cookies automatically", "switched_from": "", "story": "Firefox profiles: Private, focused spaces for all the ways you browse"}]}], "caveats": [{"label": "Maintenance doubts", "summary": "One longtime user stopped using it because it seemed unmaintained when they last checked.", "quotes": [{"id": 800487136, "item_id": 50030446, "url": "https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=50030446", "by": "usr1106", "date": "2026-10-10", "stance": "neutral", "quote": "I used to use Cookie Auto Delete for years. But when I last checked it seemed unmaintained.", "excerpt": "Yes, it has access to the internal storage mechanisms of the browser. I used to use Cookie Auto Delete for years. But when I last checked it seemed unmaintained. I log out of all somewhat important services anyway every time I am done. For important stuff like banking I use Firefox containers. Yeah, all of them could have their weaknesses and vulnerabilities. I just hope no attacker hits exactly the stack I use...", "context": "", "use_case": "cookie cleanup", "switched_from": "", "story": "Telegram Desktop vulnerability allowed any user's file to be stolen"}]}, {"label": "Manual config sync", "summary": "Its settings have to be copied between browsers by hand.", "quotes": [{"id": 733280065, "item_id": 45830004, "url": "https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=45830004", "by": "xenophonf", "date": "2025-11-05", "stance": "recommend", "quote": "I use Containerise plus Cookie AutoDelete plus Temporary Containers to give me what is effectively per-tab private browsing.", "excerpt": "Firefox profiles suck. Their UX is so bad. Containers are better but still have their issues. I use Containerise plus Cookie AutoDelete plus Temporary Containers to give me what is effectively per-tab private browsing. The major downside is that I have to copy containers.json (which enumerates all of the dedicated containers I have defined, e.g., for Facebook), my Containerise rules (which automatically puts certain ", "context": "", "use_case": "deleting cookies automatically", "switched_from": "", "story": "Firefox profiles: Private, focused spaces for all the ways you browse"}]}], "who": [], "tags": ["for Firefox users", "for privacy", "pairs with containers"], "use_cases": ["deleting cookies automatically", "cookie cleanup", "auto-erasing cookies and storage", "deleting cookies on tab close", "clearing cookies", "cookie deletion"], "compared": [{"slug": "firefox-multi-account-containers", "name": "Firefox Multi-Account Containers", "co": 2, "switched_from": 0, "switched_to": 1}, {"slug": "firefox", "name": "Firefox", "co": 3, "switched_from": 0, "switched_to": 0}], "makers": [], "threads": [{"url": "https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=50029123", "title": "Telegram Desktop vulnerability allowed any user's file to be stolen", "mentions": 1}, {"url": "https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=49536195", "title": "My practical approach to surfing the web safely", "mentions": 1}, {"url": "https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=49131367", "title": "Ten Ways NAS Is Getting Enshitified", "mentions": 1}, {"url": "https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=48407490", "title": "Walmart investors reject AI workplace report as automation expands in the US", "mentions": 1}, {"url": "https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=46204139", "title": "Mazda suitcase car, a portable three-wheeled vehicle that fits in the luggage", "mentions": 1}, {"url": "https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=45980117", "title": "Europe is scaling back GDPR and relaxing AI laws", "mentions": 1}], "sentiment_by_month": {"2025-11": {"recommend": 3}, "2025-12": {"recommend": 1}, "2026-01": {}, "2026-02": {}, "2026-03": {}, "2026-04": {}, "2026-05": {}, "2026-06": {"recommend": 1}, "2026-07": {}, "2026-08": {"recommend": 1}, "2026-09": {"recommend": 1}, "2026-10": {"neutral": 1}}, "quotes": [{"id": 800487136, "item_id": 50030446, "url": "https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=50030446", "by": "usr1106", "date": "2026-10-10", "stance": "neutral", "quote": "I used to use Cookie Auto Delete for years. But when I last checked it seemed unmaintained.", "excerpt": "Yes, it has access to the internal storage mechanisms of the browser. I used to use Cookie Auto Delete for years. But when I last checked it seemed unmaintained. I log out of all somewhat important services anyway every time I am done. For important stuff like banking I use Firefox containers. Yeah, all of them could have their weaknesses and vulnerabilities. I just hope no attacker hits exactly the stack I use...", "context": "", "use_case": "cookie cleanup", "switched_from": "", "story": "Telegram Desktop vulnerability allowed any user's file to be stolen"}, {"id": 793654672, "item_id": 49603417, "url": "https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=49603417", "by": "gitowiec", "date": "2026-09-07", "stance": "recommend", "quote": "For Firefox I recommend Cookie AutoDelete 3.8.2 addon.", "excerpt": "For Firefox I recommend Cookie AutoDelete 3.8.2 addon. It is possible to configure it to erase all storage (cookies, indexeddb, localSorage and others) after chosen time (default 15s) after changing/leaving domain. It has many other useful options. Another good addon is ClearURLs 1.27.3 which clears suspicious parameters of query strings on everything what's loaded by page. It sometimes break sites.", "context": "", "use_case": "auto-erasing cookies and storage", "switched_from": "", "story": "My practical approach to surfing the web safely"}, {"id": 786166369, "item_id": 49135398, "url": "https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=49135398", "by": "timbit42", "date": "2026-08-01", "stance": "recommend", "quote": "I also use, 'Cookie Auto-Delete', which deletes a sites cookies as soon as I close the tab", "excerpt": "I don't see these because I use the, 'I still don't care about cookies' add-on. I also use, 'Cookie Auto-Delete', which deletes a sites cookies as soon as I close the tab, unless I specify to keep them, which I do on sites I want to remain logged into. It surprises me people put up with these annoyances, or ads either.", "context": "", "use_case": "deleting cookies on tab close", "switched_from": "", "story": "Ten Ways NAS Is Getting Enshitified"}, {"id": 774520866, "item_id": 48407554, "url": "https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=48407554", "by": "k310", "date": "2026-06-04", "stance": "recommend", "quote": "I also have cookie-auto-delete for sites other than my whitelist.", "excerpt": "No problem with Firefox. But I have ublock-origin and every paywall buster I could find. Common fixes are to clear cookies, for \"soft\" paywalls and turning off javascript for the site. consult your browser for easy ways to do this. I use an extension with Firefox. I also have cookie-auto-delete for sites other than my whitelist. I works for me with javascript turned on or off. On ios Safari, I use an app Sheriff, tha", "context": "", "use_case": "clearing cookies", "switched_from": "", "story": "Walmart investors reject AI workplace report as automation expands in the US"}, {"id": 739307456, "item_id": 46206716, "url": "https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=46206716", "by": "saaspirant", "date": "2025-12-09", "stance": "recommend", "quote": "I use https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/addon/cookie-autodelete/", "excerpt": "I use https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/addon/cookie-autodelete/", "context": "", "use_case": "deleting cookies automatically", "switched_from": "", "story": "Mazda suitcase car, a portable three-wheeled vehicle that fits in the luggage"}, {"id": 735744610, "item_id": 45984038, "url": "https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=45984038", "by": "pessimizer", "date": "2025-11-19", "stance": "recommend", "quote": "does a similar thing.", "excerpt": "You can fix that. I use an extension called \"I don't care about cookies\" that clicks \"yes\" to all cookies on all websites, and I use another extension* that doesn't allow any cookies to be set unless I whitelist the site, and I can do this finely even e.g. to the point where I accept a cookie from one page to get to the next page, then drop it, and drop the entire site from even that whitelist when I leave the page, ", "context": "", "use_case": "cookie deletion", "switched_from": "", "story": "Europe is scaling back GDPR and relaxing AI laws"}, {"id": 734276928, "item_id": 45892308, "url": "https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=45892308", "by": "godelski", "date": "2025-11-11", "stance": "recommend", "quote": "This is pretty handy and I've been using it for years", "excerpt": "This is pretty handy and I've been using it for years[0]. I like the idea of Brave but we have a bigger fight that requires us to have no chromium. Chromium winning is Google winning, allowing them to control the Internet. I don't want that power in any single entity's hands. So I do ask that more people switch to Firefox or Safari as those are the best options to fight back and have decent market shares (even if sma", "context": "", "use_case": "auto-clear cookies", "switched_from": "", "story": "Firefox expands fingerprint protections"}, {"id": 733280065, "item_id": 45830004, "url": "https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=45830004", "by": "xenophonf", "date": "2025-11-05", "stance": "recommend", "quote": "I use Containerise plus Cookie AutoDelete plus Temporary Containers to give me what is effectively per-tab private browsing.", "excerpt": "Firefox profiles suck. Their UX is so bad. Containers are better but still have their issues. I use Containerise plus Cookie AutoDelete plus Temporary Containers to give me what is effectively per-tab private browsing. The major downside is that I have to copy containers.json (which enumerates all of the dedicated containers I have defined, e.g., for Facebook), my Containerise rules (which automatically puts certain ", "context": "", "use_case": "deleting cookies automatically", "switched_from": "", "story": "Firefox profiles: Private, focused spaces for all the ways you browse"}]}