VISITOR_INFO1_LIVE — YouTube
By the OpenCookies team · published 2026-10-22 · updated 2026-10-22
- Service
- YouTube
- Category
- Embedded video
- Default duration
- About 6 months
- Type
- Third-party cookie (set by another domain)
- Consent required?
- Yes, unless the video is loaded without cookies (privacy-enhanced mode).
What is it for?
YouTube cookie that estimates the visitor’s bandwidth to choose video quality, and may be used for recommendations.
What does it look like?
The value is a random string of about ten characters. The domain is youtube.com.
How to see it in your browser
Open your site, press F12, then choose the “Application” tab (Chrome, Edge) or “Storage” (Firefox). This cookie is written by another domain: look for it under “Cookies”, under the service’s domain. If you cannot see it, your browser may be blocking third-party cookies.
What does the rule say?
An embedded video that sets tracking cookies requires consent. Loading the player only after a visitor click, or without cookies, avoids that obligation.
How to prevent it before the choice
Same method as YSC: cookie-free mode or loading after a click.
How OpenCookies handles it
Common services like this one are in OpenCookies’ tracker list: the banner neutralizes their script before the visitor chooses and only restarts it after “Accept”. The test shows whether this cookie appears before the choice, after “Refuse” and after “Accept”.
Check it on my site
Does this cookie appear on your site before the visitor chooses? The OpenCookies test shows it in two minutes.
Related cookies
Frequently asked questions
What is the bandwidth estimate for?
YouTube uses it to automatically choose the playback quality suited to the visitor’s connection.
Is a simple YouTube embed enough to set it?
Often yes, as soon as the player is loaded on the page. Deferred loading (on click) avoids it.
Durations are defaults and may change with configuration. This page describes a cookie; it is not legal advice.