_ga — Google Analytics
By the OpenCookies team · published 2026-10-22 · updated 2026-10-22
- Service
- Google Analytics
- Category
- Analytics
- Default duration
- 2 years
- Type
- First-party cookie (set by your own site)
- Consent required?
- Yes, in principle: only audience measurement meeting strict conditions can be exempt from consent in the EU.
What is it for?
Identifies a browser pseudonymously so Google Analytics can count visitors and tell visits apart. It is the main cookie of Google Analytics 4 and Universal Analytics.
What does it look like?
The value looks like GA1.1.1234567890.1700000000: a version number, a random browser-specific ID and the date of the first visit.
How to see it in your browser
Open your site, press F12, then choose the “Application” tab (Chrome, Edge) or “Storage” (Firefox). Under “Cookies”, select your site’s address: the _ga cookie appears in the list if present, with its value and expiry date.
What does the rule say?
Audience measurement in principle requires the visitor’s prior consent. The French CNIL accepts an exemption for some tools configured very strictly (statistical purpose only, no cross-referencing with other data and no cross-site tracking); detailed conditions are on its website.
How to prevent it before the choice
Do not load the Google Analytics script (gtag.js or Google Tag Manager) before consent, or limit it with Google Consent Mode.
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”.
Step-by-step guide : Google Analytics 4 and cookies: what to do before consent
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
_ga_<IDENTIFIANT>— Google Analytics 4_gid— Google Analytics (Universal Analytics)_gat— Google Analytics (Universal Analytics)
Frequently asked questions
Does the _ga cookie identify a person?
It identifies a browser, not directly a person. But because it lets the same visitor be recognized across visits, it falls under the rules on trackers.
Can it be deleted?
Yes, from the browser settings. Google Analytics will create a new one on the next visit if the script is loaded and allowed.
Durations are defaults and may change with configuration. This page describes a cookie; it is not legal advice.