AEC — Google
By the OpenCookies team · published 2026-10-22 · updated 2026-10-22
- Service
- Category
- Strictly necessary
- Default duration
- 6 months
- Type
- Third-party cookie (set by another domain)
- Consent required?
- Google presents it as a security cookie against abuse. Its legal classification depends on use; confirm with your adviser.
What is it for?
Google cookie used to check that requests within a browsing session are made by the user and not by a malicious site.
What does it look like?
The value is a long opaque string. The cookie is written on a Google domain.
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?
Google presents it as a security cookie against abuse. Its legal classification depends on use; confirm with your adviser.
How to prevent it before the choice
It appears when a Google service is loaded on the page (search, map, reCAPTCHA). Load such elements only if needed.
How OpenCookies handles it
OpenCookies does not block this cookie: it is needed for operation. The test still lets you see which cookies are set before any choice.
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
Why is it seen with Google Maps?
Because the map loads Google resources that use this security cookie.
Can it be avoided?
By not loading Google elements, or by loading them after a click.
Durations are defaults and may change with configuration. This page describes a cookie; it is not legal advice.