Imagine you’re at a bustling coffee shop. You know people love your espresso, but you don’t know exactly why. Is it the beans? The vibe? Or that hip new playlist? Well, when it comes to digital products, product analytics helps answer these questions. But there’s a catch. The world is saying goodbye to cookies. So how do you still get insights without peeking into people’s digital bags?
Welcome to the world of cookieless cohorts. Sounds fancy? Don’t worry. It’s just a fun way of grouping similar users together—without invading their privacy.
Wait, What Are Cookies Anyway?
Cookies are tiny data bits stored by websites. Companies use them to remember who you are and what you did. That includes things like:
- Login info
- Pages you visited
- Items in your shopping cart
- Whether you clicked that green “subscribe” button
But cookies can also be used *a little too much*. They follow people across the internet, gather loads of info, and often share it without users fully realizing. That’s why regulators and tech giants alike are saying: No more cookies!
Why Cookie-Free Analytics Is a Big Deal
With privacy laws like GDPR and CCPA, tracking users without permission is a big no-no. Plus, browsers like Safari and Firefox already block third-party cookies. Google Chrome is joining the party soon. That means:
- You can’t rely on old tracking methods.
- You need to respect users’ privacy.
- You still need insights to build better products.
This is where cookieless cohorts save the day.
What Are Cookieless Cohorts?
Think of cohorts as a group of users who behave in similar ways. It could be:
- People who signed up last week
- Users who clicked a feature for the first time
- Folks who returned after leaving for a while
Traditionally, we’d track users with cookies and memorize every step they took. But with no cookies, we take a different route. We track events and aggregate behaviors without knowing who exactly is doing what.
How Cookieless Tracking Works
Let’s say you’re building an app. Instead of dropping a cookie on someone’s browser, you log events like:
- App opened
- Button clicked
- Feature used
- Session duration
This data isn’t tied to a name or ID. It’s just activity floating in a privacy-safe bubble. These actions get grouped by an anonymous ID while someone uses the app. As soon as they log off, that ID disappears like a puddle on a hot day. No tracking, no storage.
This is great because:
- Privacy: You don’t collect personal info.
- Speed: Less storage means faster systems.
- Compliance: You’re aligned with privacy laws.
Benefits of Cookieless Cohorts
Just because you’re ditching cookies doesn’t mean you’re going blind. In fact, you might see even better than before. Here’s why:
- Clean data: Cookieless data isn’t cluttered by duplicate users.
- Smarter insights: You spot patterns across groups instead of obsessing over individuals.
- Less legal stress: No personal tracking = fewer compliance headaches.
Feeling better already?
Real-World Example
Let’s say you run a payment app. You want to know why users drop off halfway through onboarding. Here’s how you can do it with cookieless cohorts:
- Track event: “Started Onboarding”
- Track event: “Uploaded ID”
- Track event: “Linked Bank Account”
Now, create three cohorts:
- Users who started onboarding
- Users who uploaded ID
- Users who completed all steps
This helps you see where users drop off and why. And you did it without cookies. You studied group behavior, not individual people.
Doesn’t “No Tracking” Mean No Analytics?
Nope. You’re still analyzing behavior. You’re just not tying it directly to people. It’s like looking at the ocean’s waves instead of each water drop. You still know:
- What part of your app gets used most
- Where people get stuck or confused
- What features make people return
And all without storing personal data. Beautiful, right?
Tips to Build Cohorts Without Cookies
Sounds cool, but how do you get started? Here are a few tips:
- Event-based tracking: Focus on what users do, not who they are.
- Anonymous sessions: Generate a random ID during a session. Don’t store it!
- Use first-party data: Data from your app or site is fair game—just skip the creepy bits.
- Aggregate data: Combine actions from users into groups for analysis.
- Be transparent: Tell users what you’re tracking and why. Use clear language.
The key is balance—offering personalization and insights without trading in privacy.
Bonus Tools You Might Love
Here are some tools that help with cookieless analytics:
- Plausible: A privacy-focused analytics platform.
- Fathom: Cookieless and GDPR-compliant out of the box.
- PostHog: Offers session recordings without identifying users.
- Matomo: Gives control over your own data—host it yourself!
These tools keep things simple, ethical, and legal. Just the way we like it.
What the Future Looks Like
Privacy isn’t just a fad. It’s the new default. And those who adapt early will win. People are tired of being tracked across the internet. They want their data to be safe, and they want brands to respect that.
That means:
- Using clean methods to learn from users
- Improving products based on behavior, not identity
- Creating trust, which builds loyalty
Cookieless cohorts aren’t just a workaround. They might just be the better way forward.
Wrapping It Up
So, let’s rewind:
- Cookies are going away. And that’s okay.
- Cookieless cohorts group users by behavior, not identity.
- You still get powerful insights—without being creepy.
It’s time to upgrade your product analytics. Start fresh. Go cookieless. Respect privacy. And still build things your users love.
Now, how’s that espresso coming?