Agent Cookies

Last Updated:

Overview

For Agent version 2.32.0 or lower, we use the following Agent Cookies. Newer versions (2.33.0+) will leverage localStorage and fall back to cookies for three reasons: 

  1. Browser doesn’t support localStorage
  2. Browser’s localStorage is over quota
  3. If the agent is configured to use DomainCookies - meaning the values are meant to be used across different domains

If you’re using an Agent version lower than 2.33.0 or in a fallback scenario, here are the following cookies and how each are used:

 

Pendo Core Customers

Cookie:

_pendo_accountId.YOUR_SUBSCRIPTION_KEY_VALUE

Expiration - 100 days

Purpose - The Agent uses this cookie to identify and record the visitor’s Account ID that will be used in Pendo like Guide delivery and analytics.

If Disabled - The account ID won't be recorded with events or xhr events until the user has been identified again. This could cause issues with analytics and Guide delivery.

Note: Your subscription key should match the key listed in your install settings 

Cookie:

_pendo_visitorId.YOUR_SUBSCRIPTION_KEY_VALUE

Expiration - 100 days

Purpose - The agent uses this cookie to identify and record the visitor information so the information is used in Pendo analytics and Guide delivery. 

If Disabled - VisitorID is central to all analytics and Guide delivery. The visitorID won't be recorded on any Guide events (ie. dismiss, advanced, or in segmentation) or usage data until the user has been identified again. 

 

Cookie:

log-enabled

Expiration - Session

Purpose - The agent uses this cookie to record additional details for troubleshooting purposes.

If Disabled - None

 

Cookie:

_pendo_launcher-closed.YOUR_SUBSCRIPTION_KEY_VALUE

Expiration 10 days

Purpose - The agent uses this cookie to identify and record the visitor information. Then, the information is used in Pendo analytics and Guide delivery. 

If Disabled - This is used to not auto-show the launcher list in onboarding mode.

 

Cookie:

debug-enabled

Expiration - Session

Purpose - Written and read in when the function pendo.isDebuggingEnabled() is triggered, which gets information from this cookie, is used in several places (like log.js, guides.js, and exports.js)/

If Disabled -  N/A

 

Cookie:

_pendo_meta.YOUR_SUBSCRIPTION_KEY_VALUE

Expiration - 100 days

Purpose - Written and read in the agent. This cookie stores a hash of the current metadata so that Pendo can see when it's changed and update it.

If Disabled - Metadata events may be sent too frequently to the point where Pendo may have complications tracking when metadata changes happen.

 

Cookie:

_pendo_lastStepAdvanced.YOUR_SUBSCRIPTION_KEY_VALUE

Expiration - 10 seconds

Purpose - Written and read in the agent. This cookie, along with "latestDismissedAutoAt" and "finalDismissedAutoAt," are short-term cookies (~10 seconds) that keep guides from showing again after they've been dismissed.

If Disabled - Guides may show more than once.

 

Cookie:

_pendo_latestDismissedAutoAt.YOUR_SUBSCRIPTION_KEY_VALUE

Expiration - 10 seconds 

Purpose - Written and read in the agent. This cookie, along with "lastStepAdvanced" and "finalDismissedAutoAt," are short-term cookies (~10 seconds) that keep guides from showing again after they've been dismissed.

If DisabledGuides may show more than once.

 

Cookie:

_pendo_finalDismissedAutoAt.YOUR_SUBSCRIPTION_KEY_VALUE

Expiration - 10 seconds

PurposeWritten and read in the agent. This cookie, along with "lastStepAdvanced" and "latestDismissedAutoAt," are short-term cookies (~10 seconds) that keep guides from showing again after they've been dismissed.

If DisabledGuides may show more than once.

 

Cookie:

active-contexts

Expiration - 100 days

Purpose - Read and written in the agent based on what is and isn't logged to the console.

If Disabled - Pendo may have less control over what is logged to the console.

 

Pendo Feedback Customers

For Pendo Feedback Customers, you will see an additional list of cookies being used: 

 

Cookie: 

_pendo_feedback_ping_sent.YOUR_SUBSCRIPTION_KEY_VALUE

Expiration - 60 min

Purpose - The agent will write information about the user (or visitor) like name, value, etc. when a ping is successful.  

Written when we send a ping for a user, there is then a 5 minute timer which checks to see if the cookie has expired, if it has we send another ping. A feedback ping includes information about the user, their name, value etc.

If disabled - Pendo would send a ping every 5 minutes, and every page load.

 

Cookie:

_pendo_feedback_ping_sent.YOUR_SUBSCRIPTION_KEY_VALUE

Expiration - none

Purpose - The response of a ping includes a notification count. Pendo writes this to a cookie so that it is persisted across refreshes, It’s deleted when the user opens feedback.

If disabled - If the user refreshes the notification icon on the widget tab, it would disappear until the next ping.

 

Cookie:

_pendo_receptive_ping_sent.YOUR_SUBSCRIPTION_KEY_VALUE

Expiration - none

Purpose - Same as above. Renamed to match the Pendo naming when Feedback was acquired (previously known as Receptive).

 

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