PREF cookie: what it does, who sets it, consent category

PREF cookie

Functional cookie set by Google, lasting 10 years from set/ update.

Is PREF firing on your site before anyone says yes?

Conzent holds PREF and every other functional cookie until the visitor accepts, and Consent Mode v2 keeps your Google Ads and GA4 reporting accurate. Registered IAB TCF CMP, Google-certified. From €7 per site a month.

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What the PREF cookie does

This cookie stores your preferences and other information, in particular preferred language, how many search results you wish to be shown on your page, and whether or not you wish to have Google’s SafeSearch filter turned on.

Who sets it

Google — privacy policy

Consent category: functional

Functional cookies remember a choice the visitor made, such as a language, a region or a layout preference. They are not essential, so visitors in the EU must be able to decline them, and a site should not set them before consent.

Name	`PREF`
Category	Functional
Lifetime	10 years from set/ update
Set by	Google

Other cookies from the same vendor

Is this cookie on your site?

Conzent's scanner lists every cookie your site sets, classifies each one the way this page does, and shows which are set before the visitor has consented. Try Conzent free for 14 days, or look up another cookie.

From the Conzent cookie database, last updated 2026-11-12. Descriptions come from vendor documentation, cookie policies and our own scans; write to support@getconzent.com to correct one.