Cookies are a big topic of discussion these days. 

Ever wonder when MCAE (Pardot) cookies your prospects? Keep reading!

Background

When visitors click on MCAE marketing assets, web browsers will add a cookie (small data block) to their computer. This action identifies the person, and if that visitor interacts with your company again, MCAE will track their interactions.

For example, if a visitor completes a MCAE form, they will get cookied. Then, two weeks later, if that same prospect goes to your company website (and you have a tracking code on that website), MCAE will identify this activity in the Prospect Activity section. 

Cookies

A prospect will get cookied if they click on the following:

  • Email trackable link click  (More on email link tracking here.)
  • A website with MCAE tracking code
  • Custom redirects
  • Social posts
  • Form views 
  • Form submission with tracking code on the page 

Read more about Pardot cookies and activity tracking.

Tracking with Opt-In Preferences

What if you have the MCAE opt-in consent activated?

Admins can request that visitors opt into tracking on a per-country basis. 

Visitors receive a message that asks them to opt-in on their first visit. After that, the message doesn’t appear again unless they clear their cookies. If a prospect opts out of tracking, MCAE treats them as if their cookies are disabled. 

Email link clicks and form submissions still appear in their activity history, but their page views and form views do not.

Read more about Tracking Opt-In preferences.