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When we provide services, we want to make them easy, useful and reliable. Where services are delivered on the internet, this sometimes involves placing small amounts of information on the device you are using, for example, your computer or mobile phone. These include small files known as 'cookies'. They cannot be used to identify you personally.

These pieces of information are used to improve services and ensure they work for you through:

  • enabling a service to recognise your device so you don't have to give the same information several times during one task
  • recognising that you may already have given a username and password so you don't need to do it for every web page requested
  • measuring how many people are using services, so they can be made easier to use and there's enough capacity to ensure they are fast

You can manage internet browser cookies yourself and learn more about them by visiting Directgov.

Our use of cookies

Cookies essential for using services on this website

Cookies for using personalised search tools

Name: NationalArchivesPersonalisationFedAuth
Typical content: randomly generated number
Expires: when user exits browser

Name: NationalArchivesPersonalisationFedAuth1
Typical content: randomly generated number
Expires: when user exits browser

Name: NationalArchivesPersonalisationFedAuth2
Typical content: randomly generated number
Expires: when user exits browser

Name: NationalArchivesPersonalisationFedAuth3
Typical content: randomly generated number
Expires: when user exits browser

Name: PersonalisationUserName
Typical content: email address
Expires: three weeks

Cookies used for searching Discovery

Name: ASP.NET_SessionId
Typical content: randomly generated number
Expires: when user exits browser

Name: .ASPXAUTH
Typical content: randomly generated number
Expires: when user exits browser

Cookies used for searching the Catalogue

Name: browser%2Dtest
Typical content: test whether you have javascript enabled
Expires: when user exits browser

Name: PROCAT
Typical content: randomly generated number and reference number 
Expires: when user exits browser

Name: PROCATPersist
Typical content: randomly generated number and reference number
Expires: three weeks  

Name: linkback
Typical content: remembers search phrase
Expires: when user exits browser

Name: ASPSESSIONID
Typical content: randomly generated number
Expires: when user exits browser

Name: ASPSESSIONIDAAQCBCBB
Typical content: randomly generated number
Expires: when user exits browser

Cookies used for Electronic Records Online

Name: TermsAndConditions
Typical content: remembers whether terms and conditions have been agreed
Expires: when user exits browser

Name: ViewDocument
Typical content: remembers if this document has been viewed
Expires: when user exits browser

Name: EROASPXAUTH
Typical content: Forms authentication cookie used to identify and determine the data access permissions of the logged in user. On the public website, all ERO users are logged in automatically and assigned to an anonymous user account.
Expires: when user exits browser

Cookies used for Record Copying

Name: ASPSESSIONIDAAQCBCBB
Typical content: randomly generated number
Expires: when user exits browser

Name: browser%2Dtest
Typical content: test
Expires: when user exits browser

Name: PROCAT
Typical content: randomly generated number and reference number
Expires: when user exits browser

Name: linkback
Typical content: remembers search phrase
Expires: when user exits browser

Name: ASP.NET_SessionId
Typical content: randomly generated number
Expires: when user exits browser

Cookies used for online shopping

Name: Bookshop_BasketID
Typical content: randomly generated number
Expires: when user exits browser

Name: PaymentClient
Typical content: randomly generated number
Expires: when user exits browser

Name: JSESSIONID
Typical content: randomly generated number
Expires: when user exits browser
Host: secure.worldpay.com

Name: machine
Typical content: randomly generated number
Expires: when user exits browser
Host: secure.worldpay.com

Name: adv%5Forder
Typical content: remembers information entered into form
Expires: when user exits browser

Cookies used when booking conferences

Name: ASP.NET_SessionId
Typical content: randomly generated number
Expires: when user exits browser

Name: BrowserTest
Typical content: set
Expires: when user exits browser

Cookies used when using our 'live chat' service

Name: vsid (third-party cookie)
Value: alpha-numeric
Domain: providesupport.com
Expires: at end of session

Cookies used to improve the functionality of areas of this website

Name:  OriginalURL
Typical content: path URL
Expires: when user exits browser

Cookies used for Advanced document orders

Name: adv_order
Typical content: document reference:
Expires: when user exits browser

Cookies used for Archon

Name: ASPSESSIONIDACQBCBBB
Typical content: randomly generated number
Expires: when user exits browser

Cookies used for Bookshop

Name: ASP.NET_SessionId
Typical content: randomly generated number
Expires: when user exits browser

Cookies used in British Empire, Victorian Nation, Focus on Census, Focus on film, Cold war

Name: ASPSESSIONIDACSDCDAA
Typical content: randomly generated number
Expires: when user exits browser

Cookies used in Cabinet Papers

Name: ASP.NET_SessionId
Typical content: randomly generated number
Expires: when user exits browser

Name: ProSearch
Typical content: remembers search phrase
Expires: when user exits browser

Cookies used in Design registers

Name: ASPSESSIONIDCATBDCBB
Typical content: randomly generated number
Expires: when user exits browser

Cookies used in Equity pleadings

Name: ASPSESSIONIDAAQCBCBB
Typical content: randomly generated number
Expires: when user exits browser

Cookies used in ERO

Name: ASP.NET_SessionId
Typical content: randomly generated number
Expires: when user exits browser

Cookies used in Focus on film

Name: .ASPXValidationDetails
Typical content: randomly generated number
Expires: when user exits browser

Name: ASP.NET_SessionId
Typical content: randomly generated number
Expires: when user exits browser

Cookies used in Global cookies

Name: OriginalUrl
Typical content: Url path
Expires: when user exits browser

Cookies used in Jobs

Name: ASPSESSIONIDCAQAARAQ
Typical content: randomly generated number
Expires: when user exits browser
Host: ig24.i-grasp.com

Name: fesettings%5FsecurityString
Typical content: randomly generated number
Expires: when user exits browser
Host: ig24.i-grasp.com

Cookies used on Labs

Name: PHPSESSID
Typical content: randomly generated number and letters
Expires: when user exits browser
Host: labs.nationalarchives.gov.uk

Name: BIGipServerprod_as101202_http_pool
Typical content: randomly generated number
Expires: two years
Host: openspace.ordnancesurvey.co.uk

Name: Voted_3
Typical content: randomly generated number
Expires: one year
Host: labs.nationalarchives.gov.uk

Cookies used for Library catalogue

Name: NID
Typical content: randomly generated number
Expires: six months
host: .google.com

Name: PREF
Typical content: randomly generated number
Expires: two years
Host: .google.com

Name: _pk_id.13.3abf
Typical content: randomly generated number
Expires: two years
Host: tna.koha-ptfs.eu

Name: _pk_ses.13.3abf
Typical content: *
Expires: when user exits browser
Host: tna.koha-ptfs.eu

Name: CGISESSID
Typical content: randomly generated number
Expires: when user exits browser
Host: tna.koha-ptfs.eu

Name: KohaOpacRecentSearches
Typical content: randomly generated number
Expires: when user exits browser
Host: tna.koha-ptfs.eu

Name: _pk_id.13.c06f
Typical content: randomly generated number
Expires: two years
Host: tna.koha-ptfs.co.uk

Name: _pk_ref.13.c06f
Typical content: randomly generated number
Expires: six months
Host: tna.koha-ptfs.co.uk

Name: _pk_ses.13.c06f
Typical content: *
Expires: when user exits browser
Host: tna.koha-ptfs.co.uk

Name: CGISESSID
Typical content: randomly generated number
Expires: when user exits browser
Host: tna.koha-ptfs.co.uk

Name: bib_list
Typical content: randomly generated number
Expires: when user exits browser
Host: tna.koha-ptfs.eu

Name: KohaOpacRecentSearches
Typical content: randomly generated numbers
Expires: when user exits browser
Host: tna.koha-ptfs.eu

Cookies used for Manorial Documents Register (MDR)

Name: ASPSESSIONIDACQBCBBB
Typical content: randomly generated number
Expires: when user exits browser

Cookies used for National Register of Archives (NRA)

Name: ASPSESSIONIDACQBCBBB
Typical content: randomly generated number
Expires: when user exits browser

Cookies used for Trafalgar Ancestors

Name: ASPSESSIONIDAATCDAAA
Typical content: randomly generated number
Expires: when user exits browser

Cookies used for Tudor Britain

Name: ASPSESSIONIDQCSTBAR
Typical content: randomly generated number
Expires: when user exits browser
Host: tudorbritain.org

Cookies for measuring user experience of our services and website performance

When you access our website, Web Trends sets cookies to help us accurately estimate the number of visitors to the website and volumes of usage. This to enable us to deliver a service best suited to our users' needs.

Web Trends - First party cookies

Domain: nationalarchives.gov.uk

Name: ACOOKIE
Typical content: encrypted data
Expires: two years
Host: smartsource.nationalarchives.gov.uk

Name: WT_FPC
Typical content: randomly generated number and information about how the page was reached (i.e. the path through the website)
Expires: two weeks
Host: nationalarchives.gov.uk

Name: WEBTRENDS_ID
Typical content: randomly generated number
Expires: two years
Host: smartsource.nationalarchives.gov.uk

Cookies for sharing content

Labs

Name: comment_email
Typical content: email address
Expires: one year
Host: labs.nationalarchives.gov.uk

Name: comment_email
Typical content: email address
Expires: one year
Host: labs.nationalarchives.gov.uk

Third party cookies used to share our content across social media sites.

Addthis.com cookie

Name: uid
Typical content: Randomly generated number
Expires: 18 months
More information about addthis cookie go to www.addthis.com/privacy

Twitter.com cookie

Name: pid
Typical content: Randomly generated number
Expires: After 2 years

Google analytics
Domain: webarchive.nationalarchives.gov.uk

Name: _utmaTypical content: randomly generated number
Expires: 15 days

Name: _utmb
Typical content: randomly generated number
Expires: 15 days

Name: _utmc
Typical content: randomly generated number
Expires: when user exits browser

Name: _utmz
Typical content: randomly generated number
Expires: 15 daysName: EROASPXAUTH
Typical content: Forms authentication cookie used to identify and determine the data access permissions of the logged in user.  On the public website, all ERO users are logged in automatically and assigned to an anonymous user account.
Expires: when user exits browser

Name: EROASPXAUTH
Typical content: Forms authentication cookie used to identify and determine the data access permissions of the logged in user.  On the public website, all ERO users are logged in automatically and assigned to an anonymous user account.
Expires: when user exits browser