What is the purpose of cookies on a website?

Cookies serve multiple functions on websites, with the primary purpose being to store user preferences and improve the overall user experience. When a user visits a website, cookies can save information such as login details, language settings, and items in a shopping cart. This means that when the user returns to the site, their preferences can be retrieved, allowing for a more personalized experience.

This capability of acting as temporary storage makes it easier for websites to remember users, resulting in convenience and efficiency. For example, if a user selects their preferred language on a website, the next time they visit, the website can automatically display content in that language due to the cookie that has stored that preference.

In contrast, cookies do not primarily enhance audio and video quality, track the number of users online, or provide security barriers for data, which are functions that rely more on other technologies and protocols. Understanding the specific role of cookies allows users and professionals alike to better navigate web technologies and create more user-friendly online experiences.