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      SiteSpect's Cookies

      SiteSpect requires three cookies for optimal operation:

      • SSID – SiteSpect User Tracking Cookie
      • SSRT – SiteSpect Recent Request Cookie, also includes information about robot testing
      • SSOD – Other Data Cookie

      SiteSpect can operate with a small risk of data loss using only two cookies: User Tracking (SSID), and Combined Recent Request and Additional Data (SSRO) Cookies. All other cookies are optional but without them some features may be limited.

      SiteSpect also has the option in the control panel to make these cookies httponly.

      • Status Signaling Cookie (SSSC)
        • SiteSpect does not use this cookie for testing or user tracking. We set this cookie so you can log SiteSpect GUIDs, Visits, Campaigns, and Variation Group data. You can disable it without affecting any SiteSpect operations. However without it you will need WATTS to collect SiteSpect data in a third-party tool.
        • The following breaks down the data in this cookie: [Site ID].[GUID].[Visit Count]|[Test Camp. ID1].[Variation Group ID1]:[Test Camp. ID2].[Variation Group ID2]:[Test Camp. ID3].[Variation Group ID3]
      • Preview Cookie (SSPV)
        • SiteSpect uses this cookie only during preview sessions unless the logging level is set to the maximum debug detail. As long as the logging level is below debug, this cookie is set only for users in a preview session. Real traffic uses this cookie only if logging is set to debug.
      • Affinity Cookie (SSLB)
        • SiteSpect does not use this cookie for testing or user tracking. We set this cookie as a routing indication to the client's infrastructure. If the client is routing 100% of traffic to SiteSpect or using another affinity mechanism, you don't need this cookie. You can use this cookie Origin Experiment Campaigns, but it is not required.

      Origin Experiments can use a cookie that is configured by the individual Variation (note that Origin Experiments can use headers instead).

      OmniChannel and Ancillary Cookie are two features that capture data from our client's cookies but SiteSpect doesn't touch them.

      The SSAAUTH, SSADUSR, and SSUSER cookies are used by the SiteSpect Interface.

      Cookie Details

      Default Name Required Purpose Description Data Stored
      SSID Yes User Tracking A persistent cookie that tracks a visitor over time.
      • SiteSpect GUID
      • Initial Visit Time
      • Visit Count
      • Expiration time of the Affinity Cookie
      • Start time of the current visit
      • Is this a preview session
      • Information about each Campaign Assignment:
        • Campaign ID
        • Variation Group ID
        • Assignment start time
        • Assignment visit count
        • Status of Campaign (active, paused, or disabled)
        • Counted in Campaign
      • Campaign Assignment history
      • In-Visit Campaigns that the user is eligible for
      SSRT Yes Recent request tracking Stores the date and time of the user's last request to determine if the visit has timed out. This cookie is typically updated every 60 seconds, but you can configure the frequency in the SiteSpect Interface.

      In addition, it stores information about the robot test (does SiteSpect think this person is a robot, how many tries of the robot test have we done).
      • Recent request time for this visit
      • Has the user been marked as a robot
      • Number of robot detection injections that have been done
      • Has the ancillary cookie been set
      SSOD Yes Additional data storage Stores additional Campaign data for the user, including the hit rating value and the baseline Metric hit data.
      • The Hit Rating for the visit
      • Baseline Metrics (regular, value capture and custom variables)
      SSSC Optional Status signaling A session-only cookie used to send the user's Campaign assignment information to the backend webserver.
      • Site ID
      • SiteSpect GUID
      • Visit Count
      • Campaign Assignments
      • (Campaign ID and Variation Group ID)
      SSPV Optional Previews Used by the Preview feature and used when the Logging Level field on the Logging & Performance tab for the Domain is set to Debug.  
      SSLB Optional Affinity cookie Either (1) session-only or (2) persistent, depending on the situation. Indicates to a downstream load balancer that subsequent requests by a user should be routed to or away from SiteSpect, depending on the cookie's value.  
      __ssp__history__session Optional Preview history Used with SSPV to control preview behavior.  
      __ssa__data Optional Assistant info Used by the Assistant, which has been replaced by the Visual Editor.