How to Automatically Clear Browser Cookies on Exit in Microsoft Edge

Whenever you browse the internet, websites leave tiny text files called “cookies” on your computer. While some cookies are helpful (keeping you logged into your email), others are used by advertisers to track your activity across the web and build a profile of your interests. If you value your privacy, you can configure Microsoft Edge to automatically delete all these tracking cookies the moment you close the browser window.

Why Clear Cookies on Exit?

Clearing your cookies manually every week is a tedious chore that most people forget to do. Automating this process provides a “clean slate” every time you browse. Advertisers will have a much harder time tracking your long-term habits, and you will free up a small amount of hard drive space. The only downside is that you will need to re-enter your passwords for websites you frequently visit—unless you configure specific exceptions (which we will cover below).

How to Configure Auto-Delete in Edge

Microsoft has built this privacy feature directly into the core settings of the Edge browser.

1. Open the Microsoft Edge browser.
2. Click the three horizontal dots (…) in the top right corner of the window to open the main menu.
3. Scroll down and click on Settings.
4. In the left-hand sidebar, click on Privacy, search, and services.
5. Scroll down to the section labeled “Clear browsing data.”
6. Click the option that says Choose what to clear every time you close the browser.

You will now see a list of toggle switches. Turn On the switch next to “Cookies and other site data.” You can also choose to clear your browsing history and cached images here, but clearing cookies is the most important step for privacy.

Adding Exceptions for Important Websites

If you enable this feature, Edge will ruthlessly log you out of everything, including your bank, your email, and your favorite social media sites. If you have a few trusted sites that you want to stay logged into permanently, you can add them to an exception list.

1. On the same settings page where you toggled the cookies switch on, look immediately below it for the Add button next to the word “Don’t clear.”
2. Click Add.
3. Type in the exact web address of the site you want to protect (for example: [*.]gmail.com or www.netflix.com).
4. Click Add again to save it.

Now, when you close Microsoft Edge, it will destroy all the hidden tracking cookies from advertisers, but keep the specific cookies required to keep you logged into your essential accounts.