An ETag also referred to as an entity tag is a part of the HTTP protocol. It is in the first place one of the many mechanisms for cache validation and instructs browsers to make a conditional request. In this way, caches save the bandwidth, and servers are not required to provide a full response header if the files were not changed.<\/p>\n
The ETag is an identifier assigned by the webserver to each resource and at any URL. In this way, the ETag is similar to tracks, and once compared it can reveal whether they are identical or not. But ETag can also be used to track user activities and avoid cookies setting for the least.<\/p>\n
This Etag mechanism enables websites to track users across sessions despite changing the IP address, disabling JavaScript, cookies, and\/or local storage. This is achieved as a result of sending the Etag data in the http-header. In other words, ETags are saved in the browser\u2019s cache, and in this way it can track user behavior.<\/p>\n
ETags\u2019 main function is to optimize performance and enhance the communication between the client and server processes. For example let\u2019s take a website element, any: icon, image, piece of text. Well, the web server generates & returns a validation token in the HTTP header in the form of a hash. The next time a user requests the resource, the Etag value will be checked with the server, and if the values match there is no need to request that resource again.<\/p>\n
For a long time, ETag has served as one of the best options for its core purpose, and only when the GDPR and cookies policy started to become a privacy issue, the ETag started to be considered as an opportunity to avoid problems – on a large scale.<\/p>\n
The use of cookies in web applications is extremely convenient and universal. But in some countries, the law requires placing additional information on a website that uses cookies. To avoid this in the web application, some consider using the ETags instead of cookies. Mainly about using it is to technical approach, such as maintaining user session, in particular for tasks such as logging and storing information about the state of product basket. Another advantage ETags instead of cookies in the web application could be:<\/p>\n
So the difference between ETag and cookies is simply reduced to how users clear their browsers. Now let\u2019s be honest, most of the users don\u2019t clear anything on purpose, and perform this action only when something happens. Of course, there are users that also clear their cookies almost immediately, but the group is small. And the main thing about ETag is that most of the users clear cookies, but not cache – which is in our opinion the advantage of ETag.<\/p>\n
By far ETag is not the only alternative to third-party cookies, which makes the competition more interesting among all other tools and options. Of course, each alternative has its cons and pros, which we will talk about. But in addition, not all types of cookies alternatives are suitable for your specific website\/business\/app or whatsoever.<\/p>\n
So here comes the list of what you might take into consideration when choosing to avoid cookies and implement an alternative solution:<\/p>\n