How-to · Safari for Mac
How to delete cookies in Safari on Mac: one site or all, step by step
To delete cookies in Safari on Mac, open Safari > Settings, click Privacy, then click Manage Website Data. Select one or more sites and click Remove, or click Remove All to clear every site at once.
Quick answer
- Open Safari > Settings, click Privacy, then click Manage Website Data.
- Select one or more sites and click Remove, or click Remove All to clear every site.
- Deleting cookies can sign you out of sites and change how they behave, so pick the smallest scope.
- Cache, history, and cookies are separate. Use the Develop menu for cache and the History menu for history.
What you need
- Safari, the browser built into macOS
- Logins for the sites you use most, since many sites will ask you to sign in again
- A minute to decide whether you need one site or all of them
How to Delete cookies in Safari on Mac in Safari on a Mac
Open Safari
Click the Safari icon in the Dock. If it is not there, press Command Space, type Safari, and press Return. Privacy settings apply to the whole app, so the window you have open does not matter.
Open the Settings window
Click Safari in the menu bar, then choose Settings. On macOS releases before Ventura, this item reads Preferences. The Settings window opens with its tabs across the top.
Tip: If you do not see Settings, check the menu name for your macOS version in the section above.
Open the Privacy tab
In the Settings window, click the Privacy tab. This tab holds the website data controls, including the Manage Website Data button.
Tip: Only the Manage Website Data button matters for this task.
Open Manage Website Data
Click Manage Website Data. Safari shows a list of every website that has stored data on your Mac. Scroll the list to find the site you want. A heavy browser may have a long list.
Select the sites to delete
CommandA
Click one site to select it. To choose several sites, hold Command and click each one. To select every site in the list, press Command+A. Macworld describes these same selection methods.
Tip: Check the selection before you remove anything. Selected sites are the ones that will lose their data.
Click Remove or Remove All
Click Remove to delete data for the sites you selected. Click Remove All to delete data for every site in the list. Apple warns that this may sign you out of websites or change how they behave.
Tip: Macworld warns that Done cancels your changes, so do not click Done to finish this step.
Check the result
Look at the list again and confirm the sites are gone. Then open one of your usual sites. Expect to log in again if that site was on the list. Saved passwords used for autofill may also be removed.
Tip: Clear one site at a time when you can. You learn more about what caused the problem that way.
Cookies are small files that websites store in your browser. They remember whether you are logged in, what is in your cart, and how you like a page set up. Most cookies do their job quietly. You still might want them gone. A login may loop forever, a site may show stale prices, or you may want to clear tracking you no longer want. This guide covers the cookie route in Safari on Mac, the options you have, and what to check afterward.
What deleting cookies actually removes
Safari groups cookies with other website data. The Privacy tab has one button for that data, labeled Manage Website Data. When you remove a site from that list, Safari deletes the cookies and stored data it kept for that site. Apple describes the cost plainly. Removing cookies and website data may reduce tracking. It may also sign you out of websites, change how they behave, or change or remove data in other apps.
Think of it as a reset for each site. The next time you visit, the site starts from zero. Expect to log in again, and expect to lose settings the site saved for you. Macworld also warns that deleting cookies may remove saved usernames and passwords used for autofill.
One site or every site: picking the right scope
Most people only need one site removed. A bank that refuses to load or a shop that keeps the wrong cart are typical examples. Select that site in the list and click Remove. Only its cookies and stored data go. Your other sites keep their logins.
Remove All is the full reset. It clears every site in the list in one step. Use it when the problem is spread across many sites, or when you want a clean start. Write down the sites you need to log back into first. A short list saves time later.
| What you want | Where to click | What to expect |
|---|---|---|
| Fix one broken site | Manage Website Data, select the site, then Remove | Only that site signs you out and forgets its settings |
| Clear several sites | Hold Command, click each site, then Remove | Only the selected sites lose their data |
| Full reset of website data | Remove All | Many sites may sign you out and lose saved preferences |
| Clear cache only | Develop > Empty Caches, or Option Command E | Cookies stay where they are |
| Clear browsing history | History > Clear History | Apple's page does not say whether cookies go too |
Settings or Preferences: which name your Mac shows
Apple's current Safari guide uses Safari > Settings. Older releases show Preferences in the same spot. Wikipedia says the rename came with macOS Ventura 13. System Preferences became System Settings, and the Preferences item in each app became Settings for all apps. Macworld notes that the label varies by macOS version.
If you run macOS Ventura 13 or later, look for Settings. On anything older, look for Preferences. Both open the same window and the same Privacy tab. If you are unsure which release you run, check Apple menu > About This Mac.
Clearing the cache without deleting cookies
A cache holds copies of pages and files, so pages load faster. A stale cache usually shows an old version of a page that will not refresh. Emptying the cache fixes that. Your cookies stay where they are, so most logins should survive.
The route is hidden behind the Develop menu. Open Safari > Settings > Advanced and turn on Show Develop menu in menu bar. On some releases the label reads Show features for web developers. Then choose Develop > Empty Caches, or press Option Command E. The Develop menu stays in the menu bar until you turn that setting off.
Clear history is a different job
History is the list of pages you visited. Apple says to choose History > Clear History, then use the pop-up menu to pick how far back to clear. Apple's page does not name the buttons. It also does not say whether cookies go with it, so do not count on clearing history to sign you out of a site.
Clearing history also does not touch browsing records that websites keep on their own. If your goal is the history list, follow clear browsing history in Safari. If your goal is a broken login, stay on the Privacy route in this guide.
Why some cookies come back
Many cookies return on your next visit. The site sets a new one when you log in or load a page. That is how the site remembers you. It does not mean the delete failed. If the same site keeps asking for a login, check the site before you clear more data.
Safari also limits tracking on its own. Apple says Safari blocks third-party cookies from tracking you by default. Its Intelligent Tracking Prevention uses on-device intelligence to help stop cross-site tracking. WebKit adds one detail. Its tracking prevention deletes cookies created in JavaScript, and other script-writable storage, after 7 days with no user interaction on that website.
That timer does not cover every cookie. WebKit's list covers script-writable storage such as IndexedDB and LocalStorage. It does not list ordinary cookies set by a server. Do not expect Safari to clear everything on its own schedule.
Forum posts sometimes suggest turning off iCloud for Safari to stop cookies from coming back. Apple's documentation does not confirm that, so this guide leaves it out.
67%
of U.S. adults know cookies exist to track visits and activity on a website (Pew, 2023)
What Americans Know About AI, Cybersecurity and Big Tech: Pew Research Center7 days
without user interaction before WebKit tracking prevention deletes script-created cookies for that website
Tracking Prevention in WebKitMistakes people make when they delete cookies
- Clicking Done instead of Remove. Macworld says Done cancels your changes.
- Removing everything when one site caused the problem. You then log in to every account for no reason.
- Confusing the cache with cookies. Empty Caches leaves cookies alone.
- Forgetting autofill. Saved passwords may disappear with the cookies, so check them first.
- Skipping the Develop menu. If a page only looks old, clearing the cache is the smaller fix.
Most of these mistakes cost a few minutes of logging in again. The worst one is removing everything when you only needed one site. Pick the smallest scope that fixes the problem, then stop.
What to check after you delete cookies
Start with the sites you use every day. Open your bank, your email, and your work tools. Check that you can still log in. Confirm that saved passwords fill in as expected. If a login fails, a fresh sign in usually fixes it, so you do not need another round of deletes.
If one site still misbehaves, open a Private window from the File menu and load it there. A Private window does not share your regular cookies. If the page works there, the problem likely sits in the saved data for that site.
Find the buttons on screen while you work
Keep the Settings window open while you follow the steps. The labels in this guide match the names in Apple's Safari guide. Find the button by name, then read its label before you click.
Safari shortcuts for this on Mac
| To do this | Press |
|---|---|
| Select several sites in Manage Website Data | Command click |
| Select all sites in Manage Website Data | Command A |
| Empty the cache, after the Develop menu is on | Option Command E |
If it does not work
- The sites come back after I remove them.
- That is normal on most sites. Each site sets new cookies when you visit and log in again. Deleting cookies resets them, it does not block them. Safari's built-in tracking protection limits cross-site tracking by default, according to Apple.
- I cannot find Manage Website Data.
- Make sure the Settings window is open and the Privacy tab is selected. On older macOS releases, the first item may be labeled Preferences in the Safari menu. The button sits in the Privacy tab on both.
- Autofill stopped working after I cleared cookies.
- Macworld says deleting cookies may remove saved usernames and passwords used for autofill. Sign in once on that site to save them again, then test autofill there.
- Empty Caches is missing from the Develop menu.
- Turn on the Develop menu first. Go to Safari > Settings > Advanced, then check Show Develop menu in menu bar. Some releases use Show features for web developers instead.
- A site still fails after I cleared everything.
- Load the site in a Private window from the File menu. If it still fails, the problem may be on the site's end. Try again later or contact the site's support team.
Faster with Lazur
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Questions people ask
Will deleting cookies log me out of everything?
Not necessarily. Removing one site affects only that site. Remove All can sign you out of many websites at once, and Apple warns that sites may change how they behave.
Does deleting cookies also delete my browsing history?
No. Cookies and history are separate. Apple's history steps live under History > Clear History. Apple's page does not say whether cookies go with that step, so check the scope you pick.
Is there a keyboard shortcut for deleting cookies in Safari?
I could not confirm one in Apple's documentation, so this guide uses the menu path. The Option Command E shortcut from Macworld empties the cache, not the cookies.
Should I clear the cache or delete cookies?
Clear the cache when a page looks old or will not refresh. Delete cookies when a login is stuck, a site keeps the wrong state, or you want a site to forget you.
Why do cookies come back after I delete them?
Sites set cookies again when you visit and log in, which is normal. WebKit also says Safari deletes some script-created storage after 7 days without interaction on that website.
Does this work on older Macs?
The path is the same, but older releases label the first item Preferences instead of Settings. Wikipedia says the rename came with macOS Ventura 13.
Does this also clear cookies in Chrome or Firefox?
No. This guide covers Safari only. Other browsers keep their own cookie stores and use their own settings menus.
Sources
- Clear your cache and cookies in Safari on Mac: Apple Support · Apple · checked 2026-11-08
- Safari User Guide for Mac: Apple Support · Apple · checked 2026-11-08
- Clear your browsing history in Safari on Mac: Apple Support · Apple · checked 2026-11-08
- Safari: Apple · Apple · checked 2026-11-08
- How to clear Safari's cache and cookies on Mac: Macworld · Macworld (IDG) · checked 2026-11-08
- macOS Ventura: Wikipedia · Wikipedia · checked 2026-11-08
- Tracking Prevention in WebKit · WebKit · checked 2026-11-08
- What Americans Know About AI, Cybersecurity and Big Tech: Pew Research Center · Pew Research Center · checked 2026-11-08
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