How to Delete Cookie in JavaScript: Simple Guide

To delete a cookie in JavaScript, set the cookie with the same name and path but with an expiration date in the past using document.cookie. This tells the browser to remove the cookie immediately.

Syntax

To delete a cookie, you use document.cookie to set the cookie's name and path with an expiration date in the past. This signals the browser to remove it.

• cookieName: The name of the cookie you want to delete.
• path: The path where the cookie was set (must match to delete).
• expires: Set to a date in the past to delete the cookie.

javascript

document.cookie = "cookieName=; path=/; expires=Thu, 01 Jan 1970 00:00:00 GMT";

Example

This example shows how to create a cookie and then delete it by setting its expiration date to a past date.

javascript

document.cookie = "user=John; path=/;";
console.log('Before delete:', document.cookie);
document.cookie = "user=; path=/; expires=Thu, 01 Jan 1970 00:00:00 GMT";
console.log('After delete:', document.cookie);

Output

Before delete: user=John
After delete: 

Common Pitfalls

Common mistakes when deleting cookies include:

• Not matching the path or domain of the original cookie, so the browser does not delete it.
• Forgetting to set the expires attribute to a past date.
• Trying to delete cookies set with HttpOnly flag, which JavaScript cannot access.

javascript

/* Wrong: Missing path, cookie may not delete */
document.cookie = "user=; expires=Thu, 01 Jan 1970 00:00:00 GMT";

/* Right: Matching path to delete cookie */
document.cookie = "user=; path=/; expires=Thu, 01 Jan 1970 00:00:00 GMT";

Quick Reference

Action	Code Example
Delete cookie named 'session'	document.cookie = "session=; path=/; expires=Thu, 01 Jan 1970 00:00:00 GMT";
Delete cookie with specific path	document.cookie = "token=; path=/app; expires=Thu, 01 Jan 1970 00:00:00 GMT";
Delete cookie with domain	document.cookie = "id=; domain=example.com; path=/; expires=Thu, 01 Jan 1970 00:00:00 GMT";

Key Takeaways

Delete cookies by setting their expiration date to a past date using document.cookie.

Always match the original cookie's path and domain to successfully delete it.

JavaScript cannot delete HttpOnly cookies set by the server.

Use the exact cookie name when deleting to avoid leaving cookies behind.

Check document.cookie before and after deletion to confirm removal.