Django Cookie

Last Updated : 23 Jul, 2025

Cookies are small pieces of data that help store user-specific information on the client side. In Django, managing cookies is a simple task that can be done using a few straightforward commands.

Cookies are essential for maintaining user sessions and preferences. They are used to store data such as login information or user settings. Django provides easy methods to work with cookies, allowing to set and retrieve them as needed.

Setting Cookies in Django

To set a cookie in Django, we use the set_cookie method on an HttpResponse object. This method allows you to define the cookie’s name, value, and optional parameters such as expiration time and domain. Here’s how to set a basic cookie:

In this example:

  • 'my_cookie' is the name of the cookie.
  • 'cookie_value' is the value stored in the cookie.
Python 
from django.http import HttpResponse

def set_cookie_view(request):
    response = HttpResponse("Cookie is set!")
    response.set_cookie('my_cookie', 'cookie_value')
    return response

We can also specify additional options like the cookie’s expiration time:

  • max_age specifies the lifetime of the cookie in seconds.
  • secure=True ensures the cookie is only sent over HTTPS.
Python 
response.set_cookie('my_cookie', 'cookie_value', max_age=3600, secure=True)

Getting Cookies in Django

To retrieve a cookie, we use the request.COOKIES dictionary. This allows to access the value of the cookie by its name. Here’s how to get a cookie value:

  • my_cookie is the name of the cookie you want to access.
  • default_value is the value returned if the cookie is not found.
Python 
from django.http import HttpResponse

def get_cookie_view(request):
    cookie_value = request.COOKIES.get('my_cookie', 'default_value')
    return HttpResponse(f'The value of my_cookie is {cookie_value}')

Complete Code Example

Here’s a complete example combining both setting and getting a cookie:

  • Setting the Cookie: The message “Cookie has been set and read!” is displayed because the HttpResponse object is created with this content. The cookie 'my_cookie' with the value 'cookie_value' is set in the user's browser.
  • Getting the Cookie: The request.COOKIES.get('my_cookie', 'not set') retrieves the value of 'my_cookie'. If the cookie exists, it will display "Cookie value: cookie_value". If the cookie did not exist, it would display "Cookie value: not set", but in this case, the cookie was set, so the value will be 'cookie_value'.
Python 
from django.http import HttpResponse

def set_and_get_cookie_view(request):
    # Setting the cookie
    response = HttpResponse("Cookie has been set and read!")
    response.set_cookie('my_cookie', 'cookie_value')

    # Getting the cookie value
    cookie_value = request.COOKIES.get('my_cookie', 'not set')
    response.content += f" Cookie value: {cookie_value}"
    
    return response

Output: 

Cookie has been set and read! Cookie value: cookie_value

Conclusion

Managing cookies in Django is straightforward with the set_cookie method and request.COOKIES dictionary. Setting cookies allows you to store user-specific data, while getting cookies lets you access this data when needed. This functionality is crucial for handling user sessions and preferences efficiently.

Comment

Explore