Creating cookies with setcookie()

Learn to create a cookie in the browser with setcookie().

What does setcookie() do?

HTTP is stateless: each request is independent of the previous one. Cookies let the browser remember data between requests. PHP creates a cookie with setcookie().

When called, PHP sends a Set-Cookie header. The browser stores the cookie and sends it back on later requests.

Call it before any output, at the top of the page; otherwise you get a headers already sent error.

Cookie name and value

setcookie() takes at least two arguments: a name and a value. Both are strings. The name identifies the cookie; the value is the data the browser stores.

Keep cookie names simple: no spaces, no special characters. Values should stay short; browsers usually allow about 4 KB.

Example: setcookie('lang', 'en') creates a cookie named lang with value en.

Exercise Create a cookie and confirm

Call setcookie() with first argument 'username' and second 'Alex'. Then echo created.

Show example solution

Call setcookie('username', 'Alex'), then echo "created".
Example solution:
<?php
// Call setcookie and print 'created'
setcookie('username', 'Alex');
echo "created\n";

Test yourself

When should setcookie() be called?
- At the very end, after all output
- Before any output, at the top of the page
- Only after a database connection
- On the same line as echo
Show answer

Before any output, at the top of the page — Correct. setcookie() is called before output, so it can be sent as a header.

Create the cookie from the config

<?php
$cfg = ['user' => 'Alex'];
____
echo $cfg['user'];

Show answer

<?php
$cfg = ['user' => 'Alex'];
setcookie('user', $cfg['user']);
echo $cfg['user'];

Match the parts of setcookie

setcookie(name, value)

Creates a cookie
name

The cookie name
value

The cookie value
Browser

Stores the cookie

Next lesson: Reading cookies with $_COOKIE

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