It seems the exceptions for cookie deletion only apply to cookies that expire, versus forcefully deleted (such as when you have it set to delete on close)

"exception only work if you let the cookies expire and won't work if you clear all cookies manually or via "Clear history when Firefox closes" or via "Clear Recent History". In that case all cookies will be removed or in case of "Clear Recent History" for the specified range. There is no difference between letting the cookies expire when you close Firefox (i.e. make them session cookies) or remove the cookies when you close Firefox, but the latter won't let you keep cookies with an allow exception while the former does honor exceptions and keeps such cookies. "

I'm doing some additional research though, as this is rather old (2014), but it might be something worth sending feedback to firefox about:

https://qsurvey.mozilla.com/s3/FirefoxInput/

You can keep cookies with an allow exception with the proper domain (https:// in most cases) if you use "Delete cookies and site data when Firefox is closed" to remove cookies. All other ways to clear cookies will remove all (selected) cookies regardless of an allow exception. Session cookies will always be removed when you close Firefox and in Private Browsing mode all cookies expire when you close all PB mode window (PB mode uses a separate cookie jar).

cor-el said

You can keep cookies with an allow exception with the proper domain (https:// in most cases) if you use "Delete cookies and site data when Firefox is closed" to remove cookies.

Next to that tick box is indeed a "Manage Exceptions" buttion, but that does NOT take care of the issue. They are still deleted when closing FF. So... can you show me where that is done? thanks.

You did confirm that you aren't using "Clear history when Firefox closes" to clear cookies and Site Preferences ? Also make sure that you have the exception for the correct domain (for this website: https://support.mozilla.org).

• Options/Preferences -> Privacy & Security
  Firefox will: "Use custom settings for history":
  [X] "Clear history when Firefox closes" -> Settings

Thanks for your response.

When i close the browser i have set it to delete all the cookies.

I find it a bit confusing that there are seamingly two places where the behaviour for FF closing is defined. It's both the tickbox under "Cookies and Site data" as well as the section 'History"

Maybe just tell me the proper setting that will: 1. delete all cookies when FF closes 2. except for https://www.linkedin.com

thanks!

You only need to exclude Cookies and Site Preferences from the "Clear history when Firefox closes" Settings. When yo do that then it should work properly.

Using "Delete cookies and site data when Firefox is closed" is sufficient to clear unwanted cookies.

ronald4 said

I find it a bit confusing that there are seamingly two places where the behaviour for FF closing is defined. It's both the tickbox under "Cookies and Site data" as well as the section 'History"

The setting under History is a blunt instrument: it does not respect exceptions. In fact, if you aren't careful with the checkboxes in the Settings dialog for that feature, it can delete your exceptions list, too ("Site Preferences").

cor-el said

You only need to exclude Cookies and Site Preferences from the "Clear history when Firefox closes" Settings. When yo do that then it should work properly.

Understand that, but then i save cookies and site preferences for ALL sites. That was not my question. I do not want to do that.

cor-el said

Using "Delete cookies and site data when Firefox is closed" is sufficient to clear unwanted cookies.

'sufficient' is a word i don't understand, it seems to be a crude method to delete ALL cookies and site date and is not what i want. It also seems to have the same effect as leaving 'Cookies' and 'Site preferences' checked in the 'Clear history when Firefox closes' setting under History. So to me that double. I don't get it and it's confusing.

jscher2000 said

The setting under History is a blunt instrument: it does not respect exceptions. In fact, if you aren't careful with the checkboxes in the Settings dialog for that feature, it can delete your exceptions list, too ("Site Preferences").

True, but exceptions/whitelists are not respected anywhere it seems.

So i still don't have a solution... I can either save all, or delete all. Can somebody therefore confirm that what i want - delete all cookies when closing FireFox except those from LinkedIn.com is NOT possible? Please a yes or a no.

Yes, that is possible, but only if you follow our directions and make sure not to use "Clear history when Firefox closes" to clear cookies and Site Preferences.

Cookie exceptions are only respected if you use "Delete cookies and site data when Firefox is closed". Exceptions are part of Site Preferences, so you need to keep the Site Preferences if you want to keep specific cookies.

• clearing "Site Preferences" clears exceptions for cookies, images, pop-up windows, and software installation and exception for password and other website specific data

If you create the cookie exception manually yourself via "Manage Permissions" then you need to make sure to specify the proper protocol. That will be the https:// protocol in most cases:

• https://linkedin.com/

So then please confirm your instruction is:

Under Cookies and Site Data: "Delete cookies and site data when Firefox is closed" is ticked Click Manage Permissions and add LinkedIn.com. Both http and https will be added automatically

Under History: Firefor will Use Customer Setting for History Alway use private browsing Unticked Remember browsing and download history Ticked Clear history when FF closed Ticked

Click Settings:

All boxes ticked EXCEPT: -Clookies -Site preferences -Offline Website Data

Yes, that should work.

Did you already tried to test this ?

Hi ronald4, if you're pretty new to Firefox, this might help clarify the confusing naming of the settings.

Once upon a time, the cookie settings section had a selector labeled "Keep until" which had two choices:

• Keep until: they expire
• Keep until: I close Firefox

At some point, this was changed to the current checkbox:

[_] Delete cookies and site data when Firefox is closed

But it's actually the same behavior as the old selector:

With "Keep until: they expire" or the above box unchecked, Firefox lets sites set persistent cookies with distant future expiration dates. Cookies can linger for months.

With "Keep until: I close Firefox" or the above box checked, Firefox disregards future cookie expiration dates and makes them session only cookies. So when you do a normal shutdown of Firefox, cookies expire and are deleted.

You can modify this default cookie lifetime on a site-by-site basis by setting Allow, Block, and Allow for Session exceptions.

cor-el said

Yes, that should work. Did you already tried to test this ?

Yes i've tested now and it works, thank you. Still a convoluted approach, given that two sperate/different sections need to be looked at, but at least it works.

jscher2000 said

Hi ronald4, if you're pretty new to Firefox, this might help clarify the confusing naming of the settings.

Tell me about it!! Thanks for the history lesson, wish it would be straightforward. Let's hope the developers are reading this too.

ronald4 said

Still a convoluted approach, given that two sperate/different sections need to be looked at, but at least it works.

Normally no changes need to be made under History, you just need to avoid setting Firefox to clear Cookies and Site Preferences at shutdown.