What is the TapAd_TS cookie?
This cookie acts as a persistent digital timestamp utilized by TapAd's identity resolution ecosystem to enforce frequency capping on programmatic user-identity synchronization requests across external advertising platforms.
Table of Contents
About TapAd_TS
| Vendor | Tapad |
|---|---|
| Cookie Domain | tapad.com |
| Category Category The functional category of the technology, such as Web Analytics or Social Media. Learn more | Social Media |
| Consent Category Consent Category The consent category this cookie most commonly falls under across sites we scan, normalized into four standard categories. Learn more | Targeting & Advertising |
| Prevalence | Very Common |
| Popularity Popularity Popularity is calculated from our dataset of 4.5B+ cookies analyzed across hundreds of millions of web pages. Learn more | Found on 16.5% of scanned pages |
| Expiration Type | Timestamp |
| Expiration Duration | 29 days |
| Party Type Party Type Whether the cookie is first-party or third-party. Learn more | 3rd-Party |
| Risk Level Risk Level Rates how sensitive the data stored by this cookie is (High, Medium, or Low) based on data classification and distribution. Learn more | Medium |
| Vendor Privacy Policy | https://www.tapad.com/privacy |
| Vendor Website | https://www.tapad.com |
What is the purpose of TapAd_TS?
The TapAd_TS cookie is a third-party tracking cookie set by Tapad (an Experian company since 2020) as part of its Tapad Graph identity resolution technology. It functions as a timestamp or synchronization marker that helps the platform link a user's activities across different devices (such as smartphones, tablets, and desktop computers).
By syncing these device identifiers with various ad networks and demand-side platforms (DSPs) via the Tapad Pixel, the cookie allows marketers to deliver consistent, cross-device programmatic advertising campaigns. The cookie carries data that facilitates the matching of anonymous device IDs to probabilistic or deterministic user profiles in the Tapad Graph. This enables advertisers to measure cross-device conversions, optimize campaign frequency capping, and perform audience segmentation without relying on single-device identifiers. The data collected is shared with other advertising platforms through cookie syncing mechanisms to improve overall ad targeting precision.
What are the Privacy Risks of TapAd_TS?
Risk Level: Medium
This cookie presents a medium privacy risk because it is explicitly designed for cross-site and cross-device user tracking. While it does not inherently contain direct Personally Identifiable Information (PII) like names or emails, it utilizes pseudonymous device identifiers and synchronization timestamps to build comprehensive behavioral profiles. This data is widely shared with third-party advertising networks to facilitate programmatic ad targeting, which can significantly impact user privacy and typically requires explicit user consent under regulations like GDPR and CCPA.
How to Remove TapAd_TS from a Website
To remove the TapAd_TS cookie, website administrators must locate and remove the Tapad Pixel or Tapad Tapestry tags from their site's source code or tag management system (e.g., Google Tag Manager). If Tapad's identity resolution services are integrated through a broader programmatic advertising partner or a Demand-Side Platform (DSP) pixel (like The Trade Desk or MediaMath) that piggybacks the Tapad sync, administrators will need to disable third-party data sharing or cookie syncing features within those specific partner platforms. Disabling the Tapad integration will prevent the cross-device identity graph from functioning on the site.