Glossary/Privacy and identity/Cookieless advertising
What is cookieless advertising and how do publishers prepare?
What cookieless advertising means, the methods that replace third-party cookies, and how publishers prepare.
Written by Samhub with the help of AI·Updated 13 Oct 2026·3 min readCookieless advertising is targeting and measuring ads without third-party cookies, using first-party data, logins, IDs and context instead.
Why it matters now
Safari and Firefox already block third-party cookies, and consent rules limit them everywhere. Chrome still supports them, but a large share of traffic is already cookieless.
Cookieless methods
| Method | How it works |
|---|---|
| First-party data | Audiences from your own readers |
| Universal IDs | IDs based on logins and hashed emails |
| Contextual targeting | Targeting by page content |
| Clean rooms | Matching data without sharing it |
16 pages for publishers, with a checklist for data, programmatic and direct sales.
How publishers prepare
Measure addressability
How many readers can you recognize?
Grow logins
Activate first-party audiences
In direct sales and programmatic.
Addressability at Stampen Media after moving its reader data into one layer with Samhub.
Frequently asked questions
No. It means without third-party cookies; first-party cookies still play a role.
Yes, personalized advertising still needs consent in Europe.
Publishers with logged-in readers and their own data gain value.
Google decided to keep third-party cookies in Chrome.
Related terms
Cookies set by another domain than the site you visit.
Data you collect directly from your own readers.
A shared identifier that can replace third-party cookies.
Targeting ads based on the content of the page.
One EU-based platform to collect, unify and enrich your first-party data, installed with one script.
- A walkthrough with your own data
- Built for publishers and media houses
- 30 minutes, no commitment
Turn your audience data into more revenue
Get the Media Monetization Playbook: how media houses turn first-party data into higher CPMs, data deals and direct sales. With checklists for every step.
