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Abssi Franki
Abssi Franki

Posted on • Originally published at easyjavascript4you.blogspot.com

Personalizing User Experience on Sports Websites: A Guide to JavaScript Cookies

1. Introduction

Cookies are indispensable tools for sports websites, enabling developers to store and retrieve user preferences, including favorite teams, sports categories, and theme selections. The moment they harness the power of JavaScript, developers can leverage cookies to create personalized and enriched experiences for sports enthusiasts.

In this guide, we will delve into the fundamentals of working with cookies in JavaScript for sports websites. We'll learn how to effectively store and retrieve sports fan preferences, ensuring a seamless and tailored sports browsing journey.

2. The Magic of Cookies in Sports Websites

2.1. An Introduction to Cookies

Cookies, in brief, are small pieces of data that sports websites store on the client-side, specifically within the user's browser. Their primary function is to preserve information or track browsing activities related to sports events, user preferences, and interactions.

When a sports fan visits a website, the server sends a cookie to the browser, which stores it locally. This cookie contains specific data, such as user preferences, favorite teams, or tracking information related to sports statistics. Subsequently, the browser includes the cookie in subsequent requests to the same sports website, enabling the server to recognize the fan and provide personalized sports content.

For instance, imagine a sports website utilizing cookies to remember a fan's favorite teams and sports preferences. As the fan selects favorite teams and interacts with different sections of the website, the cookie retains this information, ensuring the fan receives relevant sports updates and content tailored to their interests.

2.2. Exploring Different Types of Cookies

The web development landscape for sports websites encompasses various types of cookies, each serving different purposes. Below are a few of them:

2.2.1. Session Cookies vs. Persistent Cookies

Session Cookies: These temporary cookies exist throughout a fan's session on a sports website. Stored in the browser's memory, they primarily handle session management, such as maintaining the fan's login status. Once the browser is closed or the session ends, session cookies get deleted.


// Setting a session cookie
document.cookie = "sessionID=ABC123; path=/";
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Persistent Cookies: Unlike session cookies, persistent cookies have an expiration date set in the future. They remain on the fan's device even after closing the browser. Persistent cookies are commonly employed to remember user preferences, like favorite sports categories or team selections.


// Setting a persistent cookie with an expiration date
const expirationDate = new Date();
expirationDate.setDate(expirationDate.getDate() + 30); // Set expiration for 30 days from now
document.cookie = `favoriteSport=basketball; expires=${expirationDate.toUTCString()}; path=/`;
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2.2.2. First-party Cookies vs. Third-party Cookies

Note: For the complete tutorial and additional insights Working with Cookies in JavaScript , you can access the guide Working with Cookies in JavaScript for Sports Websites: Personalizing User Preferences
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