Cookie and web technology identification
A seemingly random cookie name or a request to a cryptically named domain tells you nothing on its own. Tagmaps matches each one to the company, product, and purpose behind it.
Raw cookie names and JavaScript files don't tell you "who", "what" or "why"
Websites load tens if not hundreds of cookies, JS files, images, and trackers from a wide range of domains. None of the complex file and domain names tell you who is collecting data, what they are collecting it for, or why your website needs them.
To properly control and account for each of these technologies, you need to know the company and the use-case behind it. Working that out manually is so time consuming it is simply unfeasible. Tagmaps does it for you, translating jargon into actionable information.
How identification works
Tagmaps scans your site
Tagmaps scans each page, recording every cookie, script, image, network request, and more.
Results are processed
The thousands of results are processed, formatted, and deduplicated to separate the noise from the real results.
Items are matched
Each result is compared with our proprietary datasets, identifying not just what the technology is, but who builds it, and for what.
You get an actionable inventory
Instead of raw technical data, you have a human-readable list of technologies, companies and purposes to act on.
What an identified item tells you
Every match turns unfamiliar data into the facts you need to make a decision.
- The company behind the product, named in plain language
- The product or service it belongs to, translating "GA1.2.123456789.1678901234" into "Google Analytics"
- What category it falls into, so consent management can be configured, and privacy notices written
- Any domains the data is sent to, critical for understanding data transfers to international vendors
- Whether the technology is loaded by you and your team, or by a 3rd party vendor
Identification FAQs
How does Tagmaps know what these products are?
Tagmaps combines automation with human-led research to populated databases of known cookies and technologies. Every signal such as cookie names, domains, JavaScript files, and more, are used as inputs in this research.
What happens with a cookie or technology it does not recognize?
It is still recorded and presented in the scan results with its name, domain, and pages it appeared on. Internal and bespoke products are not typically recognized.
Does this work for first-party products too?
Yes. Many common products are loaded in a first-party manner, and can be identified.
Is this regularly updated?
Yes. Tagmaps regularly updates, expands, and improves the identification data. When updates are made, they'll automatically enrich your scan results, ensuring you have the latest and greatest information at all times.