To delete cookies for one website on iPad, open Settings, tap Apps > Safari > Advanced > Website Data, find the site in the list, swipe left on it, and tap Delete. Only that site is affected, so you stay signed in everywhere else.
This guide covers Safari on iPadOS 18 through iPadOS 27, where Safari settings sit under Apps. On iPadOS 17 and earlier, the steps are the same except that Safari appears directly in the main Settings list. Other browsers, such as Chrome, keep their own cookies and are covered near the end.
What You Are Deleting
A cookie is a small piece of data that a website stores on your iPad so it can remember you, for example that you are signed in or which settings you chose. Safari groups cookies with a site’s other stored files, such as its cache (saved copies of images and page parts), and calls the whole lot website data. Deleting a site’s entry removes all of it for that site.
Expect to be signed out of that website and to lose anything it remembered on this iPad, such as a shopping cart or display preferences. Make sure you know your password for the site before you start. There is no undo, but the site simply creates fresh cookies the next time you visit.
How to Delete Cookies for a Specific Website on iPad
- Open the Settings app.
- Tap Apps, then tap Safari. On iPadOS 17 or earlier, tap Safari in the main list instead.
- Scroll to the bottom of the Safari settings and tap Advanced.
- Tap Website Data. The list can take a moment to load, and each entry shows a site name with the amount of storage it uses.
- Find the website. Type part of its address in the search field at the top, or scroll through the list. If you see Show All Sites, tap it to load the full list.
- Swipe left on the website’s entry, then tap the red Delete button.
The entry disappears from the list right away. That is your confirmation that Safari removed the cookies and other stored data for that site.
Apple’s Safari history, cache, and cookies article documents the Website Data screen and its Remove All Website Data button, but it does not walk through the single-site swipe. The search field and swipe are part of that same screen, though their exact look may vary a little between iPadOS versions.
Delete Several Sites at Once
If you want to remove a few sites in one visit, tap Edit at the top of the Website Data screen. A red minus button should appear beside each entry. Tap the minus button next to a site, then tap Delete, and repeat for each site you want to clear. Tap Done when you finish.
When Deleting One Site Makes Sense
- A single website will not load properly, shows an outdated page, or keeps sending you back to the sign-in screen.
- You want a site to forget you on a shared iPad without signing out of everything else.
- A site’s entry is using a lot of storage.
How to Clear All Cookies but Keep Your History
Use this when many sites are misbehaving. Be aware that it signs you out of every website in Safari.
- Go to Settings > Apps > Safari > Advanced > Website Data.
- Tap Remove All Website Data at the bottom of the list.
- Tap Remove Now to confirm.
Apple says this clears data used for tracking and data websites use to save login information. Your browsing history stays in place.
How to Clear History, Cache, and Cookies Together
This option removes the most. Apple’s Clear your cache and cookies on iPad guide lists these steps:
- Open Safari and tap the Show Sidebar button, then tap History. If you do not see History, tap the back button at the top of the sidebar.
- Tap the More button, then tap Clear.
- Under Clear Timeframe, choose how far back to clear. If you use Safari profiles, pick one profile or All Profiles.
- Tap Clear History.
According to Apple, this removes the websites you visited and your recent searches, along with cookies and the permissions you gave sites to use your location or send notifications. It does not clear records kept by the websites themselves or your history in other apps.
| Method | Removes | Keeps |
|---|---|---|
| Swipe and delete one site | Cookies and stored data for that site | History and every other site’s data |
| Remove All Website Data | Cookies and stored data for all sites | History |
| Clear History | History, recent searches, cookies, and site permissions for the timeframe you pick | AutoFill information |
If Something Does Not Work
The website is not in the list. Search for the main part of the name only, such as the company name without “www”. A site may also store data under more than one entry, so delete each related entry you find. If nothing appears, Safari may not be holding any data for that site.
Remove All Website Data is gray. Apple says there is either no data to clear or web content restrictions are turned on in Screen Time. Check Settings > Screen Time > Content & Privacy Restrictions. On a child’s or managed iPad, the person who set the restrictions has to change them.
The site still will not sign you in. Make sure Safari is accepting cookies. Following Apple’s Enable cookies on iPad steps, go to Settings > Apps > Safari > Advanced and turn off Block All Cookies. Then close the tab, open the site again, and sign in.
The site keeps coming back in the list. That is expected. Every visit creates new cookies, so the entry returns the next time you open the site.
Frequently Asked Questions
Will deleting one site’s cookies sign me out of it?
Usually, yes. Cookies are how most sites remember that you are signed in, so plan to enter your username and password again and redo any preferences you set on that site. Other websites are not affected.
Does deleting a site’s cookies remove it from my Safari history?
No. Website data and browsing history are separate. The site still appears in History and in address bar suggestions until you delete it there. Apple’s iPhone instructions describe opening History, tapping More, choosing Select Websites, and tapping the Trash button; on iPad, History is in the Safari sidebar.
Does this delete my saved passwords?
No. Passwords saved on your iPad are stored separately from website data, and Apple notes that clearing Safari history does not change your AutoFill information. You are only signed out of the site.
Does this clear cookies in Chrome on my iPad?
No. Safari settings only affect Safari. Google’s Chrome help page for iPhone and iPad describes deleting all cookies through More > Settings > Privacy and Security > Delete Browsing Data, and it does not list a single-site option for iPad.
How do I stop a site from saving cookies in the first place?
Open the site in a Private Browsing tab. Apple’s Browse the web privately guide says private tabs do not appear in History on your iPad. Avoid Block All Cookies for everyday use, because Apple warns that many sites will not let you sign in with it turned on.
Next Steps
After you delete the entry, reload the website and sign in again to check whether the problem is gone. For more Safari cleanup on a tablet, see how to clear cookies and cache on iPad. If you use a phone as well, read how to allow cookies in Safari on iPhone, or learn how to change Safari search to Google on iPad.
Matthew Burleigh is the founder, head writer, and editor of Solve Your Tech, which he launched in 2012. He has written technology tutorials since 2008 and worked in IT since 2003, including small-business support, IT management, and consulting. He holds Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees in Computer Science from Arizona State University.
Matthew writes practical guides for Windows, iPhone and iPad, Microsoft Office, Outlook, Google apps, and Android. Solve Your Tech’s guides are tested on current devices or checked against official product documentation, with clear steps, sources, and update dates.
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