Providing standardized transparency for cookies and other website data using a server side description file

An article of manufacture including a computer-readable medium having instructions retrieved thereon that, when executed by a computing device, cause the computing device to perform operations for generating a cookie description file, the operations comprising:

• retrieving a plurality of cookie names;
• generating a plurality of cookies associated with the plurality of cookie names;
• annotating each cookie in the plurality of cookies with meta-information specific to each cookie, wherein the meta-information is included in the key-value format;
• generating a cookie description file, the cookie description file including the plurality of annotated cookies;
• and
• storing the cookie description file in a well-known location, wherein the cookie description file is accessible to a plurality of client devices that receive the plurality of cookies associated with the domain.

A system for generating a cookie description file, comprising:

• a processor executing on a server and coupled to a memory, the processor configured to:
• retrieve a plurality of cookie names;
• generate a plurality of cookies associated with the plurality of cookie names;
• annotate each cookie in the plurality of cookies with meta-information specific to each cookie, wherein the meta-information is included in the key-value format;
• generate a cookie description file, the cookie description file including the plurality of annotated cookies;
• and
• output the cookie description file for storage in a well-known location, wherein the cookie description file is accessible to a plurality of client devices that receive the plurality of cookies associated with the domain.