You’re running recruitment ads like you always have. Targeting based on interest. Retargeting drop-offs. Tracking clicks and conversions. But something’s changed.
The cookies are disappearing.
Third-party cookies, that is. The tiny trackers that powered ad targeting for over a decade. They’re being phased out. And if your campaigns still rely on them, performance is about to suffer.
This post breaks down what the end of cookies means for your hiring strategy, and how to thrive in the cookieless future with smarter, privacy-friendly targeting.
Google began switching off third-party cookies in Chrome in early 2024, with full deprecation rolling out through 2025. Safari and Firefox already block them by default.
This isn’t just a tech issue. It changes how recruitment advertising works. Cookies were used to:
Without cookies, all of that becomes harder if you’re using a legacy system.
Most job boards and traditional advertising platforms depend on third-party cookies. When those are blocked:
And let’s not forget consent prompts. More users are rejecting tracking. Which means fewer data signals. Less accuracy. More inefficiency.
Cookieless strategies aren’t just reactive. They’re proactive. The smartest brands are using this shift as an opportunity to build more resilient, compliant, and effective hiring funnels.
Rather than depending on outdated pixel-based data, cookieless campaigns tap into:
This level of contextual awareness leads to better candidate experiences and higher intent applications.
And because these methods don’t rely on fragile browser data, they keep working - even as privacy rules evolve.
Smart teams are moving away from cookie-based models and toward contextual, behavioural, and first-party strategies.
Cookieless recruitment advertising:
The bonus? It builds trust. Candidates don’t want to feel stalked; they want relevance.
When cookies stop working, Gaia keeps performing. That’s because our platform was designed with a privacy-first, performance-always mindset from the beginning.
We don’t wait for candidates to come back to your site. We go where the most talented candidates already are and bring them in.
One client’s talent lead told us the move to cookieless campaigns felt seamless with Gaia. They were able to maintain high conversions while future-proofing their strategy.
We’re able to help clients track every started and completed application – no cookies; no gaps – with two complementary tracking solutions, designed to work without cookies and provide attribution exactly where you need it.
GaiaConnect is our server-to-server tracking framework that gives you full-funnel performance visibility, with no cookies, no login walls, and no user identifiers.
It tracks all started and completed applications, attributes performance across 11 social channels, and supports compliant, cookie-free retargeting where platforms allow.
This is possible because GaiaConnect doesn’t rely on browser data, it works across all devices and platforms, even as privacy rules evolve.
Simply put: GaiaConnect is the engine behind measurement and performance attribution, not just a retargeting tool.
Our native integrations push campaign performance data directly into your ATS, whether or not you use GaiaPages.
Gaia appears as the referrer source, so your team can track which channels, campaigns, or creative drove each applicant right where they already work – inside their ATS.
If you do use GaiaPages, candidate handoff becomes fully automated. But attribution doesn’t depend on it.
Here's what sets Gaia apart:
Gaia was built with cookieless performance in mind. We don’t rely on third-party cookies to drive results.
We use platform signals (likes, follows, searches, shares) and interest-based groupings to match your roles with the right candidates (even if they’re passive).
If someone visits a job ad but doesn’t apply, we re-engage them using GaiaConnect, our cookieless tracking system, that works across up to 11 social and display platforms, without relying on third-party cookies. It's privacy-safe and fully future-proof.
You still see which ads, platforms, and formats are working. And they’re all tracked through real-time analytics based on engagement, conversions, and media delivery.
No awkward consent banners. No data risk. Just privacy-safe campaigns that work.
Server-to-server tracking. Native integrations. No cookies. No compromise
As the privacy landscape continues to evolve, hiring strategies must evolve too. Regulations like GDPR and the phasing out of tracking technologies are forcing change. But these changes are also opening the door to smarter, more ethical ways of connecting with candidates.
Being early to this transition gives your organisation an edge. You gain control, confidence, and credibility in how you attract talent. And you protect your campaigns against future volatility.
Recruitment has always been about trust. In a cookieless world, that trust starts with how you show up.
One internal customer team shared that they previously relied on cookies for campaign tracking. When that stopped working, Gaia helped them shift to behaviour-led targeting, which even led to improved performance.
Want to run job campaigns that convert without cookies? Let’s have a quick chat.
A: GaiaConnect is Gaia’s server-to-server tracking solution. It captures real-time application data without using cookies, browser storage, or user identifiers. Instead, a lightweight script tag fires secure API calls when key events occur, like “application started” or “application completed.”
A: Most tracking solutions rely on third-party cookies, which are being phased out. GaiaConnect uses server-side event tracking instead, which is more accurate, privacy-safe, and future-proof.
A: It tracks:
This gives you clear visibility into performance, without relying on fragile, outdated tracking.
A: Yes. Because GaiaConnect doesn’t store cookies or personal identifiers in the user’s browser, it’s designed to meet strict privacy standards by default.
A: Gaia integrates directly with your ATS to support source-level performance tracking, even if you don’t use GaiaPages. If you do use GaiaPages, candidates can also be pushed directly into your ATS with campaign metadata attached.
A: Your team will be able to:
A: No. Our ATS integrations work with or without GaiaPages. If GaiaPages is used, candidate data is enriched with deeper context, but attribution tracking still works independently.
A: Our Co-Founder, Ben Keighley, puts it best:
“The native ATS integrations provide the ideal tracking, as the customer can see the full attribution within their own ATS.”
Gaia embeds tracking data directly into your ATS so your team sees what’s working without switching tools; no new platforms or logins are required.
A: We integrate with 50+ ATS platforms out of the box, including SuccessFactors, Greenhouse, Workday, and many more. Setup is fast and doesn’t require developer time; in most cases, just an API key.