What type of file is typically used to store web session data?

Web session data is commonly stored in cookies, which are small files that a web server sends to a user's web browser. These cookies are then stored on the user's device and returned to the server with each request made to that server. Cookies are designed to hold a modest amount of data, such as user preferences or session identifiers, which allows the server to manage state between different requests and maintain continuity within a user’s session.

When a user interacts with a website, cookies can be used to remember their login state, preferences, shopping cart contents, and other session-related information. This capability is essential for user experience on the web, enabling functionality like keeping users logged in, saving state across page loads, and personalizing content.

In contrast, session state typically refers to the server-side storage of session information, cache refers to temporarily stored data that speeds up website loading, and tokens are often used for authentication and security purposes rather than storing user session data. Thus, while there are various methods for handling session-related information, cookies remain the standard approach for storing web session data.