# expressjs/cookie-session

Simple cookie-based session middleware

Repository: https://github.com/expressjs/cookie-session
Canonical: https://ross.abutalabs.com/products/cookie-session
Language: JavaScript
License: MIT
License Family: permissive
Topics: javascript, expressjs, nodejs, cookie, session, middleware
Last push: 2026-08-05T13:59:19+00:00

## Health v2 (maintenance only)
Score: 66/100 (v2, computed 2026-09-02T17:46:02.011165+00:00)
- activity 96, release rhythm 8, longevity 100
- inputs: {"age_days": 4574, "days_push": 28, "days_rel": 412, "gap_med": null, "n_releases_24m": 1}
- flags: none
- formula: round(0.45*activity + 0.35*rhythm + 0.20*longevity); archived -> min(score, 10)

## Adoption (not part of the score)
Stars 1148, forks 210 (observed 2026-08-28T04:03:46.096735+00:00)

## What it is
A simple cookie-based session middleware for Express and Connect that stores session data on the client within a signed cookie, requiring no server-side storage. It attaches a session object to the request and automatically sets cookies when session contents change.

## Use cases
- add cookie-based sessions to an express app
- store light session data without a database
- simplify sessions in load-balanced deployments
- reduce database lookups for session state
- manage user sessions in nodejs middleware

## When to choose
- session data is small enough to fit in a cookie
- you want to avoid server-side session storage or a database
- you run load-balanced servers and want stateless sessions
- you need a lightweight express/connect middleware

## When to avoid
- you need to store secret or sensitive data in the session (contents are not encrypted)
- session replay protection is required
- session data exceeds browser cookie size limits
- you need server-side session storage or revocation

## Facets
- artifact type: library
- maturity: stable
- function: middleware, auth, web-framework
- domain: web-development, backend, security
- platform: -
- tags: express, cookie, session-management, connect-middleware, nodejs, web-server

## Member repositories
- expressjs/cookie-session (main) score 66

## Provenance
- Observed fields: from GitHub, fetched 2026-08-28T04:03:46.096735+00:00.
- Health v2: computed from the inputs above; adoption is never an input.
- Inferred fields (summary, facets, guidance): AI-extracted, prompt v1, taxonomy v1, on 2026-08-30T06:33:49.978869+00:00, confidence not recorded.
  - readme: https://github.com/expressjs/cookie-session (fetched 2026-08-28T04:03:46.096735+00:00, sha 0fd74305dadf)
  - registry_npm: https://registry.npmjs.org/cookie-session (fetched 2026-08-29T12:39:17.484775+00:00, sha 67654e3ca640)
- Data as of 2026-08-30T08:39:29.467469+00:00.