---
description: How Cloudflare handles HEAD requests and Set-Cookie headers.
title: Head Requests and Set-Cookie Headers
image: https://developers.cloudflare.com/og-docs.png
---

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# Head Requests and Set-Cookie Headers

Last updated Aug 25, 2026|Copy as Markdown|[View as Markdown](https://66f4ea29.previews.developers.cloudflare.com/cache/concepts/cache-behavior/index.md)|[Agent setup](https://66f4ea29.previews.developers.cloudflare.com/agent-setup/)

This page describes how Cloudflare's cache system behaves in interaction with:

* `HEAD` requests
* `Set-Cookie` response headers

## Interaction of `HEAD` requests with Cache

Cloudflare converts `HEAD` requests to `GET` requests for [cacheable requests](https://66f4ea29.previews.developers.cloudflare.com/cache/concepts/default-cache-behavior/#default-cached-file-extensions).

When you make a `HEAD` request for a cacheable resource and Cloudflare does not have that resource in the edge cache, a cache miss happens. Cloudflare will send a `GET` request to your origin, cache the full response and return the response headers only. Make sure the origin server is set up to handle `GET` requests, even if only `HEAD` requests are expected, so that compatibility with this behavior is ensured.

## Interaction of `Set-Cookie` response header with Cache

For non-cacheable requests, `Set-Cookie` is always preserved. For cacheable requests, there are three possible behaviors:

* `Set-Cookie` is returned from origin and the default cache level is used. If [origin cache control](https://66f4ea29.previews.developers.cloudflare.com/cache/concepts/cache-control/) is not enabled, Cloudflare removes the `Set-Cookie` and caches the asset. If origin cache control is enabled, Cloudflare does not cache the asset and preserves the `Set-Cookie`. A cache status of `BYPASS` is returned.
* `Set-Cookie` is returned from origin and the cache level is set to `Cache Everything` in Page Rules, or `Eligible for cache` in Cache Rules. In this case, Cloudflare preserves the `Set-Cookie` but does not cache the asset. A cache `MISS` will be returned every time.
* `Set-Cookie` is returned from origin, the cache level is set to `Cache Everything` in Page Rules, or `Eligible for cache` in Cache Rules, and edge cache TTL is explicitly set using either the "Ignore cache-control header and use this TTL" or "Status code TTL" setting. In this case, Cloudflare removes the `Set-Cookie` and the asset is cached.

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