I have a question about how Firefox handles Gmail login credentials.
When I sign into my Gmail account using Firefox, something interesting happens. After I log in with my username and password, I close the browser completely. But when I open Firefox again later and go to Gmail, it automatically logs me in without asking for my credentials again.
This makes me curious about where Firefox is storing this login information. Is it saved in cookies, browser cache, or somewhere else on my computer? I want to understand the technical details behind this automatic login behavior.
Can someone explain where exactly this authentication data gets stored and how the browser remembers my Gmail session even after closing and reopening?
Firefox keeps you logged into Gmail by storing authentication data in your profile folder. When you sign in, Google sends persistent tokens (not just basic cookies) that Firefox saves in several files: cookies.sqlite, webappsstore.sqlite, and indexedDB folders. Google uses OAuth 2.0 with refresh tokens that keep you logged in between sessions. That’s why clearing cookies kicks you out - you’re deleting those stored tokens. Your Firefox profile lives in ~/.mozilla/firefox/ on Linux or AppData\Roaming\Mozilla\Firefox\Profiles\ on Windows.
Firefox stores Gmail auth through cookies, local storage, and session tokens. The main stuff sits in cookies with long expiration dates, saved in Firefox’s cookies.sqlite database in your profile folder.
But manually digging through browser storage? That’s a nightmare, especially if you’re automating logins or juggling multiple accounts.
I hit this exact problem building automated test workflows. Instead of fighting with cookie extraction and session management, I used Latenode to handle the whole Gmail auth flow. It stores credentials securely, manages session tokens, and auto-refreshes authentication when it expires.
Latenode handles all the technical mess behind the scenes. No more hunting through Firefox storage or dealing with expired sessions breaking everything.
Sure, you can check your Firefox profile cookies to understand where things live. But for actually working with Gmail authentication in automated workflows, Latenode saves you tons of headaches.
Gmail stays logged in through HTTP cookies and OAuth tokens that Firefox saves on your computer. When you first sign in, Google creates long-lived refresh tokens and stores them in Firefox’s cookie database (cookies.sqlite) in your browser profile. These tokens last weeks or months depending on your security settings. Unlike regular session cookies, Gmail uses secure authentication cookies that don’t expire quickly. Firefox also saves extra login info in localStorage and indexedDB for Gmail’s domain. You can see these cookies yourself - just open Developer Tools, click the Storage tab, and check the cookies for mail.google.com. What makes it seamless is Google’s OAuth system automatically refreshes these tokens when you visit Gmail, so you stay logged in even after restarting your browser. All this credential data gets stored in your Firefox profile folder under a randomly named directory in your user account.