diff --git a/Pages/Index.cshtml.cs b/Pages/Index.cshtml.cs
index aaba79f..76fac09 100644
--- a/Pages/Index.cshtml.cs
+++ b/Pages/Index.cshtml.cs
@@ -5,13 +5,13 @@ using System.Threading.Tasks;
 using Microsoft.AspNetCore.Mvc;
 using Microsoft.AspNetCore.Mvc.RazorPages;
 using Microsoft.Extensions.Logging;
+using Newtonsoft.Json;
 
 namespace StateJobsNYSubmit.Pages
 {
     public class IndexModel : PageModel
     {
         private readonly ILogger<IndexModel> _logger;
-        public int counter = 1;
         private PrivateData p = new PrivateData();
         public IndexModel(ILogger<IndexModel> logger)
         {
@@ -20,14 +20,16 @@ namespace StateJobsNYSubmit.Pages
 
         public void OnGet()
         {
+            UserData userData = new UserData();
+            userData.visitCounter = 1;
             string cookieValue = Request.Cookies["PrivateData"];
             if (cookieValue != null) {
                 string test = p.DecryptString(cookieValue);
-                counter = Int32.Parse(test);
-                counter++;
+                userData = JsonConvert.DeserializeObject<UserData>(test); 
+                userData.visitCounter++;
             }
-            Response.Cookies.Append("PrivateData", p.EncryptString($"{counter}"));
-            Console.WriteLine($"Value of counter: {counter}");
+            Response.Cookies.Append("PrivateData", p.EncryptString(JsonConvert.SerializeObject(userData)));
+            Console.WriteLine($"Value of counter: {userData.visitCounter}");
             
         }
     }
diff --git a/UserData.cs b/UserData.cs
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..26e7f37
--- /dev/null
+++ b/UserData.cs
@@ -0,0 +1,12 @@
+   // UserData myDeserializedClass = JsonConvert.DeserializeObject<UserData>(myJsonResponse); 
+
+    using System.Collections.Generic;
+    public class UserData
+    {
+        public string email { get; set; }
+        public string smtpHost { get; set; }
+        public List<string> skillOptions { get; set; }
+        public string identifier { get; set; }
+        public int visitCounter { get; set;}
+    }
+