Cookies and Browser Storage

What our own code stores

Our own code sets no cookies. In allowed regions (currently the United States) it uses two browser storage areas:

• sessionStorage: a site-specific advertising session that lets an eligible visit continue from a guide’s introduction to its full guide in the same tab, plus data that prevents the same measurement event from being sent twice. The advertising session lasts 30 minutes by default and is not extended when you reload a page. sessionStorage is normally cleared when you close the tab.
• localStorage: only your privacy choice from Your Privacy Choices, so that the site remembers it on your next visit.

In other regions, or when your country cannot be determined, our code writes nothing to your browser storage. If storage is blocked or unavailable, the site applies your choice to the current page only and tells you so. It never falls back to cookies or fingerprinting.

Security cookie from our hosting provider

Cloudflare, which hosts the site, runs automated security checks in every region and may set a strictly necessary cookie named cf_clearance to record their result. It helps tell people apart from automated traffic and protects the site from abuse. It is not used for advertising or analytics. Cloudflare describes it in Cloudflare Cookies.

Cookies used by Google services

In allowed regions the site loads Google services that may set and read cookies and similar identifiers in your browser:

• Google AdSense serves the advertisements on our guide pages.
• Google Analytics measures how the site is used.
• Google Ads measures the performance of our own advertising campaigns.

Google sets the names and lifetimes of these cookies, and they can change. Google describes them in How Google uses cookies and explains its use of information from partner sites in How Google uses information from sites or apps that use our services. If you opt out on Your Privacy Choices, or your browser sends a Global Privacy Control signal, advertisements are requested with restricted data processing and our advertising-interaction measurements stop.

Your controls

• Use Your Privacy Choices to opt out of the sale or sharing of your personal information.
• Visit Google’s Ads Settings to turn off personalized advertising.
• Use your browser settings to block or delete cookies and site storage. Deleting site storage also removes your saved privacy choice.

Our Privacy Policy explains more about how information is handled.