Cookies and Other Similar Technologies

What are Cookies?

A cookie is a small file that is stored on your computer by your web browser when you visit or interact with a given website. The data saved within a cookie is then read each time you load any content from a given website but is only accessible if content is loaded from that website. Cookies are a widely used storage format across the internet designed to provide each user with a better experience.

The data within a cookie has many utilities such as, but not limited to, storing preferences, remembering your account, personalising a website to your requirements and understanding how users interact with content.

Cookie Terminology

Types of Cookie

Cookies can be split into two categories “first” and “third” party. Both are functionally the same, however, a first party cookie is set against the current website you are visiting whereas a third-party cookie is set against a different website whilst viewing the current website. Third-party cookies are subject to the respective privacy policies for these external services.

Expiry of Cookies

Each individual cookie can either have a defined expiry date, such as in 6 months, or a temporary session state. A session cookie will automatically expire after a user stops interacting with the website for a short period and could also expire when the user closes their browser. An expired cookie is deleted and no longer accessible to the browser or website.

The website makes use of both cookies as well as defined date and session expiries.

Cookie Categorisation

We have identified the following criteria which all utilised cookies on the website are placed under. Using the cookie management system you are able to control how each group can operate within your browser.

Strictly Necessary

These cookies are essential in the core operation of this website, such as PHPSESSID and ASP_NET_SessionID. Without these cookies enabled some primary functionality would not be available on the website.

Analytics

A series of cookies that aid in the collection of anonymous user interactions on the website to understand and improve the website's functionality. Such as, but not limited to, most frequently visited pages, error messaging and the most common web browsers used.

These cookies also include those used for page variation testing which aims to improve user experience and site performance.

Marketing

A series of cookies which serve a range of functions, this includes, but is not limited to, sharing content on social media platforms and providing targeted advertising relevant to the things you're interested in based on your interactions on the website.

Marketing cookies help us assess our marketing performance and deliver targeted advertising relevant to your interests. If you consent to this category, we may capture personal information you provide on our website (such as an email address during a purchase or enquiry). Before this data is shared with our advertising partners, it undergoes a security process called SHA256 hashing, which turns your data into a unique, irreversible, and pseudonymised text string.

We securely share this pseudonymised string with Jaywing Almanac and third-party platforms such as Google and Meta (Facebook), to connect actions taken on our site with ads you may have interacted with. This privacy-enhancing technique allows us to measure ad performance without sharing your actual email address, name, or phone number with these networks. The raw personal data never leaves our servers, and this process is only performed if you have given us consent for marketing and advertising cookies.

Specific Cookie Details

The following table outlines the commonly used cookies on the website in the above use cases.

Consent Category Vendor Cookie Name Description Expiry
Analytics Google Analytics _ga ID used to identify users and track individual user sessions. 1-2 years
Analytics Google Analytics _ga_H94YJJM3R6 ID used to identify users and track individual user sessions. 1 year
Analytics Google Analytics _ga_QYYQ0H59NF ID used to identify users and track individual user sessions. 1 year
Analytics Google Analytics _gat_UA-212752669-1 ID used to identify users and track individual user sessions. 55 seconds
Analytics Google Analytics _gid ID used to identify users for 24 hours. 24 hours
Analytics Google Analytics _ga_* ID used to identify users and track individual user sessions. 1-2 years
Analytics Google Analytics _gat_* Used to monitor number of Google Analytics server requests. 1 min - 1 hour
Analytics Google Analytics _gat Used to monitor number of Google Analytics server requests. 1 min - 1 hour
Analytics Matomo _pk_id.1.7519 Matomo unique visitor ID. 1 year
Analytics Matomo _pk_ses.1.7519 Matomo session cookie. 30 mins
Analytics Matomo MATOMO_SESSID Matomo analytics session ID. Session
Analytics Matomo _pk_id* Matomo unique visitor ID. 1 year
Analytics Matomo _pk_ses* Matomo session cookie. 30 mins
Analytics Matomo _pk_ref Stores attribution information (the referrer that brought the visitor to the website). (blank)
Analytics Matomo pk_cvar Stores custom variables in key-value pairs to define additional metadata about the visitor or their actions during a session; it could be any custom data you want to track. Because this is a session-based cookie, it only applies to the current visit. Session
Analytics Matomo _pk_hsr Session cookie temporarily stores Heatmap session data when using the Matomo Heatmap feature. 30 minutes
Analytics Matomo _pk_testcookie Temporary cookie to check if a visitor’s browser supports cookies (set in Internet Explorer only). Temporary cookie that expires almost immediately after being set.
Analytics Matomo _pk_uid If enabled, this cookie assigns the same ID to a visitor navigating across all your domains and subdomains, so Matomo can recognise users across devices and sessions. It is only used when enabling third party cookies in Matomo’s config file. 13 months
Marketing Google AdSense _gcl_au Used for experimenting with advertisement efficiency across websites. 3 months
Marketing Google AdSense _gcl_* Used for experimenting with advertisement efficiency across websites. 3 months
Marketing Meta (Facebook/Instagram) Ads _fbp Used by Facebook to deliver ad products like real-time bidding. 3 months
Marketing Meta (Facebook/Instagram) Ads _fbc Used by Facebook to deliver ad products like real-time bidding. 3 months
Necessary Google reCAPTCHA _GRECAPTCHA Sets a necessary cookie for risk analysis. 6 months
Necessary WordPress wordpress_test_cookie Checks if cookies are enabled. Session
Necessary Civic Cookie Control CookieControl Stores user consent preferences. 1 year

Third-Party Tool's use of Cookies

We may work with third party advertisers that use cookies and similar technologies to provide more relevant advertising about our Products and Services on our website and across the internet.

To provide this 'interest-based advertising', the parties combine non-personal data about your online activities acquired over time, which helps cater for advertising that is delivered to you. Examples of this may include an advertisement on a Facebook page or a Google owned page such as a search results page or YouTube, or on a site within Google's advertising network.

You can manage your preferences and opt out of personalised ads from third-party advertisers and ad networks who are members of the European Interactive Digital Advertising Alliance by visiting YourOnlineChoices.

If you have opted out of receiving communications from us, we will not use your email for interest-based advertising, although you may still be subject to certain interest-based advertising depending upon your browser and device settings.

Google Tags and Advanced Google Consent Mode

We use Google Analytics to understand our website traffic. This website has implemented Google Consent Mode in its Advanced configuration. This means:

  • If you accept analytics cookies: The standard Google Analytics cookies will be stored on your device to collect detailed data for our analysis.
  • If you do not accept analytics cookies: Your choice is respected. No analytics cookies will be stored on your device. Instead, our website will send cookie-less pings to Google Analytics. These pings provide us with aggregated, anonymous information, such as the country you are visiting from, the type of device you are using, and whether you have completed a key action (like submitting a form). This allows us to model data and understand overall trends without identifying or tracking you personally

For more information on Google Consent Mode please see:

Enhanced Advertising Measurement

To help us accurately measure the effectiveness of our advertising campaigns on platforms like Google and Facebook, we use advanced measurement technologies such as Google's Enhanced Conversions and Meta's (Facebook) Conversions API.

Platform & Feature Links
Google's Enhanced Conversions Customer data policies
Data usage article
EU/UK user consent policy
Meta's (Facebook) Conversions API Best practices for privacy and data use for Meta Business Tools

These systems help us connect actions taken on our website with the ads you may have seen or interacted with, even when traditional cookies are not available.

How it Works:

  1. When you provide us with your personal information on our website (for example, by entering your email address when making a purchase or filling out a contact form), we capture this data.
  2. Before this data is shared with our advertising partners, it is SHA256 hashed. Hashing is a security process that turns your data (like jane.doe@email.com) into a unique, irreversible, and pseudonymised text string (e.g. 390852f40addcb9e2868f180b471ef4315a34063f145447d73f51f5e5ad1ef47).
  3. We then send this pseudonymised string to Google and Meta.
  4. Our partners match this pseudo-anonymous string against their own hashed database to confirm if the user who completed the action on our site is the same user who saw our ad.

This privacy-enhancing technique allows us to measure ad performance without sharing your actual email address, name, or phone number with these third-party ad platforms. The raw data never leaves our servers. This process is only performed if you have given us consent for marketing and advertising cookies.

Connecting Your Online and Offline Journey with Almanac

To provide you with a more seamless and personalised experience, we aim to understand your entire journey with us, both online and offline. To achieve this, combine data from our analytics platform (Matomo) tracks your browsing activity on our website with your identity after you have shared your details with us (e.g. registering, enquiring).

How it Works:

  1. When you browse our website anonymously, your actions are recorded against a temporary, random identifier.
  2. If you provide us with your personal information (such as your email address when filling in a form), we take that data and create a secure, SHA256 hashed version of it on our servers. Hashing turns your data into an irreversible, pseudonymised text string (e.g. 390852f40addcb9e2868f180b471ef4315a34063f145447d73f51f5e5ad1ef47).
  3. This hashed string is then used as a persistent identifier within our data environments. It allows us to connect your previous anonymous browsing sessions to your profile.
  4. This gives us a unified view of your journey, helping us to improve our website, tailor our services, and provide better support.

This process is done with your privacy as a priority. Your raw personal data (like your actual email address) is not stored in our analytics platform. We only use the pseudonymised hashed ID for this analysis, and this is only performed if you have provided consent for analytics cookies.

Managing and Opting Out

You can update your cookie preferences for this website by clicking here.