A cookie is a small file kept by your browser on a site’s behalf. It cannot run, and it cannot read anything else on your machine. This page lists the ones SnoutCheck relies on and why each exists.
Revisions
When a provider is added or removed the cookies change, and so does this page. Check the date at the top to see how current it is.
The list
- Essential. Required for the site to load, stay secure, and remember your cookie preference.
- Measurement. Aggregate statistics through Google Analytics: pages read, traffic sources, nothing identifying.
- Ads. Google AdSense uses cookies to select advertising and limit repetition.
How long they stay
The shortest of these die with the browser session. The longest are Google’s, and they outlive a single visit by months.
The cookies by name
- Analytics sets _ga and _gid: they separate one browser from another and nothing more.
- Advertising sets __gads and __gpi, used by AdSense to choose ads and cap how often each is shown.
- WordPress itself sets wordpress_test_cookie to verify cookies function, plus wp-settings-* for preferences.
- Commenting sets comment_author_* so you do not retype your details.
None of these cookies can read your documents, reach outside the browser, or be sold on. None of them is intended to attach a name to a visit.
Asking first
Non-essential cookies wait for your answer where the law requires one. That answer has to be stored somewhere, so it lives in a cookie of its own. Delete it and the question comes back on your next visit.
Embedded content
An embedded player or map is served by its own operator, and it can set cookies when it loads. Refusing third-party cookies in your browser is what stops that.
Do Not Track
There is no settled meaning for Do Not Track, so promising to respect it would be promising something undefined. Cookie blocking and the opt-out links above do have defined effects.
Switching them off for good
- Google’s own controls sit at adssettings.google.com and cover personalised advertising wherever you meet it.
- Analytics measurement is refused site-wide by installing Google’s opt-out add-on from tools.google.com/dlpage/gaoptout.
- Nothing above depends on us: your browser can block third-party cookies outright, or clear this site’s cookies alone.
Refusing them
Browser settings let you refuse cookies site by site or across the board. Reading stays exactly the same without the analytics and ad cookies.
Questions
Questions go to the contact page.