This page lists cookies and similar storage used on simonask.io (and related domains I operate for this site). For broader privacy topics — what I collect and why — see the Privacy Policy.

What cookies are

Cookies are small text files stored in your browser. They help a site remember settings, measure traffic, or keep a session alive. Similar technologies include local storage (data kept in the browser, not sent automatically with every request).

How you choose

When you first visit, a banner asks whether to allow analytics cookies. Until you accept, Google Consent Mode keeps analytics storage denied. Advertising cookies are not used on this site. You can change your choice anytime:

Cookies by category

Strictly necessary

Required for the site to work or for secure delivery. These are not used for marketing or analytics profiling.

  • Hosting & security (Vercel): Short-lived technical cookies may be set to route traffic, prevent abuse, or balance load. I do not control their exact names; they depend on how the page is served.
  • Draft preview (staging / Studio preview only): If you open a draft preview link, Next.js may set a short-lived cookie so preview mode works. This does not apply to normal visits on the public site.

Preferences (always on your device)

These remember your cookie choice. They are not used to track you across other websites.

  • cookie_consent_v1 (local storage): Stores whether you accepted or rejected analytics (analytics or rejected). Kept until you clear site data or reopen cookie settings (footer or banner).

Analytics (only if you accept)

If you click Accept analytics, Google Tag Manager may load Google Analytics (and related first-party measurement on my server-side tagging host). IP addresses are anonymized in Google Analytics settings, and I do not use ad personalization. Typical cookies include:

On simonask.io

  • _ga, _ga_* (Google): Distinguish visitors and sessions for anonymous usage statistics. Often up to about 2 years.
  • _gcl_au (Google): May be set by Google tags to measure ad-related conversions; ad storage remains denied in my consent setup, but this cookie can still appear when analytics is enabled. Often about 3 months.
  • FPID, FPLC (.simonask.io): First-party identifiers used with server-side tagging so measurement works even when third-party cookies are restricted. FPID is often up to about 2 years; FPLC is shorter-lived (session or weeks).

On serverside.simonask.io

My server-side Google Tag Manager endpoint may set its own first-party cookies when analytics is accepted, for example:

  • _ga, _ga_* (Google): Same role as on the main site — usage measurement on the tagging subdomain.
  • FPID, FPLC: Server-side measurement identifiers tied to the tagging setup above.

Third-party cookies you may see

In browser developer tools, you might also notice cookies from sanity.io (for example names starting with rl_ or _tw). Those come from Sanity's hosted Studio and services, not from ordinary reading of the public site. They can appear if you use Studio, embedded preview, or have recently visited simonask.sanity.studio in the same browser. I do not use Sanity cookies to run analytics on simonask.io for visitors who only read published pages.

What I do not use cookies for

  • Selling personal data or sharing it for cross-site advertising
  • Social media pixels or remarketing tags on this site
  • Requiring analytics cookies to read public content

Managing cookies in your browser

You can block or delete cookies in your browser settings. If you delete everything for simonask.io, you will see the consent banner again. Blocking all cookies may break some site features (for example remembering your preference).

Questions

If something here does not match what you see in your browser, or you want help clearing data, email hello@simonask.io.

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