Cookie Policy — HowToPrompts

The cookies we set

Cookie	Type	Purpose	Lifetime
`vx_sess`	First-party, strictly necessary	Keeps you signed in after you use Google Sign-In. Signed with an HMAC; not used for tracking or profiling.	~90 days
`howtoprompts_admin_sid`	First-party, strictly necessary	Session for the operator's admin panel only. The vast majority of visitors never receive this cookie.	Session / up to 30 days
`_ga`	Third-party (Google), analytics / statistics	Set by `gtag.js` to distinguish visitors for Google Analytics 4.	Up to 2 years
`_ga_G-TSXVXST2XW`	Third-party (Google), analytics / statistics	Set by `gtag.js` to persist session state for the Google Analytics 4 property.	Up to 2 years
`__gads`	Third-party (Google), advertising	Set by Google AdSense to measure ad interactions and limit how often you see the same ad. Only loads on ad-supported pages after ad consent.	~13 months
`__gpi`	Third-party (Google), advertising	Set by Google AdSense / Ad Manager to store an identifier used for ad delivery and frequency capping. Only loads on ad-supported pages after ad consent.	~13 months
`IDE` (`doubleclick.net`)	Third-party (Google), advertising	Set by Google DoubleClick to register and report a user's actions after viewing or clicking an ad, for measurement and (with consent) personalisation. Only loads on ad-supported pages after ad consent.	~13 months
`test_cookie` (`doubleclick.net`)	Third-party (Google), advertising	Set briefly by DoubleClick to check whether your browser accepts cookies before ads are served.	~15 minutes

The advertising cookies above are set by Google only on ad-supported pages, and only after you grant advertising consent in the cookie banner. For EEA/UK visitors who do not consent, personalised-advertising storage stays disabled through Google Consent Mode. We do not sell data collected through cookies. See our Privacy Policy for how to opt out of personalised advertising.

Analytics is off until you accept

HowToPrompts uses Google Consent Mode v2. Analytics storage defaults to denied for every visitor, so gtag.js loads in a consent-aware mode and sets no _ga cookies on arrival. A small cookie banner asks you to choose. Analytics only runs — and the _ga / _ga_G-TSXVXST2XW cookies are only set — after you click Accept on that banner. Visitors who click Decline, or who ignore the banner, keep analytics denied and get no _ga cookies. Your choice is remembered in localStorage (htp_consent); clear it to be asked again.

How to control cookies

Browser settings. Every major browser lets you block or delete cookies, either entirely or per site. Look under Privacy or Site Settings. Blocking the vx_sess cookie will prevent you from staying signed in.
Google Analytics opt-out. Google publishes a browser add-on that stops Analytics from running on any site you visit. It is distributed from tools.google.com/dlpage/gaoptout — copy that address into your browser to install it.
Do Not Track / Global Privacy Control. If your browser sends one of these signals, you can enable it in the browser's privacy settings; support varies by service.

Changes to this policy

If the cookies we use change, we will update the table above and the date below. See also our Privacy Policy and Terms of Service.