Cookie Policy
Last updated: August 2026
What cookies are
A cookie is a small piece of text a website stores on your device, used to remember information between visits or requests — like keeping you signed in, or remembering a preference. We also count some non-cookie browser storage (like localStorage) as "cookies" below, since that's how most people think of it and how the Preferences Center below treats it.
How we categorize them
We split cookies into four categories — Essential, Functional, Analytics, and Marketing — described with the exact cookies in each further down this page. Essential cookies are always on, because the site can't function without them (signing in, remembering your consent choice). Everything else is off by default and only runs if you say yes, either via the banner shown on your first visit or the Preferences Center linked below.
How to manage your choice
Use the button below, or the Cookie Settings link in the footer of every page, to open the Preferences Center at any time — to see exactly what's in each category, change your mind, or withdraw consent entirely. Your choice is stored for 180 days, after which we'll ask again.
If your browser sends a Global Privacy Control signal, we treat that as an immediate opt-out of everything except Essential cookies, without waiting for you to click through the banner.
A note on scope
This page describes the cookies and scripts Cloudorial's engineering team has configured, and is kept in sync automatically with that configuration — it isn't a substitute for legal advice. If you have questions about how a specific requirement (GDPR, ePrivacy, PIPEDA, or otherwise) applies to your situation, please consult your own counsel; we're happy to answer factual questions about what we collect at [email protected].
Manage your cookie preferences
Opens the Preferences Center — change or withdraw consent for any category, any time.
Cookies by category
Generated directly from the same configuration that drives the consent banner and Preferences Center — this list can’t drift out of sync with what actually runs.
EssentialAlways on
Required for the site to function — signing in, keeping your session secure, remembering that you responded to this banner, and basic load balancing. The site cannot work correctly without these, so they can't be turned off.
| Name | Provider | Purpose | Duration | Type |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| cloudorial_consent | Cloudorial (first-party) | Remembers your cookie preference so we don't ask again on every page. | 180 days | cookie |
| authjs.session-token | Cloudorial (first-party, Auth.js) | Keeps you signed in to your account. | 14 days | cookie |
| authjs.csrf-token | Cloudorial (first-party, Auth.js) | Protects sign-in and other forms from cross-site request forgery. | Session | cookie |
| authjs.callback-url | Cloudorial (first-party, Auth.js) | Returns you to the right page after signing in. | Session | cookie |
Functional
Remember choices you've explicitly made, like light/dark mode, so you don't have to set them again on every visit. Turning these off just means we forget your preferences next time.
| Name | Provider | Purpose | Duration | Type |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| stratus-theme | Cloudorial (first-party) | Remembers your light/dark mode choice. | Until cleared | localStorage |
Analytics
Help us understand which articles are useful and how the site is used, in aggregate, so we can improve it. Our own analytics never stores a persistent identifier or your IP address — see "How we count views" below. Turning these off means your visits aren't counted at all.
| Name | Provider | Purpose | Duration | Type |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| (no cookie — server-side hash) | Cloudorial (first-party) | Counts article views and read-completion. Computed server-side as a one-way SHA-256 hash of (daily-rotating salt + IP + user agent) that is never stored raw and can't be reversed to an IP address; no cookie or localStorage identifier is set on your device. | Hash rotates daily; underlying view record is never linked back to you | cookie |
| _ga, _ga_* | Google LLC (Google Analytics 4) | Distinguishes visitors and sessions for traffic/behavior analytics. | Up to 2 years | cookie |
Marketing
Would be used for advertising or cross-site retargeting. Cloudorial does not currently run any ads or marketing pixels — this category exists so that if that ever changes, it ships off by default and you're asked first.
None in use at this time.