What cookies are
Cookies are small text files a website asks your browser to store. They're used for things like remembering you're logged in, keeping a shopping basket between pages, or measuring how the site is used.
We split them into four groups, in line with the ICO guidance.
Strictly necessary
These keep the site working. They cannot be turned off. They do not store anything that identifies you personally.
| Name | Purpose | Duration | Provider |
|---|---|---|---|
cmplz_* |
Stores your cookie-consent decision so we don't ask again every page. | 365 days | Complianz |
wordpress_* |
WordPress session cookies. Only set if you log in to the admin area. | Session | WordPress |
__cf_bm |
Cloudflare bot-management cookie. Distinguishes humans from automated traffic. | 30 minutes | Cloudflare |
cf_clearance |
Cloudflare security challenge cookie. Set after a CAPTCHA is solved. | 30 days | Cloudflare |
Functional
These remember small preferences you've made about how the site looks. Set on your device only; we don't see them.
| Name | Purpose | Duration | Provider |
|---|---|---|---|
pb-theme |
Remembers whether you chose light or dark mode using the toggle in the bottom-right corner. | 365 days | Proud Brands |
Analytics
Only set if you opt in. We use them to understand which pages are useful and where the site is breaking. We don't share this data with anyone or use it for advertising.
| Name | Purpose | Duration | Provider |
|---|---|---|---|
_ga, _ga_* |
Google Analytics 4. Generates an anonymous ID to count visits and measure how pages perform. IP addresses are anonymised. | 13 months |
If we add or remove an analytics service, this list updates and your consent is asked again.
Third-party
A few features rely on services from other companies. Their cookies are set on your device by them, not us, when you choose to use those features.
| Name | Purpose | Duration | Provider |
|---|---|---|---|
HubSpot (__hstc, __hssrc, hubspotutk, __hssc) |
Used by the HubSpot Meetings booking widget on the contact page. Tracks the booking session. | Up to 13 months | HubSpot |
YouTube / Vimeo (various) |
Set by embedded video players if a journal article includes one. Loaded only if you accept marketing cookies. | Varies | YouTube / Vimeo |
We don't embed Facebook, X, LinkedIn, or other social trackers anywhere on the site.
Managing cookies
- Use the cookie-consent banner at the foot of any page to accept, reject, or change preferences.
- Re-open the banner any time by clicking the small "Cookie settings" link in the footer.
- Browser controls (Chrome, Safari, Firefox, Edge) all let you block or delete cookies site-by-site.
- For Google Analytics specifically, the Google opt-out browser add-on works across every site.
Blocking strictly necessary cookies will break parts of the site. Blocking everything else is fine and the site will still work.
Do Not Track
Browsers send a Do Not Track header that asks websites not to track. There's no legal definition of what that means in the UK, so we treat it as a signal to default the consent banner to "reject all". You can still opt in if you want to.
Changes to this policy
When we add or remove cookies, this list updates. The effective date at the top changes when the substance does. If a new cookie category is added, the consent banner asks for fresh consent.
Contact us
Questions about cookies, or anything wrong on this list, write to hello@proudbrands.co.uk.
