Optional cookies stay off until you choose. You can change your choice any time with the “Cookie settings” link at the bottom of every page.
What cookies and local storage are
A cookie is a small text file that a website asks your browser to save. The next time your browser loads a page from that site, it sends the cookie back, so the site can recognize a returning browser. Local storage works in a similar way, but the data stays in your browser and is not sent with each page request. This site uses both, and this page lists every one of them.
Some storage is necessary for the site to do what you ask, such as remembering your cookie choice. Everything else is optional and needs your consent first. That is the rule in the EU ePrivacy rules and in Finland’s Act on Electronic Communications Services (917/2014), section 205.
What this site uses
The site uses three kinds of storage:
- Necessary. Two local storage keys on this site.
tew-consentremembers your cookie choice, its version and its date, so the banner does not appear on every page.tew-progress-v1keeps your free School progress on your device. Neither is ever sent to me. These cannot be switched off, because the site cannot remember your choice without them. - Analytics (optional). Google Analytics 4 sets the
_gacookie and a_ga_cookie with the property’s ID, which help me count visits and see which guides are popular. They are set only after you accept analytics. Google signals and advertising features are switched off. - Marketing (optional). Not used today. If I ever add ads or marketing pixels, they would run only with this switched on, and I would ask you again.
I do not use any other trackers, social media buttons, advertising cookies or third-party embeds. Fonts are hosted on this site.
Some links to Amazon are affiliate links. They are ordinary links, and this site sets no cookie for them. After you click, Amazon may set its own cookies on amazon.com under its own cookie notice. The affiliate disclosure explains more.
The table below is generated from the same list that the cookie banner uses, so the two always match.
How consent works on this site
The site uses Google Consent Mode v2. Before you choose, every Google consent signal is set to “denied”, and the Google Analytics script is not even downloaded. If you choose “Accept all” or switch on Analytics under “Choose categories”, the script loads and the analytics cookies are set. If you choose “Reject all”, nothing is loaded and no analytics cookies are set. I do not record a rejection as an event.
Your choice is saved with a version number. If I add a new cookie, storage key or service, the version changes and the banner asks you again. It also asks again after 12 months.
How to change your choice
Use the “Cookie settings” link at the bottom of any page, or the button at the end of this page. You can switch Analytics on or off and save. When you switch Analytics off, the site deletes the _ga and _ga_ cookies it can reach and tells Google Analytics to stop.
Browser controls
You can also manage cookies in your browser. Most browsers let you see and delete cookies and site data, block third-party cookies, or clear everything when you close the browser. Look for “Cookies and site data” or “Privacy” in your browser’s settings. If you clear site data for this site, your cookie choice and your School progress are deleted too, so the banner will appear again and the School will start fresh. You can export your progress first on the My learning page.
Changes to this policy
If I add or remove a cookie, a storage key or a service, I update the table and this page first, change the consent version and ask for your choice again. The version and effective date are shown at the top of this page.
More about how I handle personal data is in the privacy policy.
| Name | Provider | Category | Purpose | Duration |
|---|---|---|---|---|
tew-consent (localStorage)
| esotericwitch.com | necessary | Remembers your cookie choice, its version and date, so the banner does not show on every page. | Until you change it, clear your browser, or 12 months pass (then I ask again) |
tew-progress-v1 (localStorage)
| esotericwitch.com | necessary | Keeps your free School progress (finished lessons) on your device. Never sent to me. | Until you reset it or clear your browser |
_ga (cookie)
| Google (Google Analytics 4) | analytics | Tells visits apart so I can count visitors and popular pages. Set only after you accept analytics. | About 13 months |
_ga_<container-id> (cookie)
| Google (Google Analytics 4) | analytics | Keeps the session state for Google Analytics 4. Set only after you accept analytics. | About 13 months |