Cookie Policy
Last updated: 16 September 2026
This page explains the cookies and similar technologies used on thecodevendor.com, what each one is for, and how you stay in control of them. It sits alongside our Privacy Policy.
What cookies are
Cookies are small text files a website stores on your device. They let a site remember things between pages and visits - for example that your form submission is genuine, or that you have already made a cookie choice. Similar technologies such as local storage work the same way and are covered by this policy.
Our approach
We keep cookies to a minimum. We use no advertising cookies, we do not track you across other websites, and we do not sell your data.
Essential cookies are always on, because the site and its forms cannot work without them. No analytics cookies are set until you accept them.
We use Google Consent Mode. Before you make a choice, and if you choose "Essential only", Google's analytics tools stay in a restricted cookieless state: no cookies are stored on your device and no identifier is collected, so you are not recognised or tracked between pages or visits. Only anonymous, aggregated signals are sent, which tell us roughly how many people used the site without saying anything about who they were. Choosing "Accept all" enables normal measurement with the cookies listed below; choosing "Essential only" keeps the restricted state. You can change your mind at any time.
Cookies we use
Strictly necessary (always active)
| Name | Set by | Purpose | Expires |
|---|---|---|---|
| thecodevendor_session | The Code Vendor | Keeps your browsing session working across pages. | 120 minutes |
| XSRF-TOKEN | The Code Vendor | Security token that protects our forms against cross-site request forgery. | Session |
| tcv_cookie_consent | The Code Vendor | Remembers whether you accepted or rejected analytics cookies, so we stop asking. Stored in your browser's local storage. | 12 months |
Analytics (only after you accept)
| Name | Set by | Purpose | Expires |
|---|---|---|---|
| _ga | Google Analytics | Distinguishes one visitor from another so we can count unique visits. | 2 years |
| _ga_<id> | Google Analytics | Maintains session state for our Google Analytics 4 property. | 2 years |
| _gid | Google Analytics | Distinguishes visitors over a 24 hour period. | 24 hours |
We use Google Analytics, loaded through Google Tag Manager, to understand which pages are useful and where the site can improve - for example which services people read about most. The reports we look at are aggregated. We do not use analytics to identify you personally.
Counting visitors without cookies
Separately from Google Analytics, we keep a simple first-party counter on our own server so we can see which pages are useful. It is designed to be anonymous, and it is not a cookie technology:
- Nothing is stored on or read from your device - no cookie, no local storage, no device fingerprint.
- We record only the page address you visited, the website you arrived from (the domain only, such as "google.com", never the full link or its search terms), whether the device is a mobile, your country, the browser and operating system family, and the date and time.
- Browser and operating system are recorded as a family name only - "Chrome", "Safari", "Windows", "iOS". We never keep the version number, and we never keep the full browser identification string your device sends, because that string is detailed enough to single out a device.
- We do not store your IP address and we do not store your browser's user agent. There are no such fields in our records.
- Country means the country only - never a city, a region or anything more precise. It is worked out from your IP address while we are answering your request, and the IP address is then discarded rather than saved. Where this lookup is switched on it runs against a database held on our own server, so your IP address is never sent to another company.
- To avoid counting the same person twice in one day, we generate a one-way hash from your IP address and browser details mixed with a secret key and the current date. Because the date is part of the recipe, the value changes every midnight, so the same visitor on two different days cannot be connected. It cannot be turned back into your IP address, and it is a counting aid rather than an identifier.
- Automated traffic and our own staff are excluded, so the figures reflect real visitors.
Because this stores nothing on your device and keeps nothing that identifies you, the rules that require consent for cookies and similar device storage do not apply to it, and it runs whatever choice you make in the banner. If you would still rather not be included in these anonymous totals, email us using the address at the bottom of this page.
IP-to-country data by DB-IP, used under CC BY 4.0. The database is held on our own server; your IP address is never sent to DB-IP or anyone else.
Security and embedded content
Some third-party services we rely on may set their own cookies when the relevant feature is used:
- Google reCAPTCHA - protects our contact, careers and enquiry forms from automated spam. It is loaded when you interact with a form and is necessary to keep those forms usable.
- Google Maps - the embedded map on our contact page is served by Google and may set cookies when it loads.
- Google Fonts - used for typefaces on the site.
These are governed by Google's privacy policy.
Changing your choice
You can change your decision whenever you like:
Selecting "Essential only" stops analytics cookies being set. Any Google Analytics cookies already stored can be cleared through your browser, as below. The cookieless counter described above is unaffected, because it stores nothing on your device.
Managing cookies in your browser
Every major browser lets you view, block and delete cookies from its settings or privacy section - in Chrome, Safari, Firefox and Edge alike. You can also browse in a private or incognito window. Blocking all cookies, including essential ones, will stop parts of this site working properly, such as form submission.
Changes to this policy
If we add or remove a tool that uses cookies, we will update this page and the date at the top. Where the change requires it, we will ask for your consent again.
Contact
Questions about cookies or anything else on this page? Email contact@thecodevendor.com.
