The cookies we actually use.
We keep cookies to a minimum. This notice explains what we set, why, and how you can manage them.
Contents
1. What are cookies?
Cookies are small text files stored on your device when you visit a website. They let the site remember you across pages (so you don’t have to keep signing in, for example), and can be used for analytics, security, or advertising.
This notice covers cookies and similar technologies (local storage, session storage, tracking pixels) used on thehomepanel.co.uk.
2. Types of cookies we use
We use three categories:
- Strictly necessary cookies: required for the site to function (authentication, security, CSRF protection, load balancing). These are always on; without them the site won’t work, so they don’t require your consent under PECR.
- Analytics cookies: help us understand how visitors use the site, anonymously. These are off by default and only set if you consent.
- Advertising cookies: set by Google Ads so we can tell which of our adverts lead to a genuine enquiry. If you accept them, Google may also use them to tailor the adverts it shows you. These are off by default and only set if you consent.
We do not use cookies set by social media plugins, and we do not sell any data derived from cookies.
3. The cookies we set
Strictly necessary cookies are always on. We only set analytics and advertising cookies after you accept them in the cookie pop-up, and they stay off if you reject them.
| Name | Purpose | Type | Duration |
|---|---|---|---|
| sb-access-token | Supabase authentication session, keeps you signed in across pages | Strictly necessary (first-party) | 1 hour |
| sb-refresh-token | Re-authenticates your session without re-entering your password | Strictly necessary (first-party) | 7 days |
| hp-consent | Remembers which categories you agreed to, so we don’t re-ask. Stored as a short code, for example v2:a1m0 meaning analytics on and advertising off. | Strictly necessary (first-party) | 12 months |
| _ga | Google Analytics 4, anonymised visitor identifier for aggregated traffic reporting. Set only if our Google Tag Manager container fires the GA4 tag and you have accepted analytics cookies. | Analytics (third-party, consent-gated) | 2 years |
| _ga_<container_id> | Google Analytics 4 session state, set per-property, e.g. _ga_PGTSGKGK. Same consent gating as _ga. | Analytics (third-party, consent-gated) | 2 years |
| _gcl_au | Google Ads conversion linker, records that you arrived from one of our adverts, so we can tell which adverts lead to a genuine enquiry. Set only if you accept advertising cookies. | Advertising (third-party, consent-gated) | 90 days |
| _gcl_aw, _gcl_dc | Stores the Google Ads click identifier for the same purpose. Set only if you accept advertising cookies. | Advertising (third-party, consent-gated) | 90 days |
We use Google Tag Manager (container ID GTM-PGTSGKGK) as a tag dispatcher. The container itself sets no cookies; any tags it fires (such as the Google Analytics 4 and Google Ads cookies above) are gated by Consent Mode v2 and only set once you accept the matching category. The exact cookies set on your device may vary depending on which features you use and which categories you accept. This table reflects the full set the platform can set.
Our Google Tag Manager container also loads Ahrefs Web Analytics (analytics.ahrefs.com), which we use to measure page views and referring sites. Ahrefs Web Analytics is cookieless: it sets no cookies on your device and does not track you across other websites, which is why it does not appear in the table above. It does process your IP address and browser user agent to produce aggregate traffic counts.
4. Your consent
When you first visit, you’ll see a cookie pop-up. Analytics and advertising each have their own tick box, and both start unticked. You can:
- Accept all: analytics and advertising cookies on.
- Reject optional: only strictly necessary cookies. Nothing optional is set.
- Save my choices: keep only the categories you have ticked. Nothing optional is set until you save.
There are three categories. Strictly necessary covers security, your sign-in session and remembering this choice; these are exempt from consent and cannot be switched off. Analytics covers Google Analytics 4. Advertising covers Google Ads, which lets us tell which adverts produce a real enquiry.
Your choice is stored in the hp-consent cookie for 12 months. You can change it at any time using the Cookie settings link in the footer of every page, or by clearing the cookie. Withdrawing consent is as easy as giving it.
5. How to manage cookies
Beyond our cookie pop-up, you can control cookies at the browser level:
- Chrome: Settings → Privacy and security → Cookies and other site data.
- Safari: Settings → Privacy → Manage Website Data.
- Firefox: Settings → Privacy & Security → Cookies and Site Data.
- Edge: Settings → Cookies and site permissions → Manage and delete cookies.
Blocking strictly-necessary cookies will break parts of the site (sign-in, quote submission). Blocking analytics or advertising cookies has no functional impact.
6. Legal basis
We set strictly necessary cookies on the basis of our legitimate interests in running a secure, functioning service. Under regulation 6 of PECR, these don’t require consent.
Analytics and advertising cookies are set only on the basis of your explicit consent, in line with the Privacy and Electronic Communications Regulations and ICO guidance.
7. Changes to this notice
We’ll update this notice whenever we add, remove, or change a cookie. The last-updated date at the top of the page will always reflect the latest version.
8. Contact
For any questions about cookies or tracking on this site, email info@thehomepanel.co.uk.
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