Cookie Policy
This page explains what cookies are, the categories DatingSherpa uses, and how to change your choices at any time. It works alongside our Privacy Policy, which covers how we handle the data those cookies help collect.
01 · The basics
What cookies are
A cookie is a small text file a website stores on your device. Similar technologies — local storage, pixels and tags — do comparable things, and we treat them the same way here. Cookies let a site remember things between page loads (like which market you chose) and, where you allow it, help us measure how the site is used.
We group what we set into three categories. Strictly-necessary storage supports essential preferences and security. Analytics and marketing are optional and remain off until you allow them.
02 · The categories
The three categories we use
| Category | Consent | What it's for | Example providers | Rough retention |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Strictly necessary | Always on, no consent required | Remembers choices you make yourself: your cookie decision, that you closed or completed the DatingSherpa sign-up form so it is not shown again. It also holds the details that let a sign-up be linked to the visit it came from (campaign tags, ad click IDs, the referring site and a random visitor ID). The visit details and visitor ID are set when you arrive and are not switched off by the analytics or marketing choices in the cookie banner. Our hosting provider may also set security and load-balancing cookies. | cc_cookie (your cookie choice) · alx_lw_submitted, alx_lw_closed_<form>, alx_lw_shows_<form> (sign-up form display limits, browser storage) · alx_lw_attribution (browser storage) and __alx_lw_ft (cookie): how you first arrived · __alxs_vid (random visitor ID) · Cloudflare security cookies | cc_cookie: 6 months · sign-up form limits: up to 1 year (alx_lw_shows_<form> ends with the browser session) · visit details: 90 days · visitor ID: up to 1 year |
| Analytics & measurement | Optional, off until you allow it | Helps us understand how the site is used. Google Analytics loads only after you allow analytics, and its cookies are removed if you withdraw that choice. | Google Analytics: _ga, _ga_<id>, _gid, _gat (only when configured and consented) | Set by the analytics property (Google Analytics: up to 2 years); removed when you withdraw consent |
| Marketing | Optional, off until you allow it | Allows optional affiliate-network or advertising tracking tags on DatingSherpa if they are configured. None is set by default. Ordinary outbound links still work when you reject optional cookies; after you follow one, an affiliate network or the destination may set its own cookies under its own policy. | Affiliate-network or advertising tracking pixels, only when configured and consented | According to the configured partner and your browser controls |
This reflects our current cookie use and is kept up to date.
03 · Your choice
How to change your consent
You're in control of the analytics and marketing categories. You can change your mind at any time:
- Use the “Cookie settings” button. It lives in the site footer on every page. Open it to grant or withdraw analytics and marketing consent. Strictly-necessary storage stays available because the site relies on it for essential preferences and security.
- Use your browser. Every major browser lets you block or delete cookies in its settings. Note that blocking strictly-necessary cookies may break parts of the site.
Cookie choices are stored per site or domain; changing a choice here does not automatically update a different Sherpa domain.
Withdrawing consent is as easy as giving it and applies to future optional processing on this site. For the full picture of what data we process and your rights over it, see our Privacy Policy.