1. What are cookies?
Cookies are small text files placed on your device when you visit a website. This policy also covers similar technologies we use, including browser localStorage, tracking pixels, and device-fingerprinting hashes used for fraud prevention. Where we refer to "cookies" below, we mean all of these.
2. Your choice and how to change it
The first time visitors from the UK, EEA or Switzerland arrive at Compare-Vets.org, Google's certified Consent Management Platform (CMP) displays a consent message asking you to accept or reject personalised advertising. Your choice is stored by Google and applied on subsequent visits.
You can change or withdraw your consent at any time — it's as easy to withdraw as it was to give. Use the link in the site footer, or click the button below:
Blocking essential cookies through your browser will prevent you from signing in, submitting reviews, or completing checkout.
3. Categories we use
3.1 Essential
Required for the site to function: signing you in, keeping your session alive, protecting the platform from bots and abuse (Cloudflare, Turnstile), remembering your cookie choice, and processing payments. These are set on every visit and cannot be turned off.
3.2 Advertising
We serve adverts through Google AdSense to fund the site. We use Google Consent Mode v2: until you accept advertising cookies, AdSense operates in non-personalised mode — adverts are chosen from the content of the page you're viewing rather than a profile built from your browsing, and personalisation identifiers such as __gpi, IDE and NID are not used for targeting. If you accept, Google may set the advertising cookies listed below to personalise adverts and measure performance. See Google's cookie information and how AdSense uses consent.
3.3 Analytics
We do not currently deploy any analytics tools on Compare-Vets.org. The analytics toggle in the settings modal is reserved for future use; if we add an analytics provider, this policy will be updated and you will be re-prompted for consent before anything is set.
4. Full inventory
The table below lists every cookie, storage item and tracking technology we know to be set through Compare-Vets.org, together with its purpose, category and lifetime.
| Cookie / technology | Provider | Purpose | Category | Party | Duration |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| sb-<project>-auth-token | Supabase (via Lovable Cloud) | Keeps you signed in; stored in browser localStorage. | Essential | First party | Until sign-out or manual clearance |
| sb-refresh-token | Supabase (via Lovable Cloud) | Refreshes your session without re-authentication. | Essential | First party | Rolling, up to 30 days |
| __gpi / __gads / FCCDCF | Google (via certified CMP) | Stores your advertising consent choice and supports ad delivery, frequency capping and fraud prevention. | Advertising | Third party | Up to 13 months |
| __cf_bm | Cloudflare | Bot management; distinguishes humans from automated traffic. | Essential | Third party | 30 minutes |
| _cfuvid | Cloudflare | Rate-limiting and abuse protection on the edge network. | Essential | Third party | Session |
| cf_chl_* / cf_clearance | Cloudflare Turnstile | CAPTCHA challenge on sign-up, sign-in and review submission to block fake accounts. | Essential | Third party | Up to 30 minutes |
| Device fingerprint hash | Compare-Vets.org | One-way hash of browser characteristics used server-side for review-fraud scoring. Not written as a cookie; disclosed here for transparency. | Essential | First party | Stored server-side with the review |
| __gads | Google AdSense | Ad selection, frequency capping and reporting. | Advertising | Third party | 13 months |
| __gpi | Google AdSense | Publisher-scoped ad personalisation identifier. | Advertising | Third party | 13 months |
| IDE | Google (doubleclick.net) | Ad measurement, personalisation and conversion tracking. | Advertising | Third party | Up to 13 months |
| NID / ANID | Ad preferences and anti-fraud for served adverts. | Advertising | Third party | Up to 6 months |
Third-party providers may occasionally set additional cookies not listed above (for example, when Google rotates identifiers). If you spot one that isn't listed, please contact us and we'll update this inventory.
5. Cookies set by our service providers
The essential-category rows in the inventory include cookies set by our infrastructure providers (Cloudflare for edge protection, Supabase/Lovable Cloud for authentication). We only work with providers who handle data in line with UK data protection law.
6. Managing cookies in your browser
In addition to our on-site controls, most browsers let you block or delete cookies through their settings. Doing so may sign you out and stop parts of the site from working.
7. Changes to this policy
We update this Cookie Policy when the technologies we use change, when we add a new provider, or when the law requires it. Material changes will be flagged on the site and, where required, we will re-prompt you for consent.
8. Contact us
Questions about this policy? Email privacy@compare-vets.org or visit our Contact page. See our Privacy Policy for how we handle personal data more broadly.