What are cookies and how do they work?
Cookies are small text files that are sent to, and stored on, your computer, smartphone or other device for accessing the internet, whenever you visit a website. Cookies are useful because they allow us to tailor the website’s user experience to you (for example, by remembering previous preferences you have set).
Once you agree, the file is added and the cookie helps analyse web traffic or lets us know when you visit a particular site. Cookies allow web applications to respond to you as an individual. The web application can tailor its operations to your needs, likes and dislikes by gathering and remembering information about your preferences.
This policy refers to ‘cookies’ throughout. However, it also includes these similar technologies. These include Flash cookies or Local Shared Objects, also known as LSOs. Read more about them at http://www.allaboutcookies.org/privacy-concerns/.
How we use cookies
We use cookies on our site to provide you with a better website, by enabling us to monitor which pages you find useful and which you do not. A cookie in no way gives us access to your computer or any information about you, other than the data you choose to share with us (for example via the enquiry form). Please note that our cookies do not store your personal information, such as your name, address, telephone or email.
You can choose to accept or decline cookies. Most web browsers automatically accept cookies, but you can usually modify your browser setting to decline cookies if you prefer. This may prevent you from taking full advantage of the website.
Wates’ website uses ‘analytics’ cookies to help us make the website better for those who visit it regularly. They help us work out what users like and don’t like, as well as ways we can improve the website and its content.
It is possible to opt out of having your anonymised browsing activity within websites recorded by analytics cookies. Wates uses Google Analytics and you can opt out of their cookies by clicking on the following link https://tools.google.com/dlpage/gaoptout.
How to manage cookies
Please remember that cookies are often used to enable and improve certain functions on a website. If you choose to switch certain cookies off, it is likely to affect how websites work. If you block cookies completely, many websites will not work properly and some functionality on these websites will not work at all. This is very important because any settings that you change in your browser will not just affect Wates cookies, but will also apply to all websites that you visit (unless you choose to block cookies from particular sites).
Most modern browsers will allow you to:
- see the cookies that have been set and delete them on an individual basis
- block third party cookies
- block cookies from particular sites
- block all cookies from being set
- delete all cookies when you close your browser
If you wish to amend your cookie preferences for this website, or any other websites, you can do this through your browser settings. Your browser’s ‘help’ function will tell you how to do this.
When our website provides links to other websites, please bear in mind that third-party websites will have their own privacy and cookie policies that will govern the use of any information you submit. We recommend you read their policies, as Wates is not responsible or liable for their privacy practices.
The following cookies are used on this website
Session cookies
Session cookie – This cookie is a ‘session cookie’ and tells us that you are actively using our site. This cookie allows us to know how many users are visiting the website, at any given time. Session cookies expire on exit, which means that they only last for your online session and they disappear from your computer, or device when you close your browser
Cookies set directly by this site
- PHPSESSID – It is set only for logged in users to indicate they opened a session.
- cookietest – This cookie checks if the user has cookies enabled on his browser (1 value).
Cookies set by third-party services installed on this site
Google Analytics:
- _ga – This cookie is used to distinguish unique users by assigning a randomly generated number as a client identifier. It is included in each page request in a site and used to calculate visitor, session and campaign data for the sites analytics reports.
- _gat – It is used to throttle the request rate – limiting the collection of data on high traffic sites. It expires after 10 minutes.
- _gid – It is used to throttle the request rate – limiting the collection of data on high traffic sites. It expires after 24 hours.
Wates’ website uses ‘analytics’ cookies to help us make the website better for those who visit it regularly. They help us work out what users like and don’t like, as well as ways we can improve the website and its content.
It is possible to opt out of having your anonymised browsing activity within websites recorded by analytics cookies. Wates uses Google Analytics and you can opt out of their cookies by clicking on the following link https://tools.google.com/dlpage/gaoptout.
Twitter:
- personalization_id.
Hotjar:
- _hjClosedSurveyInvites – This cookie is set once a visitor interacts with a Survey invitation modal popup. It is used to ensure that the same invite does not reappear if it has already been shown. It expires after 365 days.
- _hjDonePolls – Hotjar cookie. This cookie is set once a visitor completes a poll using the Feedback Poll widget. It is used to ensure that the same poll does not reappear if it has already been filled in. It expires after 365 days.
- _hjMinimizedPolls – Hotjar cookie. This cookie is set once a visitor minimises a Feedback Poll widget. It is used to ensure that the widget stays minimised when the visitor navigates through your site. It expires after 365 days.
- _hjDoneTestersWidgets – Hotjar cookie. This cookie is set once a visitor submits their information in the Recruit User Testers widget. It is used to ensure that the same form does not reappear if it has already been filled in. It expires after 365 days.
- _hjMinimizedTestersWidgets – Hotjar cookie. This cookie is set once a visitor minimises a Recruit User Testers widget. It is used to ensure that the widget stays minimised when the visitor navigates through your site. It expires after 365 days.
- _hjIncludedInSample – Hotjar cookie. This session cookie is set to let Hotjar know whether that visitor is included in the sample which is used to generate funnels. It expires after 365 days.
Facebook:
- _fr.
To find out more about how Wates protects your privacy when using our website, see our Privacy Notice here.
