Cookie Policy

What Are Cookies

Cookies are small text files that are stored on your device (computer, smartphone, or tablet) when you visit our website. They help us provide you with a better experience by remembering your preferences and understanding how you use our service.

Similar technologies such as local storage, session storage, and web beacons may also be used. For simplicity, we refer to all these technologies as "cookies" in this policy.

Types of Cookies We Use

Essential Cookies

These cookies are necessary for the website to function properly and cannot be disabled:

• Authentication: Keep you logged in securely
• Security: Protect against cross-site request forgery and other security threats
• Session Management: Maintain your session state across pages
• Load Balancing: Ensure optimal server distribution for performance

Functional Cookies

These cookies enhance your experience by remembering your preferences:

• Language Preferences: Remember your language settings
• Search Filters: Save your search preferences and filters
• Display Preferences: Remember layout and viewing preferences
• Cookie Consent: Remember your cookie preference choices
• AI Preferences: Remember your TroubleShooter AI interaction settings

AI Session Cookies

These cookies support our TroubleShooter AI assistant (also known as "Ask AI"):

• Conversation Context: Maintain conversation state within a session
• Rate Limiting: Track usage against your daily question limits
• Session ID: Associate queries with your session for history features

Analytics Cookies

These cookies help us understand how users interact with our website:

• Google Analytics: Understand user behavior and site performance
• Page Views: Track which pages are most popular
• User Journey: Understand how users navigate through our site
• Performance Metrics: Measure site speed and technical performance
• AI Usage Analytics: Track AI question patterns to improve response quality (anonymized)

Advertising Cookies

We use limited advertising cookies to support our free service:

• Google AdSense: Display relevant advertisements
• Ad Personalization: Show more relevant ads based on your interests
• Frequency Capping: Limit how often you see the same advertisement
• Ad Performance: Measure advertisement effectiveness

Third-Party Cookies

We work with trusted third-party services that may set their own cookies:

Google Services

• Google Analytics: Web analytics and user behavior tracking
• Google AdSense: Contextual advertising and revenue generation
• Google Fonts: Web font delivery and rendering

Authentication Services

• Supabase: User authentication and session management
• Social Logins: Google OAuth authentication

Performance Services

• Algolia: Search functionality and query analytics
• Content Delivery Networks: Fast content delivery and caching

Each third-party service has its own privacy policy governing how they use cookies and collect data. We recommend reviewing their policies for more information.

Cookie Duration

Cookies may be stored for different periods depending on their purpose:

Session Cookies

• Deleted when you close your browser
• Used for authentication and security
• Essential for website functionality
• AI conversation context within a session

Persistent Cookies

Managing Your Cookie Preferences

Browser Settings

You can control cookies through your browser settings:

• Block All Cookies: Prevent all cookies from being stored
• Block Third-Party Cookies: Allow only first-party cookies
• Delete Existing Cookies: Remove all stored cookies
• Get Notified: Receive alerts when cookies are being set

Cookie Consent Management

When you first visit our site, you'll see a cookie consent banner where you can:

• Accept all cookies for the full experience
• Customize your preferences by cookie category
• Decline non-essential cookies
• Change your preferences at any time

Opt-Out Links

You can opt out of specific tracking services:

• Google Analytics: Google Analytics Opt-out
• Google Ads: Ads Settings
• Industry Opt-out: NAI Opt-out

Impact of Disabling Cookies

While you can disable cookies, this may affect your experience:

Essential Cookie Blocking

• Unable to log in or maintain login sessions
• Security features may not function properly
• Some pages may not load correctly
• Form submissions may fail
• AI conversation context will not persist

Functional Cookie Blocking

• Preferences will not be remembered between visits
• Search filters will reset each session
• Language settings will not persist
• You may see the cookie consent banner repeatedly
• AI rate limit tracking may be inaccurate

Analytics Cookie Blocking

• No impact on functionality
• Helps us understand how to improve the site
• Anonymous usage statistics
• Performance monitoring

Data Protection and Security

We take the security of cookie data seriously:

• Secure Transmission: Cookies are transmitted over encrypted connections
• Limited Data: Cookies contain minimal personal information
• Regular Cleanup: Expired cookies are automatically removed
• Access Controls: Limited access to cookie data on need-to-know basis

International Users

For users in different regions, please note:

European Union (GDPR)

• We obtain explicit consent before setting non-essential cookies
• You have the right to withdraw consent at any time
• Cookie consent is freely given and specific
• We maintain records of your consent choices

California (CCPA)

• We provide clear information about data collection
• You can opt out of the sale of personal information
• We respect "Do Not Track" signals when possible
• Additional privacy rights are detailed in our Privacy Policy

Cookie Technology Details

How Cookies Work

Cookies are created when you visit our website and:

• Your browser requests a page from our server
• Our server sends the page along with cookie instructions
• Your browser stores the cookie on your device
• The cookie is sent back to our server on subsequent visits

Cookie Attributes

Our cookies use various security attributes:

• Secure: Only transmitted over HTTPS connections
• HttpOnly: Cannot be accessed by client-side scripts
• SameSite: Protection against cross-site request forgery
• Domain/Path: Limited to specific areas of our website

Changes to This Cookie Policy

We may update this Cookie Policy to reflect changes in our practices, technology, or legal requirements:

• Updated policies will be posted on this page
• The "Last updated" date will reflect recent changes
• Significant changes will be communicated through our website
• Continued use constitutes acceptance of the updated policy

We recommend reviewing this policy periodically to stay informed of how we use cookies.

Contact Us About Cookies

If you have questions about our use of cookies or this Cookie Policy:

We respond to cookie-related inquiries within 48 hours during business days.