Effective date: 10 July 2026
This explains what cookies this site uses, why, and how you can control them. It sits alongside my main privacy policy, which covers the bigger picture of what information I collect and why.
What cookies actually are
Cookies are small text files that get stored on your device when you visit a website. They help the site work properly, keep it secure, and let me understand how it's being used, so I can make it better.
The two kinds I use
First-party cookies come from this site directly, and are mostly there to make things work and keep spam out. They don't identify you personally.
Third-party cookies come from tools I've chosen to use on the site, in this case Meta, for advertising. These help me show relevant ads and measure whether they're working.
Necessary cookies
These keep the site running securely and spam-free. They don't collect anything that identifies you personally.
All of these come from CleanTalk, a spam and security filter I use to stop bots and junk submissions on forms.
| Cookie | Duration | What it's for |
| ct_screen_info | Never expires | Part of CleanTalk's anti-spam and security checks. |
| ct_checked_emails | Never expires | Part of CleanTalk's anti-spam and security checks. |
| ct_ps_timestamp | Never expires | Set by CleanTalk to help prevent spam on forms and comments, and act as a firewall for the site. |
| ct_fkp_timestamp | Never expires | Set by CleanTalk to help prevent spam on forms and comments, and act as a firewall for the site. |
| ct_pointer_data | Never expires | Set by CleanTalk to help prevent spam on forms and comments, and act as a firewall for the site. |
| ct_timezone | Never expires | Set by CleanTalk to help prevent spam on forms and comments, and act as a firewall for the site. |
| ct_checkjs | Never expires | Set by CleanTalk to help prevent spam on forms and comments, and act as a firewall for the site. |
| apbct_headless | Never expires | Set by CleanTalk to detect spam and improve the site's security. |
| apbct_visible_fields | Never expires | Set by CleanTalk to help prevent spam on forms and comments, and act as a firewall for the site. |
Advertising cookies
These help me show relevant ads to people who've visited the site, and understand whether those ads are actually working.
| Cookie | Duration | What it's for |
| _fbp | 3 months | Set by Meta (Facebook) to track interactions with the site, so I can show relevant ads and measure how well they perform. |
Managing your preferences
You can change your mind about cookies at any time by clicking the ‘Consent Preferences’ button in the bottom left-hand corner of the site. That'll bring back the cookie banner so you can update or withdraw your consent whenever you like. You can only block the advertising cookie - the necessary cookies are always on to keep the site safe and secure.
You can also block or delete cookies directly through your browser settings. Here's how, for the main browsers:
Chrome: support.google.com/accounts/answer/32050
Safari: support.apple.com/en-in/guide/safari/sfri11471/mac
Firefox: support.mozilla.org/en-US/kb/clear-cookies-and-site-data-firefox
If you're using a different browser, its own support pages will cover the same thing.