Cookies Policy

Understanding how we use cookies on our website

Last Updated: 7 April 2026

Introduction

This Cookies Policy explains how CotswoltechAI uses cookies and similar tracking technologies on our website. We want you to understand what cookies are, why we use them, and how you can control them.

By using our website, you agree to the use of cookies as described in this policy, subject to the preferences you set through our cookie consent tool.

What Are Cookies?

Cookies are small text files that websites place on your device (computer, smartphone, or tablet) when you visit them. They're widely used to make websites work more efficiently and provide information to site owners.

Cookies serve various purposes, from remembering your preferences to understanding how you interact with a website. Most websites use cookies to some extent, as they're essential for many modern web functionalities.

Types of Cookies

Cookies can be categorized in different ways:

Session Cookies vs. Persistent Cookies:

  • Session cookies are temporary and deleted when you close your browser. They help websites remember your actions during a single browsing session.
  • Persistent cookies remain on your device for a set period or until you delete them. They remember your preferences across multiple visits.

First-Party Cookies vs. Third-Party Cookies:

  • First-party cookies are set by the website you're visiting and can only be read by that site.
  • Third-party cookies are set by domains other than the one you're visiting, typically for advertising or analytics purposes.

How We Use Cookies

We use cookies for several purposes, always striving to balance functionality with your privacy. Below is a detailed explanation of each category of cookies we employ.

Essential Cookies

These cookies are strictly necessary for our website to function properly. They enable core features like security, network management, and accessibility. Without these cookies, certain services cannot be provided.

What they do:

  • Remember your cookie consent preferences
  • Maintain security during your browsing session
  • Enable navigation and use of website features
  • Detect and prevent fraudulent activity

Legal basis: These cookies are necessary for the legitimate operation of our website, and we don't require your consent to use them.

Examples of essential cookies:

  • cookieConsent: Stores your cookie preferences (expires after 12 months)
  • session_id: Maintains your session while browsing (expires when browser closes)

Analytics Cookies

Analytics cookies help us understand how visitors interact with our website by collecting and reporting information anonymously. This data helps us improve the site's functionality and user experience.

What they do:

  • Track which pages are visited most frequently
  • Measure how long visitors spend on different pages
  • Identify navigation patterns and potential usability issues
  • Understand where visitors come from (e.g., search engines, social media)
  • Monitor technical performance and error rates

Legal basis: We use analytics cookies with your consent. You can accept or reject these cookies through our cookie preferences tool.

Examples of analytics cookies:

  • _ga: Distinguishes unique visitors (expires after 2 years)
  • _gid: Distinguishes unique visitors (expires after 24 hours)
  • _gat: Throttles request rate (expires after 1 minute)

How we protect your privacy: Analytics data is collected anonymously with IP addresses anonymized. We cannot identify individual users from this data.

Marketing Cookies

Marketing cookies track your online activity to help deliver more relevant advertisements. They're also used to limit how many times you see an advertisement and measure campaign effectiveness.

What they do:

  • Track visits across websites to build a profile of interests
  • Deliver targeted advertising based on browsing behavior
  • Measure advertising campaign performance
  • Prevent the same ad from appearing too frequently
  • Enable social media sharing functionality

Legal basis: We use marketing cookies only with your explicit consent. You have full control over whether these cookies are set.

Examples of marketing cookies:

  • _fbp: Facebook tracking pixel for retargeting (expires after 3 months)
  • _gcl_au: Google AdSense tracking (expires after 3 months)

Note: If you decline marketing cookies, you'll still see advertisements, but they won't be tailored to your interests.

Managing Your Cookie Preferences

You have several options for controlling cookies:

Our Cookie Preference Tool

When you first visit our website, a cookie banner appears allowing you to accept all cookies or customize your preferences. You can change these preferences at any time by clicking the "Cookie Preferences" link in the footer of any page.

Through our preference tool, you can:

  • Accept or reject analytics cookies
  • Accept or reject marketing cookies
  • View detailed information about each cookie category

Please note that essential cookies cannot be disabled as they're necessary for the website to function.

Browser Settings

Most web browsers allow you to control cookies through their settings. You can typically:

  • View which cookies are stored and delete them individually or all at once
  • Block third-party cookies
  • Block cookies from specific sites
  • Block all cookies (though this may prevent websites from working properly)
  • Delete all cookies when you close the browser

How to access cookie settings in popular browsers:

  • Chrome: Settings > Privacy and security > Cookies and other site data
  • Firefox: Options > Privacy & Security > Cookies and Site Data
  • Safari: Preferences > Privacy > Cookies and website data
  • Edge: Settings > Cookies and site permissions > Cookies and site data

For more detailed instructions, consult your browser's help documentation.

Opt-Out Links

For third-party advertising cookies, you can opt out through industry-standard tools:

Impact of Disabling Cookies

If you disable cookies, certain features of our website may not function properly:

If You Disable Essential Cookies:

  • You may experience technical difficulties navigating the site
  • Security features may not work correctly
  • Your preferences won't be remembered between visits

If You Disable Analytics Cookies:

  • Website functionality remains unaffected
  • We'll have less data to improve user experience
  • Technical issues may take longer to identify and resolve

If You Disable Marketing Cookies:

  • Website functionality remains unaffected
  • Advertisements will be less relevant to your interests
  • You may see the same advertisements more frequently

Other Tracking Technologies

In addition to cookies, we may use other tracking technologies:

Web Beacons (Tracking Pixels)

Web beacons are tiny invisible images embedded in web pages or emails. They help us understand whether content has been viewed and track email open rates. We use them in conjunction with cookies for analytics purposes.

Local Storage

HTML5 local storage allows websites to store data locally on your device. Unlike cookies, this data doesn't expire automatically and isn't sent to the server with every request. We may use local storage for performance optimization and remembering user preferences.

Session Storage

Similar to local storage but temporary, session storage is cleared when you close your browser tab. We use it for maintaining state during a single browsing session.

Third-Party Cookies

Our website may contain content or functionality from third-party service providers. When you interact with this content, those third parties may set their own cookies. We don't control these third-party cookies.

Third-party services we use include:

  • Google Analytics: Website analytics and reporting
  • Social media platforms: Sharing functionality (if you choose to share content)

These third parties have their own privacy policies governing their use of information. We recommend reviewing their policies:

Updates to This Policy

We may update this Cookies Policy periodically to reflect changes in technology, legislation, or our practices. When we make significant changes, we'll update the "Last Updated" date at the top of this page and may provide additional notice through our website or email.

We encourage you to review this policy periodically to stay informed about how we use cookies.

More Information

If you'd like to learn more about cookies in general, these resources provide helpful information:

Contact Us

If you have questions or concerns about our use of cookies, please contact us:

CotswoltechAI
42 High Street
Cirencester
Gloucestershire GL7 2NG
United Kingdom
Email: [email protected]

We're committed to transparency and will respond to your inquiries promptly.