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Cookies and local storage

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In short. SingingAds sets two cookies, both needed to keep you signed in, and stores a few items in your browser for our own visit counting and to remember what you typed. We use no advertising cookies and no third-party trackers. You can stop the counting with the "Do not count my visits" switch on the privacy page.

1. Cookies we set

  • sa_s: keeps you signed in. It holds a random session token (we store only a hash of it). It is set when you sign in, cannot be read by scripts in the page, is sent only to our own site and lasts 30 days, or until you sign out. Strictly necessary.
  • sa_in: a signed-in hint with the value "1", so that our pages can show "Open app" instead of "Sign in". It holds nothing about you, is set and removed together with sa_s and lasts as long. Strictly necessary for the signed-in experience.

2. Other storage in your browser

  • sa_anon (local storage): a random anonymous identifier for this browser, used by our first-party analytics to count returning visits. It stays until you clear your browser data.
  • sa_visit (session storage): a random identifier for the current visit, used by our first-party analytics. It is deleted when you close the tab.
  • sa_pending_url (session storage): the product page address you typed before signing up, so that the app can continue with it after sign-up. It is deleted when you close the tab, or once it has been used.
  • sa_optout (local storage): set to "1" when you switch on "Do not count my visits", so that our pages send no analytics records from this browser. It stays until you switch it off or clear your browser data.

3. Why there is no consent banner

UK law (the Privacy and Electronic Communications Regulations) requires consent before a website stores information on your device, unless an exception applies. Our use fits the exceptions:

  • the two cookies, sa_pending_url and sa_optout are strictly necessary to provide what you ask for (signing in, continuing with your page, remembering your opt-out);
  • sa_anon and sa_visit are used only to collect statistics about how SingingAds is used, in order to improve it; the data goes only to our own database and is not shared with advertisers or analytics companies; this page explains it clearly; and you can object for free with one switch. The regulations allow this for statistical purposes, as amended by the Data (Use and Access) Act 2025.

We use no advertising or social media cookies.

3a. Google Analytics, only if you allow it

We may also use Google Analytics 4 to see which pages people arrive on and where they come from. It is off until you choose "Allow Google Analytics" in the notice at the bottom of the page: until then nothing is loaded from Google and no Google cookie is set. If you allow it, Google sets _ga and _ga_<id> (about 13 months) to recognise returning visits. We send only the page path and campaign tags (never other parts of the address, which can carry codes), we keep Google signals and ad personalisation off, and Google acts as our processor. Your choice is remembered in the cookie sa_ga ("yes" or "no", 12 months). You can change it any time with the "Google Analytics" switch in the footer; turning it off deletes the Google cookies. Turning on "Do not count my visits" also turns Google Analytics off.

4. Other companies

  • Cloudflare Turnstile: if a bot check is shown, for example at sign-up, it is loaded from Cloudflare to tell people from automated programs. Cloudflare processes technical data for that purpose only. Strictly necessary for security.
  • Stripe: checkout opens on Stripe's own pages, where Stripe sets its own cookies for payment and fraud prevention. See Stripe's cookie settings and privacy policy.
  • Video players: if one of our pages shows a YouTube video, it uses YouTube's privacy-enhanced mode, and YouTube may store data in your browser only once you play the video, under Google's privacy policy.

Our typefaces are served from our own site, not from a font service.

5. How to stop counting, and how to clear it

  • Stop our analytics: switch on "Do not count my visits" on the privacy page. It works per browser, so repeat it in each browser you use, and again after you clear your browser data.
  • Clear everything: in your browser's settings, delete cookies and site data for this site. In most browsers this is under Privacy or Security, then "Cookies and site data" or "Manage data". Clearing sa_s signs you out. Closing the tab clears session storage.
  • Block cookies: you can block cookies in your browser settings, but you will not be able to sign in.

6. Changes and contact

We update this page whenever the list above changes. Questions: use the contact form. The privacy notice explains how we use analytics data and your rights.