Cookie Policy

This Cookie Policy explains what cookies are, which cookies Rare Leafy uses, why we use them, and how you can control them. We keep cookie use small and lean toward the privacy-preserving default in every choice we make.

Last Updated: July 24, 2026

1. What cookies are

Cookies are small text files that a website stores on your browser when you visit. They can hold a preference (like whether you have already dismissed a banner), a session identifier (so a login persists), or an analytics token (so the same visitor is counted as one person across pages, not twenty). Cookies expire after a set time, or when you clear them from your browser.

Similar technologies (web beacons, pixel tags, local storage, indexedDB entries) work in comparable ways. Where this policy says “cookies,” treat it as meaning “cookies and similar technologies.”

2. The cookies Rare Leafy sets directly

Our own site sets a very small number of cookies for these purposes:

• Consent preference. Once you make a cookie choice, we store that choice locally so we do not ask you again on every page load. Expires after 12 months.
• Comment author details. If you leave a comment, WordPress may store your name, email, and website in a cookie so you do not have to retype them next time. Expires after 12 months. Comments on Rare Leafy are usually closed, so most visitors will never see these cookies.
• Session. If you log in to the site as an editor, a short-lived session cookie keeps you signed in. Regular readers do not receive this cookie.

3. Third-party cookies

Some cookies are set by other services we use, not by us directly. We keep this list short and update it whenever it changes:

• Google AdSense (advertising). Once ads are enabled on the site, Google and its advertising partners may set cookies such as the DoubleClick DART cookie to serve advertisements based on your interests and prior visits to this and other websites. Google’s use of the DART cookie enables it to serve ads to visitors based on their visit to Rare Leafy and other websites.
• Cloudflare (performance and security). Cloudflare sits in front of Rare Leafy for caching and DDoS protection. It may set short-lived cookies like __cf_bm to distinguish humans from automated traffic. These cookies expire within 30 minutes.
• Aggregate analytics. We may use a privacy-respecting analytics tool to count page views. If it uses cookies, they are strictly first-party and non-identifying. We do not use Google Analytics.

4. Advertising and personalization controls

You have real, working controls over personalized advertising:

• You can opt out of personalized advertising by Google by visiting Google Ads Settings.
• You can opt out of a third-party vendor’s use of cookies for personalized advertising by visiting www.aboutads.info or, in the EEA and UK, www.youronlinechoices.eu.
• You can install browser extensions like Privacy Badger or uBlock Origin that block most tracking cookies before they load.

5. Your choices inside the site

The consent banner that appears on your first visit lets you accept all cookies, reject all non-essential cookies, or open a Preferences panel where you can toggle categories (Functional, Analytics, Advertising) individually. Whatever you choose is stored locally and honored on every subsequent page.

You can reopen the Preferences panel any time from the Cookie Settings link in the footer.

6. Browser-level controls

All modern browsers let you block cookies globally or by site, and clear cookies whenever you want:

• Chrome
• Firefox
• Safari
• Edge

Blocking all cookies may make some parts of the site (like remembered comment details) slightly less convenient, but the reading experience itself will remain intact.

7. Regional notes

Visitors from the European Economic Area, the United Kingdom, and Switzerland see a certified consent management interface that reflects the requirements of the GDPR and the ePrivacy Directive. Personalized advertising and analytics cookies do not load until you explicitly consent. Visitors from California receive the choice to opt out of the sale or sharing of personal information, as defined by the CCPA and CPRA, though we do not knowingly sell personal information.

8. Changes to this policy

We update this policy whenever we add, remove, or replace a tool that uses cookies, and always at least once a year. Substantive changes are noted at the top with a new “Last Updated” date. The version you are reading is authoritative today.

9. Contact

Questions about cookies, opt-outs, or data requests: [email protected]. We reply within a few working days.