This Cookie Policy explains how Hiddlins (“Hiddlins”, “we”, “us” or “our”) uses cookies and similar technologies on hiddlins.com. It describes what each type of cookie does, how long it lasts, and how you can accept, refuse or change your choices at any time. We keep cookies to a minimum: the website works with only strictly necessary cookies, and anything else runs only if you agree. Last updated: October 14, 2026.
What are cookies?#
Cookies are small text files that a website asks your browser to store on your device. Each time your browser requests a page from that website, it sends the relevant cookies back, which allows the site to remember information between page views, such as the fact that you are logged in, what is in your cart, or which cookie choices you made. A technical introduction is available on MDN Web Docs.
Cookies can be described in a few different ways:
- First-party cookies are set by the website you are visiting (in this case, our domain). Third-party cookies are set by a different domain, for example an embedded service.
- Session cookies are deleted when you close your browser. Persistent cookies remain for a set period or until you delete them.
- Cookies are also grouped by purpose, which determines whether we need your consent before using them. The categories we use are explained below.
Similar technologies#
This policy also covers technologies that work in a similar way to cookies, such as the browser’s localStorage and sessionStorage. For example, WooCommerce may store a copy of your cart summary in sessionStorage (with keys such as wc_fragments_* and wc_cart_hash_*) so that the cart icon can update quickly without reloading the page. This information is removed when you close the browser tab or window. We do not use tracking pixels, fingerprinting or similar techniques to follow you across other websites.
Why we use cookies#
Our website runs on WordPress with WooCommerce, which we use to sell our web-development services as virtual products. Cookies help us:
- keep your cart and checkout working as you move between pages;
- keep you securely signed in to your customer account, if you have one;
- protect the website against attacks, spam and automated abuse;
- remember your cookie preferences so that we do not ask you again on every page; and
- with your consent only, understand in aggregate how visitors use the website so that we can improve it.
We do not use cookies to build advertising profiles, and we do not sell information collected through cookies. See our Privacy Policy for more about how we handle personal data.
Cookie categories#
We group cookies into four categories, which match the options in our cookie consent banner.
| Category | What it covers | Consent required? | Currently used? |
|---|---|---|---|
| Necessary | Cookies essential for the website to work securely: cart, checkout, login, security and storing your consent choice. | No; these are always active. They are exempt from consent because the services you request cannot be provided without them. | Yes |
| Functional | Cookies that remember choices and improve convenience, such as interface settings for logged-in users or remembering your details for comments. | Yes, where they are not strictly necessary | Limited |
| Analytics | Cookies that help us understand how visitors use the website, such as which pages are popular, through aggregated statistics. | Yes | Only if you consent |
| Marketing | Cookies used to deliver or measure advertising or to track visitors across websites. | Yes | No; we do not currently use marketing cookies |
Necessary cookies#
Necessary cookies make core features work. Without them, you could not add services to your cart, complete a purchase, log in, or have your cookie choice remembered. Our security software also uses cookies to distinguish legitimate visitors and administrators from automated attacks. You can block these cookies in your browser settings, but parts of the website will then stop working properly.
Functional cookies#
Functional cookies make the website more convenient. Most of the functional cookies listed below are set only for people who log in to the WordPress dashboard (in practice, our own administrators) or who choose to save their details when leaving a comment, if comments are enabled.
Analytics cookies#
If you accept analytics cookies, we may load an analytics service that uses cookies to count visits, measure which pages are viewed, and estimate how long people stay. We use this information in aggregate only. Analytics scripts are not loaded before you give consent, and they stop being used as soon as you withdraw it.
Marketing cookies#
We do not currently use marketing or advertising cookies, and we do not run retargeting campaigns. The category appears in our banner so that it is ready if this ever changes. If it does, we will update this policy first, and such cookies will only ever be set with your consent.
Detailed list of cookies#
The table below lists the cookies that our website may set, based on the software we use: WordPress, WooCommerce, the Wordfence security plugin, the CookieYes consent tool and, with consent, an analytics service. Some cookies are set only in specific situations, for example only when you are logged in or only when a particular feature is in use. Text in square brackets, such as [hash], stands for a unique value generated for each site or session.
- Exact cookie names and lifetimes can change when plugins are updated or reconfigured. We review this list regularly, and the live list in our cookie banner reflects the latest scan.
- Our security tooling, including WP Hide & Security Enhancer, can rename some default WordPress cookie names to make the site harder to fingerprint, so the names you see in your browser may differ slightly from those below. Their purpose and lifetime remain the same.
| Cookie name | Set by | Purpose | Duration | Category |
|---|---|---|---|---|
cookieyes-consent |
CookieYes | Stores your cookie consent choices and a consent ID so that your preferences are respected on future visits. | 1 year | Necessary |
woocommerce_cart_hash |
WooCommerce | Helps WooCommerce detect when the contents of your cart change. | Session | Necessary |
woocommerce_items_in_cart |
WooCommerce | Helps WooCommerce detect when the contents of your cart change, so that cached pages show the correct cart. | Session | Necessary |
wp_woocommerce_session_[hash] |
WooCommerce | Holds a unique customer session ID so that your cart and checkout data can be retrieved from the database. Contains no personal information. | 2 days | Necessary |
woocommerce_recently_viewed |
WooCommerce | Powers a “recently viewed” list of services, if that feature is shown. | Session | Functional |
store_notice[notice-id] |
WooCommerce | Remembers that you dismissed a store-wide notice, if one is displayed. | Session | Functional |
wordpress_test_cookie |
WordPress | Checks whether your browser accepts cookies, for example on the login page. | Session | Necessary |
wordpress_[hash] / wordpress_sec_[hash] |
WordPress | Stores authentication details for logged-in users, limited to the administration area. The _sec_ variant is used over HTTPS. |
Session, or 14 days if “Remember me” is selected | Necessary |
wordpress_logged_in_[hash] |
WordPress | Indicates that you are logged in and identifies your account, for example in your customer account area. | Session, or 14 days if “Remember me” is selected | Necessary |
wp-settings-[UID] |
WordPress | Remembers dashboard interface preferences for logged-in users. | 1 year | Functional |
wp-settings-time-[UID] |
WordPress | Records when the wp-settings-[UID] cookie was last updated. |
1 year | Functional |
wp_lang |
WordPress | Remembers the language selected on the login screen. | Session | Functional |
comment_author_[hash], comment_author_email_[hash], comment_author_url_[hash] |
WordPress | Remembers your name, email address and website for future comments, only if comments are enabled and you tick the box to save your details. | Just under 1 year | Functional |
wfwaf-authcookie-[hash] |
Wordfence | Lets the Wordfence firewall recognise logged-in users with editing permissions, so that legitimate administrative actions are not blocked. | 12 hours | Necessary |
wf_loginalerted_[hash] |
Wordfence | Remembers devices that have previously logged in as an administrator, so that alerts are sent only for logins from new devices. | Up to 1 year | Necessary |
wordfence_verifiedHuman |
Wordfence | Helps Wordfence distinguish human visitors from bots, for security monitoring and rate limiting. | Up to 1 day | Necessary |
wfCBLBypass |
Wordfence | Allows authorised users to bypass country blocking, only if that feature is enabled. | Set by the site administrator | Necessary |
sbjs_migrations, sbjs_current_add, sbjs_first_add, sbjs_current, sbjs_first, sbjs_udata, sbjs_session |
WooCommerce order attribution | Record how a visitor arrived at the website (for example, the referring site or campaign) so that this source can be attached to an order. Used only if order attribution is enabled, and only after consent to analytics. | Session to short-lived; sbjs_session expires after 30 minutes of inactivity |
Analytics |
_ga, _ga_[container-id] |
Google Analytics 4 (only if we use it) | Distinguish visitors and sessions to produce aggregated usage statistics. | Up to 2 years | Analytics |
In practice, a typical visitor who reads our articles and does not accept analytics will receive only the cookieyes-consent cookie and, if they add a service to the cart, the WooCommerce cart and session cookies. Most WordPress and Wordfence cookies listed above are set only for logged-in users.
If we embed third-party content in an article, such as a video or a code playground, that provider may set its own cookies. Where an embed would set non-essential cookies, we either load it only after you consent or show a placeholder with a link to view the content on the provider’s website.
Managing your consent with the cookie banner#
When you first visit our website, a cookie banner powered by CookieYes asks for your choices. You can:
- Accept all to allow all cookie categories we use;
- Reject all to allow only necessary cookies, which is just as easy as accepting; or
- Customise to switch individual categories on or off.
Until you make a choice, only necessary cookies are used. Non-essential categories are never pre-ticked.
Changing your mind#
You can change or withdraw your consent at any time. Select the “Cookie settings” link in the footer of any page to reopen the consent banner, adjust your choices and save them. Withdrawing consent stops non-essential cookies from being set in future; to remove cookies that have already been placed, you can also clear them using your browser settings, as described below.
How we record your consent#
To demonstrate that we have obtained valid consent, CookieYes records your choices together with a randomly generated consent ID, the date and time, and the version of the banner shown. This record does not include your name or email address. Consent is remembered for 12 months, after which we will ask again. We will also ask again if we make significant changes to the cookies we use.
Global Privacy Control#
If your browser sends a Global Privacy Control (GPC) signal, we treat it as an objection to the sale or sharing of personal information and, where our consent tool supports it, as a refusal of non-essential cookies used for advertising. As explained in our Privacy Policy, we do not sell or share personal information in any case.
Managing cookies in your browser#
All modern browsers let you see which cookies are stored, delete them, and block cookies, either for all websites or for specific ones. The relevant settings are usually found in the browser’s privacy or security settings:
- Google Chrome: Settings, then Privacy and security, then Third-party cookies or Site data.
- Mozilla Firefox: Settings, then Privacy & Security, then Cookies and Site Data.
- Apple Safari: Settings or Preferences, then Privacy, then Manage Website Data.
- Microsoft Edge: Settings, then Cookies and site permissions, then Manage and delete cookies and site data.
Menu names change between browser versions, so check your browser’s help pages if these do not match. On mobile devices, look in the browser app’s settings or your device’s privacy settings.
- You will not be able to add services to your cart or complete checkout.
- You will not be able to log in to a customer account.
- Our cookie banner will not remember your choice and will appear on every visit.
You can also use private or incognito browsing, which deletes cookies when the window is closed, or install browser extensions that block trackers. Some extensions may interfere with the consent banner or the checkout.
Legal basis for using cookies#
Under e-privacy laws in the EU and UK, including rules implementing the ePrivacy Directive and the UK Privacy and Electronic Communications Regulations, we need your consent to store or access information on your device unless it is strictly necessary to provide a service you have requested. We therefore rely on:
- the strict-necessity exemption for necessary cookies; and
- your consent for functional cookies that are not strictly necessary, and for analytics and any marketing cookies.
Where cookies involve personal data, such as an IP address or a unique identifier, our processing is also governed by data protection law. The lawful bases we rely on are set out in our Privacy Policy.
How long cookie data is kept#
Cookie lifetimes are shown in the table above. Data collected through analytics cookies is kept in identifiable form for no longer than 14 months, after which only aggregated reports remain. Consent records are kept for 12 months. Security logs created by Wordfence are kept for a limited rolling period, as described in our Privacy Policy.
Changes to this Cookie Policy#
We update this policy when we add, remove or change cookies, for example after installing a new plugin or changing analytics providers. The “last updated” date at the top of this page shows when it was last revised. If changes affect the cookies that require your consent, we will ask for your consent again through the banner.
Contact us#
If you have questions about how we use cookies, or if you notice a cookie on our website that is not described here, please let us know. We take accuracy seriously and will investigate.
Email: hello@hiddlins.com
Hiddlins
You can also reach us through our contact page. To change your cookie choices right now, use the “Cookie settings” link in the website footer.