1. What Are Cookies and Similar Technologies
Cookies are small text files that are placed on your computer, smartphone, or other device when you visit a website. They are widely used to make websites work more efficiently and to provide information to website owners about user behavior and preferences.
Similar technologies include web beacons, pixel tags, local storage objects, and other tracking technologies that serve similar functions to cookies. For simplicity, we refer to all these technologies collectively as "cookies" in this policy.
How Cookies Work
When you visit our website, cookies are downloaded to your device and stored in your browser's cookie folder. These cookies contain information that can be read by the website on subsequent visits, allowing us to recognize your device and remember your preferences.
Types of Cookies by Duration
- Session Cookies: Temporary cookies that are deleted when you close your browser
- Persistent Cookies: Remain on your device for a set period or until manually deleted
- Secure Cookies: Only transmitted over encrypted HTTPS connections
- HttpOnly Cookies: Cannot be accessed by client-side scripts, enhancing security
Types of Cookies by Origin
- First-Party Cookies: Set directly by our website domain
- Third-Party Cookies: Set by external services integrated into our website
2. How We Use Cookies
PoE Scout uses cookies to enhance your experience on our website, analyze usage patterns, and provide personalized content and services. Our use of cookies is designed to improve functionality while respecting your privacy preferences.
Primary Uses of Cookies
- Essential Website Functionality: Enable basic website operations, security features, and user authentication
- Performance Monitoring: Track website performance, loading times, and technical issues
- User Experience Enhancement: Remember your preferences, settings, and previous interactions
- Analytics and Insights: Understand how visitors use our website to improve content and functionality
- Form Management: Temporarily store information you enter in contact forms and calculators
- Security Protection: Detect and prevent fraudulent activity, spam, and unauthorized access
- Content Personalization: Customize content based on your interests and previous visits
- Communication Preferences: Remember your communication and marketing preferences
Business Benefits
Cookies help us operate our business more effectively by providing insights into user behavior, identifying popular content, optimizing website performance, and ensuring security. This information allows us to continuously improve our services and user experience.
3. Categories of Cookies We Use
We categorize cookies based on their function and purpose to help you understand how different types of cookies affect your browsing experience.
Essential Cookies (Always Active)
These cookies are necessary for the website to function properly and cannot be disabled without severely affecting your ability to use our services.
| Cookie Name |
Purpose |
Duration |
Type |
| session_id |
Maintains user session and authentication state |
Session |
First-party |
| csrf_token |
Protects against cross-site request forgery attacks |
Session |
First-party |
| cookie_consent |
Remembers your cookie consent preferences |
1 year |
First-party |
| load_balancer |
Ensures consistent server routing for optimal performance |
Session |
First-party |
| security_check |
Validates legitimate user requests and prevents abuse |
24 hours |
First-party |
Analytics Cookies (Optional)
These cookies help us understand how visitors interact with our website by collecting and reporting information anonymously.
| Cookie Name |
Purpose |
Duration |
Type |
| _ga |
Google Analytics - distinguishes unique users |
2 years |
Third-party |
| _ga_* |
Google Analytics - stores session and campaign data |
2 years |
Third-party |
| _gid |
Google Analytics - distinguishes users within 24 hours |
24 hours |
Third-party |
| _gat |
Google Analytics - throttles request rate |
1 minute |
Third-party |
| analytics_session |
Tracks user journey and page interactions |
30 minutes |
First-party |
Functional Cookies (Optional)
These cookies enable enhanced functionality and personalization features that improve your user experience.
| Cookie Name |
Purpose |
Duration |
Type |
| user_preferences |
Stores display preferences and settings |
30 days |
First-party |
| calculator_data |
Saves power calculator inputs and results |
7 days |
First-party |
| form_progress |
Preserves partially completed form data |
1 hour |
First-party |
| language_preference |
Remembers selected language and regional settings |
1 year |
First-party |
| notification_settings |
Manages notification preferences and display settings |
90 days |
First-party |
Performance Cookies (Optional)
These cookies collect information about website performance and help us identify areas for improvement.
| Cookie Name |
Purpose |
Duration |
Type |
| performance_monitor |
Tracks page load times and performance metrics |
24 hours |
First-party |
| error_tracking |
Logs JavaScript errors and technical issues |
7 days |
First-party |
| bandwidth_test |
Optimizes content delivery based on connection speed |
1 hour |
First-party |
4. Third-Party Cookies and Services
Some cookies on our website are set by third-party services that we integrate to enhance functionality and provide better user experiences.
Google Analytics
We use Google Analytics to analyze website traffic, user behavior, and performance metrics. Google Analytics uses cookies to collect information about how you use our website, which helps us improve our content and services.
- Data Collected: Page views, session duration, bounce rate, user demographics, and traffic sources
- Purpose: Website optimization, content improvement, and user experience enhancement
- Privacy: Data is anonymized and aggregated to protect individual privacy
- Opt-out: Available through Google Analytics Opt-out Browser Add-on
For more information about Google Analytics privacy practices, visit: https://policies.google.com/privacy
Contact Form Services
Our contact forms may use cookies to prevent spam, ensure proper form submission, and improve user experience. These cookies are temporary and help maintain form state during submission.
Content Delivery Networks (CDN)
We use CDN services to deliver website content efficiently. These services may set cookies to optimize content delivery based on your geographic location and connection speed.
Security Services
Third-party security services help protect our website from malicious attacks, spam, and unauthorized access. These services may use cookies to identify and block suspicious activity.
5. Managing Your Cookie Preferences
You have complete control over cookie settings and can manage your preferences through multiple methods to suit your privacy needs.
Cookie Consent Banner
When you first visit our website, you'll see a cookie consent banner that allows you to:
- Accept All: Enable all cookie categories for full functionality
- Reject All: Disable all non-essential cookies (essential cookies remain active)
- Customize: Choose specific cookie categories based on your preferences
- Learn More: Access detailed information about our cookie practices
Cookie Settings Panel
Our cookie settings panel allows you to:
- Toggle individual cookie categories on or off
- View detailed descriptions of each cookie type
- Understand the impact of disabling specific cookies
- Save your preferences for future visits
- Change your settings at any time
Browser Cookie Controls
Most web browsers provide built-in cookie management tools that allow you to:
- View all cookies stored on your device
- Delete specific cookies or all cookies
- Block cookies from specific websites
- Set cookies to expire when you close your browser
- Receive notifications when cookies are set
Browser-Specific Instructions
- Google Chrome: Settings > Privacy and security > Cookies and other site data
- Mozilla Firefox: Settings > Privacy & Security > Cookies and Site Data
- Safari: Preferences > Privacy > Manage Website Data
- Microsoft Edge: Settings > Cookies and site permissions > Cookies and site data
- Internet Explorer: Tools > Internet Options > Privacy > Advanced
Mobile Device Settings
Mobile browsers also provide cookie management options:
- iOS Safari: Settings > Safari > Privacy & Security
- Android Chrome: Chrome app > Settings > Privacy and security
- Mobile Firefox: Firefox app > Settings > Privacy
Important Note: Disabling certain cookies may affect website functionality and your user experience. Essential cookies cannot be disabled as they are necessary for basic website operation.
6. Cookie Retention and Deletion
Different cookies have different retention periods based on their purpose and function. We regularly review and clean up unnecessary cookies to minimize data collection.
Retention Periods by Category
- Session Cookies: Automatically deleted when you close your browser
- Essential Cookies: Retained for the minimum time necessary for functionality (typically 24 hours to 1 year)
- Analytics Cookies: Typically retained for 2 years to enable long-term trend analysis
- Functional Cookies: Retained for 7 days to 1 year depending on the specific function
- Performance Cookies: Usually retained for 24 hours to 30 days for optimization purposes
Automatic Deletion
Cookies are automatically deleted when they reach their expiration date. We regularly audit our cookie usage to ensure retention periods are appropriate and minimize unnecessary data collection.
Manual Deletion
You can manually delete cookies at any time through your browser settings or our cookie preference center. Deleting cookies will reset your preferences and may require you to re-enter information on subsequent visits.
7. Impact of Disabling Cookies
While you have the right to disable cookies, doing so may affect your experience on our website. Here's what to expect when different cookie types are disabled:
Disabling Essential Cookies
Essential cookies cannot be disabled as they are necessary for basic website functionality. Attempting to block these cookies may result in:
- Inability to submit contact forms or use interactive features
- Security vulnerabilities and potential exposure to attacks
- Loss of session state and repeated login requirements
- Broken website functionality and navigation issues
Disabling Analytics Cookies
Disabling analytics cookies will not affect website functionality but may result in:
- Less personalized content recommendations
- Reduced ability to improve website performance based on usage data
- Limited insights into popular content and user preferences
- Slower identification and resolution of technical issues
Disabling Functional Cookies
Disabling functional cookies may result in:
- Loss of saved preferences and settings
- Need to re-enter information in forms and calculators
- Reduced personalization and customization options
- Less efficient user experience and increased repetitive tasks
Disabling Performance Cookies
Disabling performance cookies may result in:
- Slower website loading times and reduced optimization
- Less efficient content delivery and resource allocation
- Reduced ability to identify and fix performance issues
- Suboptimal user experience during peak usage periods
8. International Data Transfers
Some of our third-party cookie providers may transfer and process cookie data in countries outside your jurisdiction. We ensure appropriate safeguards are in place for international data transfers.
Transfer Safeguards
- Standard contractual clauses approved by data protection authorities
- Adequacy decisions recognizing equivalent levels of data protection
- Privacy Shield certification (where applicable)
- Binding corporate rules for multinational service providers
Data Processing Locations
Cookie data may be processed in the United States, European Union, and other countries where our service providers operate. We ensure all processing locations maintain adequate data protection standards.
9. Children's Privacy and Cookies
Our website and services are designed for business use and are not directed toward children under 18 years of age. We do not knowingly collect cookie data from children.
Parental Controls
Parents and guardians can use browser parental controls and privacy settings to manage cookie collection on devices used by children. If we become aware that we have collected cookie data from a child under 18, we will delete such information promptly.
Educational Use
If our website is accessed in educational settings, we recommend that institutions review their privacy policies and obtain appropriate consents for cookie usage on behalf of students.
10. Cookie Security and Data Protection
We implement comprehensive security measures to protect cookie data and prevent unauthorized access, modification, or disclosure.
Security Measures
- Encryption: Sensitive cookie data is encrypted both in transit and at rest
- Secure Transmission: Cookies are transmitted over secure HTTPS connections
- Access Controls: Strict access controls limit who can view or modify cookie data
- Regular Audits: Periodic security audits ensure ongoing protection of cookie data
- Incident Response: Established procedures for responding to security incidents involving cookie data
Data Minimization
We follow data minimization principles by:
- Collecting only necessary cookie data for specified purposes
- Using the shortest retention periods appropriate for each cookie type
- Regularly reviewing and deleting unnecessary cookie data
- Implementing privacy-by-design principles in cookie deployment
11. Updates to This Cookie Policy
We may update this Cookie Policy from time to time to reflect changes in our practices, technology, legal requirements, or other factors that affect how we use cookies.
Notification of Changes
- Website Notice: Prominent notice on our website for significant changes
- Email Notification: Direct email to registered users for material changes
- Cookie Banner Update: Updated consent banner highlighting policy changes
- Version History: Maintained record of policy versions and effective dates
Effective Date of Changes
Changes to this Cookie Policy become effective immediately upon posting on our website, unless otherwise specified. Your continued use of our website after any changes constitutes acceptance of the updated policy.
Granular Consent
For significant changes that affect cookie collection or usage, we may request renewed consent through our cookie consent banner to ensure you have control over new cookie practices.
12. Contact Information and Cookie Support
If you have any questions about this Cookie Policy, our cookie practices, or need assistance managing your cookie preferences, please contact us:
Support Response Times
- Cookie preference issues: Within 24 hours
- Technical cookie problems: Within 48 hours
- General policy questions: Within 3 business days
- Formal privacy requests: Within 30 days as required by law
Additional Resources
For more information about cookies and online privacy, you may find these resources helpful: