Cookie Policy
Last Updated: 16 July 2026
Effective Date: 16 July 2026
2. Introduction
This Cookie Policy explains how The Guts Guide uses cookies and similar tracking technologies when you visit our website. It describes what these technologies are, why we use them, and what choices you have over how they are applied.
This Cookie Policy forms part of our broader privacy framework and should be read alongside our Privacy Policy, which covers personal data collection and processing more generally, and our Terms of Use.
By continuing to use our website after being presented with our cookie consent banner, you agree to the use of cookies in accordance with the preferences you have selected. You can change or withdraw your cookie preferences at any time — see Section 11 for details.
Consent Notice
3. What Are Cookies?
Cookies and similar technologies are small pieces of data that websites store on your device when you visit them. They serve a wide range of purposes — from keeping you logged in to helping us understand how visitors use our content. Here is a plain-language explanation of each type.
Cookies
A cookie is a small text file placed on your computer, tablet, or smartphone by a website you visit. Cookies are sent back to the originating website each time your browser makes a request, allowing the website to recognise your device and remember information about your visit — such as your preferred language or whether you have already accepted a consent notice.
Pixels and Web Beacons
A tracking pixel (also called a web beacon or clear GIF) is a tiny, usually invisible image embedded in a web page or email. When your browser loads the image, it sends a signal to the server that issued the pixel. Advertising and analytics platforms use pixels to confirm that a page was viewed or an action was completed, such as clicking an advertisement.
Tags and Scripts
Tags are snippets of code — usually JavaScript — loaded by your browser when a page renders. Tag management platforms (such as Google Tag Manager) allow us to deploy and manage multiple analytics and advertising scripts from a single interface, without editing the website's source code directly. Each tag may itself set cookies or transmit data to a third party.
Local Storage and Session Storage
Some website features store data using your browser's built-in local storage or session storage mechanisms rather than traditional cookies. Unlike cookies, this data is not automatically sent to our servers with every request — it stays in your browser until it expires or is cleared. We may use local storage to remember your display preferences, such as dark mode, between visits.
Similar Technologies
This Cookie Policy covers all technologies that perform a functionally similar role to cookies, including those described above, device fingerprinting techniques used by some third-party advertising services, and any future tracking methods that achieve equivalent results.
4. Why We Use Cookies
We use cookies and similar technologies for the following purposes:
- Website functionality: To deliver core features such as navigation, search, and content display — without these, the website cannot function correctly.
- Security: To protect the website against malicious traffic, bot activity, and abuse, including via our web application firewall and DDoS protection provider.
- Performance monitoring: To track page load times and identify technical errors so we can maintain a fast and reliable experience.
- Analytics: To understand how visitors find and use our troubleshooting guides — which articles are most read, how long people spend on each page, and which content needs updating.
- Personalisation: To remember preferences you have set, such as your chosen display theme, so you do not have to reset them on every visit.
- Advertising: To serve and measure advertisements that help fund our free educational content, and to limit how often you see the same advertisement.
- Fraud prevention: To detect and block fraudulent traffic, click fraud, and other abusive behaviour that affects the reliability of our analytics and advertising data.
- Consent management: To record the cookie preferences you have set and honour them on return visits.
5. Types of Cookies We Use
Essential Cookies — Always Active
Essential Cookies
Essential cookies enable the core functionality of our website. They do not collect information used for marketing and cannot be switched off. Examples include session management cookies, load balancing cookies, and security tokens issued by our CDN provider.
Performance Cookies
Performance cookies help us understand how the website is functioning technically — measuring page load times, identifying errors, and monitoring server response. This data is used solely to maintain and improve website speed and reliability.
Analytics Cookies
Analytics Cookies
Analytics cookies — primarily set by Google Analytics — collect pseudonymised information about which pages you visit, how you arrived at the website, how long you stay, and what device and browser you use. This data is reported to us in aggregate and does not identify you personally.
Functional Cookies
Functional cookies enable enhanced features that go beyond strict necessity. Examples include remembering your display preferences (such as dark or light mode) and saving your cookie consent choices so you are not asked again on every visit.
Preference Cookies
Preference cookies store choices you have actively made — for example, text size preferences or whether you have previously dismissed a notification. They make the website feel more responsive to your individual use patterns.
Advertising Cookies
Advertising Cookies
Advertising cookies allow our advertising partners to track your browsing activity across multiple websites in order to build an interest profile and serve relevant advertisements. They also measure the performance of advertising campaigns, such as how many people clicked an advertisement after seeing it. We display advertising to fund our free educational content.
Security Cookies
Security cookies are set by our web application firewall and CDN provider (Cloudflare) to distinguish legitimate human visitors from automated bots, to protect against DDoS attacks, and to prevent fraud. These cookies are essential and cannot be disabled.
Social Media Cookies
Where our pages include social sharing buttons or embedded social media content, those platforms may set their own cookies when the content is loaded. These cookies are governed by the privacy policies of the respective social media platforms.
6. Detailed Cookie Categories
| Category | Purpose | Example Cookies | Retention | Required? |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Essential | Core navigation, session state, security tokens | _session, cf_clearance, PHPSESSID | Session / up to 1 year | Yes — cannot opt out |
| Performance | Page load speed, error monitoring, server health | perf_*, nr_*, apm_* | Session / up to 30 days | No — optional |
| Analytics | Traffic measurement, content performance, audience demographics | _ga, _gid, _ga_* | Up to 2 years | No — optional |
| Functional | Display theme preference, consent record, dismissed notifications | theme_pref, cookie_consent | Up to 1 year | No — optional |
| Preference | Reader preferences set during a visit | user_prefs, sidebar_state | Up to 6 months | No — optional |
| Advertising | Interest-based ad targeting, ad frequency capping, campaign measurement | IDE, _gcl_au, ANID, fr, _fbp | Up to 13 months | No — optional |
| Security | Bot detection, DDoS protection, fraud prevention | cf_clearance, __cf_bm, cf_chl_* | Session / up to 1 year | Yes — cannot opt out |
| Social Media | Social sharing button functionality, embedded social content | Varies by platform | Varies by platform | No — optional |
7. First-Party Cookies
First-party cookies are set directly by The Guts Guide's own servers when you visit our website. We use first-party cookies for the following purposes:
- Session management: Maintaining your browsing session so the website behaves consistently as you navigate between pages.
- Consent storage: Recording the cookie preferences you have selected so we can honour them and avoid asking you again on every visit.
- Display preferences: Remembering whether you have selected dark mode or any other visual preference we offer.
- Search functionality: Storing temporary search state to deliver consistent results as you use our on-site search.
- Security: Protecting our contact forms and interactive features against automated abuse and spam submissions.
First-party cookies do not track your activity across other websites. They are limited to your interaction with The Guts Guide.
8. Third-Party Cookies
Third-party cookies are set by external services integrated into our website. Each third party operates under its own privacy and cookie policies, which we encourage you to review.
Google Analytics
Google Analytics is provided by Google LLC and uses cookies (primarily _ga, _gid, and _ga_*) to measure website traffic and user behaviour in aggregate. Data is transferred to Google's servers, which may be located in the United States. Google Analytics data is pseudonymised and does not personally identify you. You can opt out using the Google Analytics Opt-Out Browser Add-On or by declining analytics cookies in our consent tool.
Google Tag Manager
Google Tag Manager (GTM) is used to deploy and manage our analytics and advertising tags without editing our website's code directly. GTM itself does not set analytics or advertising cookies — it acts as a container that loads the scripts that do. All tags deployed through GTM are subject to your consent preferences.
Google Maps
Some pages on our website may embed maps provided by Google Maps. When a Google Maps embed is loaded, Google may set cookies and collect your IP address and browser information. These cookies are subject to Google's Privacy Policy. We use privacy-enhanced embed settings where available to minimise unnecessary data collection.
YouTube
Some guides include instructional videos embedded from YouTube. We use YouTube's privacy-enhanced embed mode, which means YouTube does not set cookies on your device unless you choose to play the video. Once you interact with a video, YouTube may set cookies including YSC, VISITOR_INFO1_LIVE, and PREF.
Advertising Networks
We work with advertising networks to display ads on our website. These networks use cookies (such as IDE, _gcl_au, and ANID) to serve interest-based advertisements and measure campaign performance. You can opt out of personalised advertising via our cookie consent tool or through the industry opt-out platforms listed in Section 10.
Affiliate Platforms
Where affiliate links appear on our website, clicking them may cause the affiliate network to set a tracking cookie on your device to attribute any subsequent purchase to our referral. These cookies are set by the affiliate network, not by us, and are governed by the network's own privacy policy. They do not share your personal purchasing details with us — we only receive aggregate commission data.
Cloudflare
Our website uses Cloudflare as its content delivery network and web application firewall. Cloudflare sets security cookies such as cf_clearance and __cf_bm to distinguish legitimate visitors from bots and to protect the website from DDoS attacks and malicious traffic. These cookies are essential and cannot be disabled.
Google Fonts
We use Google Fonts to deliver consistent typography across our website. When Google Fonts loads, your browser makes a request to Google's servers, which may log your IP address. We do not use this service to set advertising cookies, and no personal profiling is performed through this integration on our behalf.
9. Cookie Duration
Session Cookies
Session cookies are temporary. They are created when you open our website and deleted automatically when you close your browser. We use session cookies to maintain your browsing session — for example, to carry your navigation state between pages during a single visit.
Persistent Cookies
Persistent cookies remain on your device for a defined period after you close your browser — ranging from a few days to several years, depending on the cookie's purpose. They are used for analytics, advertising, consent management, and preference storage.
| Cookie / Service | Type | Retention Period |
|---|---|---|
Session management (_session) | Session | Deleted when browser closes |
Cloudflare security (cf_clearance) | Persistent | Up to 1 year |
Cloudflare bot management (__cf_bm) | Session | 30 minutes |
Google Analytics (_ga) | Persistent | 2 years |
Google Analytics session (_gid) | Persistent | 24 hours |
Google Analytics property (_ga_*) | Persistent | 2 years |
Google Ads conversion (_gcl_au) | Persistent | 90 days |
Google advertising (ANID, IDE) | Persistent | Up to 13 months |
YouTube playback (YSC) | Session | Deleted when browser closes |
YouTube visitor info (VISITOR_INFO1_LIVE) | Persistent | 180 days |
Cookie consent preference | Persistent | 1 year |
Display theme preference | Persistent | 6 months |
Affiliate tracking | Persistent | Varies by network (30–90 days typical) |
10. Managing Cookies
Cookie Consent Tool
When you first visit our website you are presented with a cookie consent banner that lets you accept or decline each category of non-essential cookie. Your choices are stored and honoured on all subsequent visits. You can revisit and change your preferences at any time using the Cookie Preferences link in our website footer.
Browser Settings
All major browsers allow you to control cookies through their privacy and security settings. You can block all cookies, accept only first-party cookies, or delete existing cookies at any time. Please note that blocking essential cookies will prevent parts of our website from functioning correctly.
- Google Chrome: Settings → Privacy and security → Cookies and other site data
- Mozilla Firefox: Settings → Privacy & Security → Cookies and Site Data
- Apple Safari: Preferences → Privacy → Manage Website Data
- Microsoft Edge: Settings → Cookies and site permissions → Cookies and site data
- Opera: Settings → Advanced → Privacy & security → Cookies
Advertising Opt-Out Tools
You can opt out of interest-based advertising served by networks participating in industry self-regulatory programmes:
- Your Online Choices (EU / UK)
- Digital Advertising Alliance (US)
- Network Advertising Initiative (US)
- Google Ad Settings
Incognito / Private Browsing Mode
Browsing in incognito or private mode prevents cookies from being saved to your device between sessions. Cookies may still be set during your visit but are deleted when you close the private window. Note that this does not prevent third parties from seeing your IP address or tracking your activity during the session.
Global Privacy Control (GPC)
We honour the Global Privacy Control (GPC) signal. If your browser sends a GPC signal, we will treat it as a request to opt out of the sharing of your personal data with third parties for cross-context behavioural advertising. See our Privacy Policy — Do Not Sell section — for more details.
11. Cookie Consent
The Consent Banner
When you visit our website for the first time, a cookie consent banner is displayed. The banner explains which categories of cookie we use and gives you a clear choice to accept all, reject all, or customise your preferences by category. Non-essential cookies are not placed until you have made a choice.
Consent Management
Your consent choices are recorded in a consent cookie stored on your device. This cookie allows us to remember your preferences so that we do not ask you again on subsequent visits. If you clear your cookies, your preferences will also be cleared and you will be asked to set them again on your next visit.
Withdrawing Consent
You may withdraw your consent for any category of non-essential cookie at any time. Withdrawing consent does not affect any processing that took place while consent was in force. To withdraw consent, click the "Cookie Preferences" link in our footer and adjust your settings.
Changing Preferences
You can review and update your cookie preferences at any time by clicking the Cookie Preferences link in our website footer. Changes take effect immediately.
12. Impact of Disabling Cookies
Disabling certain categories of cookie may affect your experience on our website. The table below outlines what you can expect if you decline each category.
| Cookie Category | Impact If Disabled |
|---|---|
| Essential | The website will not load or function correctly. Navigation, search, and security features will be unavailable. |
| Performance | We will not be able to monitor page speed or detect errors, potentially leading to undetected technical issues. |
| Analytics | We will not be able to measure which guides are most useful or identify content gaps. This may slow our ability to improve the website. |
| Functional | Your display preferences (such as dark mode) will not be remembered between visits. |
| Preference | Personalised settings will not persist between sessions. |
| Advertising | Advertisements will still appear but will be contextual rather than interest-based. They may be less relevant to you. |
| Security | Security protections (DDoS mitigation, bot detection) will be impaired. We cannot disable these for this reason. |
| Social Media | Social sharing buttons may not function correctly or may not load. |
13. International Visitors
Our website is visited by readers from many countries, each with its own privacy legislation. While these laws differ in their specific requirements, we apply a consistent, high standard of cookie compliance across all visitors.
- European Economic Area: We comply with the EU GDPR and the ePrivacy Directive, obtaining explicit consent before placing non-essential cookies and providing granular control by category.
- United Kingdom: We comply with the UK GDPR and the Privacy and Electronic Communications Regulations (PECR), applying the same consent requirements as for EEA visitors.
- United States (California): We comply with the CCPA/CPRA, including the right to opt out of the sale or sharing of personal information. See Section 15 for California-specific rights.
- Canada: We comply with PIPEDA and provincial privacy laws where applicable.
- Australia: We comply with the Australian Privacy Act 1988 and the Australian Privacy Principles.
- Other jurisdictions: We apply reasonable privacy protections to all visitors, regardless of location.
14. GDPR Cookie Rights (EEA and United Kingdom)
For Visitors in the EEA and United Kingdom
Under the GDPR and UK GDPR, where cookies process personal data, you have the following rights:
- Right to be informed: This Cookie Policy fulfils our obligation to inform you about how we use cookies and what data they collect.
- Right to consent and withdraw consent: For non-essential cookies, we rely on your consent. You may withdraw that consent at any time using our cookie preferences tool without detriment.
- Right of access: You may request a copy of the personal data we hold about you, including data collected through cookies, by contacting us at our privacy email address.
- Right to erasure: You may request deletion of personal data processed through cookies. For third-party cookies, you will also need to contact the relevant third party directly.
- Right to object: You may object to processing based on legitimate interests — in particular, analytics and advertising — by declining the relevant cookie categories in our consent tool.
- Right to lodge a complaint: If you believe we have not complied with our cookie obligations, you may lodge a complaint with the Information Commissioner's Office (UK) at ico.org.uk, or with your national supervisory authority if you are in the EEA.
15. California Cookie Rights (CCPA / CPRA)
For California Residents
Right to Opt Out of Sale or Sharing
Under the CCPA/CPRA, sharing personal data with advertising partners for cross-context behavioural advertising may be classified as a "sale" or "sharing" of personal information, even where no money changes hands. You have the right to opt out of this at any time. To exercise this right, decline advertising cookies in our consent tool, or submit a request via our Privacy Policy — Do Not Sell section. We also honour the Global Privacy Control (GPC) signal.
Right to Delete
You may request deletion of personal information collected through cookies by contacting us at our privacy email address. Note that some data may be retained where legally required or where necessary for fraud prevention.
Right to Access
You may request disclosure of the categories and specific pieces of personal information we have collected about you through cookies, including the purposes for which it is used and the third parties it is shared with.
Right to Correction
Where we hold inaccurate personal information about you that was collected through our website, you have the right to request that we correct it.
Right to Non-Discrimination
We will not discriminate against you for exercising any CCPA/CPRA rights — including your right to opt out of advertising cookies. You will continue to have full access to our free educational content regardless of the cookie choices you make.
16. Google Analytics Opt-Out
You have several options for opting out of data collection by Google Analytics:
- Cookie consent tool: Decline analytics cookies when our consent banner is shown, or update your preferences at any time via the Cookie Preferences link in our footer.
- Google Analytics Opt-Out Browser Add-On: Install the free browser extension from tools.google.com/dlpage/gaoptout. This prevents Google Analytics from collecting data across all websites you visit.
- Google Ad Settings: Manage your Google advertising preferences at adssettings.google.com.
- Browser settings: Block or delete the
_ga,_gid, and_ga_*cookies using your browser's cookie management interface. - Google Privacy Policy: Review how Google processes analytics data at policies.google.com/privacy.
17. Updates to This Cookie Policy
We review this Cookie Policy periodically and update it whenever our use of cookies changes, new third-party services are added, or applicable law requires an update. When changes are made:
- The "Last Updated" date at the top of this page is revised.
- For significant changes, we may display a notice on our homepage or re-show the consent banner to allow you to review and re-confirm your preferences.
- Newsletter subscribers may be notified by email where changes materially affect how their data is processed.
We encourage you to review this page periodically. Your continued use of the website after an update constitutes acceptance of the revised Cookie Policy.
18. Contact Information
If you have any questions about how we use cookies, wish to exercise a privacy right, or want to raise a concern about our cookie practices, please contact us using the details below.
Company: BKT SOLUTIONS LLC
Website: thegutsguide.com
Address: 14801 Panatela Pkwy, Little Rock, AR 72206, United States
Email:info@thegutsguide.com
Related Legal Documents
- Privacy Policy — full details on how we collect and process personal data.
- Terms of Use — the terms governing your use of this website.
- Disclaimer — limitations on our educational content.
Cookie FAQs
What is a cookie and why does your website use them?
A cookie is a small text file stored on your device by a website you visit. We use cookies to make our website function correctly, understand how readers use our guides, serve advertising that funds our free content, and remember your display preferences. Most cookies on our site are optional — only essential and security cookies are placed automatically.
Can I use The Guts Guide without accepting cookies?
Yes. You can decline all non-essential cookies and still access all of our troubleshooting guides and articles. Essential cookies required for the site to load will still be placed, but these do not track you for advertising or analytics purposes.
Will the website work if I disable cookies in my browser?
If you disable all cookies in your browser, some features may not work correctly — including navigation state, search functionality, and display preference memory. However, the core content of our guides will still be accessible.
How do I change my cookie preferences after I have already set them?
Click the "Cookie Preferences" link in our website footer at any time. This reopens the consent tool and allows you to accept, decline, or adjust any category of non-essential cookie. Your updated preferences take effect immediately.
What are analytics cookies and what data do they collect?
Analytics cookies — primarily Google Analytics — collect pseudonymised information about which pages you visit, how you arrived at the site, how long you stay, and what device and browser you use. This data is reported to us in aggregate and cannot identify you personally. We use it to understand which guides are most useful and to plan new content.
What are advertising cookies and do I have to accept them?
Advertising cookies are used by our advertising partners to serve ads that may be relevant to your browsing history and to measure how well advertising campaigns perform. They are entirely optional. If you decline advertising cookies, you will still see advertisements on the website, but they will be contextual (based on the page content) rather than interest-based.
How long do cookies stay on my device?
It depends on the cookie. Session cookies are deleted when you close your browser. Persistent cookies remain for a defined period — ranging from 30 minutes for some security cookies to up to 2 years for Google Analytics identifiers. See the Cookie Duration table in Section 9 for specific retention periods.
Do you use third-party cookies?
Yes. We use third-party services including Google Analytics, Google Maps, YouTube, Cloudflare, and advertising networks, all of which may set their own cookies. These are governed by the privacy policies of the respective providers. You can opt out of third-party cookies using our consent tool or the opt-out tools listed in Section 10.
How do I delete cookies that are already on my device?
Open your browser's settings and navigate to the privacy or cookies section. Most browsers provide an option to view and delete individual cookies or clear all cookies for a specific website. Deleting cookies will also remove your saved cookie preferences, and you will be asked to set them again on your next visit.
What is the Google Analytics Opt-Out Add-On?
It is a free browser extension provided by Google that prevents Google Analytics from collecting data about your visits to any website that uses it. You can download it from tools.google.com/dlpage/gaoptout. It works in Chrome, Firefox, Safari, Opera, and Edge.
Does your website honour the Global Privacy Control (GPC) signal?
Yes. If your browser sends a GPC signal, we treat it as a request to opt out of the sharing of your personal information with advertising partners for cross-context behavioural advertising. You do not need to separately adjust your cookie preferences.
How do I contact you about a cookie concern?
Email us at info@thegutsguide.com. We aim to respond to all privacy and cookie enquiries within 10 business days. For formal GDPR rights requests, we respond within one calendar month.
This Cookie Policy was last reviewed on 16 July 2026. The Guts Guide — Free Educational Printer Troubleshooting Guides. Not affiliated with any manufacturer or brand.