Cookie Preferences
Last Updated: 16 July 2026
Effective Date: 16 July 2026
2. Introduction
Privacy Notice
When you visit The Guts Guide, we and our third-party partners may place cookies and similar tracking technologies on your device. This Cookie Preferences page explains each category of cookie we use, what it does, and gives you the information you need to make an informed choice about which ones you accept.
Your preferences are entirely your own. Accepting or declining any optional category of cookie will not affect your access to any of our free troubleshooting guides or articles. We will never restrict content based on the cookie choices you make.
For full technical detail on every cookie and third-party service we use, please read our Cookie Policy. For information on how we handle your personal data more broadly, see our Privacy Policy.
3. Why Cookie Preferences Matter
Cookie preferences give you meaningful control over your digital experience. Here is why each aspect of that control matters:
Privacy
Some cookies — particularly advertising cookies — track your browsing activity across multiple websites to build a profile of your interests. Choosing to decline these cookies means that kind of cross-site tracking does not happen through our website.
Personalisation
Functional and preference cookies remember the choices you have made — such as your display theme — so you do not have to reset them on every visit. If you decline these, the website will not be able to remember your individual settings between sessions.
Security
Security cookies are essential for protecting this website and its visitors. They help our systems distinguish genuine visitors from bots, prevent abuse of our contact forms, and enable our web application firewall to protect against malicious traffic. These cannot be disabled.
Performance
Performance and analytics cookies help us understand how our troubleshooting guides are being used — which pages load slowly, where technical errors occur, and which guides are most helpful to readers. This information guides our content improvement decisions.
Transparency
Presenting cookie categories clearly, with plain-language explanations, is a core principle of modern privacy law and our own commitment to operating openly. We believe you should always know what data is collected about your visit and why.
4. How Consent Works
Consent Notice — GDPR and ePrivacy Directive
Accept All
Choosing "Accept All" on our cookie banner permits all categories of cookie — including analytics, functional, and advertising cookies — to be placed on your device immediately. This is the simplest option and allows us to deliver personalised advertising and a fully featured browsing experience.
Reject Non-Essential
Choosing "Reject Non-Essential" (or "Decline All") allows only essential and security cookies — those without which the website cannot function or remain secure. No analytics, advertising, functional, or preference cookies will be placed. You will still have full access to all of our guides.
Customise Your Preferences
Choosing "Manage Preferences" or "Customise" opens a detailed preference panel where you can switch each category of optional cookie on or off independently. This gives you the most granular level of control over your cookie experience.
Withdraw Consent
You may withdraw consent for any optional cookie category at any time by clicking the "Cookie Preferences" link in our website footer. Withdrawing consent takes effect immediately — new cookies in the declined category will not be set after that point. It does not affect processing that took place while consent was in force.
Update Preferences
Your preferences can be updated at any time. There is no limit on how often you can change them. Simply visit this page or click the Cookie Preferences link in our footer and adjust the toggles to reflect your current choices.
5. Cookie Categories
The following sections describe each category of cookie we use in detail. A summary table follows in Section 6.
Required for the website to load and function. Cannot be disabled.
Remember your preferences such as display theme and saved settings.
Help us understand how visitors use our guides (e.g. Google Analytics).
Monitor page speed and technical errors to improve website reliability.
Used by ad networks to serve relevant ads and measure campaign performance.
Set by social platforms when you interact with embedded content or share buttons.
Necessary Cookies — Always Active
Necessary Cookies
Necessary cookies are placed automatically whenever you visit our website. They are strictly required and cannot be disabled without breaking core website functionality. Examples include:
- Session cookies — maintain your browsing state as you navigate between pages during a single visit.
- Security tokens — protect interactive elements such as our contact form from automated abuse.
- Cloudflare security cookies (
cf_clearance,__cf_bm) — enable our web application firewall to distinguish legitimate human visitors from bots and shield the website from DDoS attacks. - Consent cookie — records the cookie preferences you have set so we can honour them on future visits without asking you again every time.
Can they be disabled? No. Disabling necessary cookies will prevent the website from loading correctly and may expose it to security risks.
Functional Cookies
Functional cookies enable features that are not strictly essential but make the website more convenient and personalised to your preferences. They remember choices you have actively made, such as:
- Your display theme (light or dark mode).
- Whether you have previously dismissed a notification or announcement.
- Temporary navigation state that improves usability during longer reading sessions.
Can they be disabled? Yes. If you decline functional cookies, the website will still load and all content will remain accessible, but your preferences will not be remembered between visits.
Analytics Cookies
Analytics Cookies
Analytics cookies are provided primarily by Google Analytics and collect pseudonymised information about how visitors use our website. This includes:
- Which pages and guides are visited and in what order.
- How long visitors spend reading each article.
- The general geographic region (country or city) where visitors are located.
- The device type, operating system, and browser used.
- How visitors arrived at our website (search engine, direct link, social media, etc.).
All analytics data is pseudonymised — it cannot directly identify you by name or email address. Reports are delivered in aggregate form. We use this data solely to improve our guides and ensure we are writing about the printer problems that matter most to our readers.
Can they be disabled? Yes. You can decline analytics cookies in our consent tool or install the Google Analytics Opt-Out Browser Add-On.
Performance Cookies
Performance cookies measure the technical health of our website — including how quickly pages load, whether errors occur during page rendering, and how our servers respond under load. Unlike analytics cookies, performance cookies focus on technical operation rather than visitor behaviour.
- Page load time measurement across different connection speeds.
- JavaScript error logging to identify and fix broken features quickly.
- Server response monitoring to detect downtime or slow responses.
Can they be disabled? Yes. Disabling performance cookies means we may be slower to identify and resolve technical issues affecting your experience.
Advertising Cookies
Advertising Cookies
Advertising cookies are placed by our advertising network partners to serve relevant advertisements and measure how well they perform. These cookies enable:
- Interest-based targeting: Ads are selected based on your browsing history across multiple websites, not just ours.
- Frequency capping: Limiting how often you see the same advertisement across a given period.
- Conversion tracking: Measuring whether an ad resulted in a click, visit, or purchase on the advertiser's website.
- Remarketing: Displaying advertisements for products or services you have previously shown interest in.
Common advertising cookies include IDE (Google Display Network), _gcl_au (Google Ads), and ANID (Google advertising identifier).
Can they be disabled? Yes. Declining advertising cookies opts you out of interest-based advertising. You will still see advertisements, but they will be based on the content of the page you are reading rather than your browsing history.
Social Media Cookies
Social media cookies may be placed when our pages include social sharing buttons or embedded social media content. These cookies are set by the social media platforms themselves, not by us, and are governed by those platforms' own privacy policies.
- Sharing buttons: Platforms like Twitter/X, Facebook, and LinkedIn may set cookies to enable the sharing functionality and to track clicks on share buttons.
- Embedded content: If a social media post or feed is embedded in a page, the relevant platform may set cookies when that content loads.
- Social widgets: Follow buttons and social profile links may load scripts from social platforms that set their own cookies.
Can they be disabled? Yes. Declining social media cookies means sharing buttons may not function correctly and embedded social content may not load.
6. Cookie Categories at a Glance
| Category | Purpose | Required? | Can Be Disabled? | Examples |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Necessary | Core website function, session management, security | Yes | No | cf_clearance, __cf_bm, session_id, cookie_consent |
| Functional | Display preferences, dismissed notifications, theme choice | No | Yes | theme_pref, user_prefs |
| Analytics | Traffic measurement, content performance, audience insights | No | Yes | _ga, _gid, _ga_* |
| Performance | Page speed monitoring, error detection, server health | No | Yes | perf_*, apm_* |
| Advertising | Interest-based ads, frequency capping, conversion tracking | No | Yes | IDE, _gcl_au, ANID |
| Social Media | Social sharing, embedded social content, follow widgets | No | Yes | Varies by platform |
7. Changing Your Preferences
Cookie Banner
The quickest way to update your cookie preferences is to click the "Cookie Preferences" link in the footer of any page on our website. This reopens the full preference panel where you can adjust any category toggle. Changes take effect immediately.
Browser Settings
Every major browser includes built-in cookie controls. You can block all cookies, delete specific cookies, or prevent third-party cookies from being set. Access cookie settings via:
- Chrome: Settings → Privacy and security → Cookies and other site data
- Firefox: Settings → Privacy & Security → Cookies and Site Data
- Safari: Preferences → Privacy → Manage Website Data
- Edge: Settings → Cookies and site permissions → Cookies and site data
- Opera: Settings → Advanced → Privacy & security → Cookies
Deleting Cookies
You can delete all existing cookies at any time through your browser settings. Note that deleting cookies will also remove your saved cookie preferences — the next time you visit our website, you will be asked to set your preferences again from scratch.
Clearing Cache
Clearing your browser cache removes stored page data, images, and scripts. This is separate from deleting cookies and does not affect your saved cookie preferences. However, clearing both cache and cookies together is a common troubleshooting step if a website is not behaving as expected.
Incognito / Private Browsing Mode
Browsing in incognito or private mode prevents cookies from being saved to your device beyond the current session. Any cookies set during the private session are deleted when you close the private window. Your previously saved cookie preferences will not apply during incognito sessions — you will start with a clean slate each time.
8. Impact of Disabling Cookies
Below is a clear summary of what you can expect to change if you disable each category of cookie on The Guts Guide.
| If You Disable… | What Changes |
|---|---|
| Necessary Cookies | The website will not function. Pages will not load correctly, navigation will break, and security protections will be disabled. These cannot be turned off. |
| Functional Cookies | Your display theme and any other preference settings will reset to defaults on each visit. You may need to re-dismiss notifications or re-apply preferences manually. |
| Analytics Cookies | We will not be able to measure which guides are being read, identify content gaps, or improve our articles based on reader behaviour. No impact on your browsing experience. |
| Performance Cookies | Technical errors and slow page loads may go undetected for longer, potentially affecting the speed and reliability of the website over time. |
| Advertising Cookies | Advertisements will still appear but will be non-personalised (contextual), based on the content of the page you are reading rather than your broader browsing interests. |
| Social Media Cookies | Social sharing buttons may not load or function correctly. Embedded social media content may be replaced by a placeholder or fail to load entirely. |
9. International Privacy Rights
GDPR (European Economic Area)
Under the EU General Data Protection Regulation, you have the right to give or withhold consent for non-essential cookies, withdraw consent at any time, access personal data collected through cookies, request its deletion, and lodge a complaint with your national data protection authority if you believe your rights have been violated.
UK GDPR
The UK GDPR and Privacy and Electronic Communications Regulations (PECR) apply the same consent requirements as the EU framework. UK residents may lodge complaints with the Information Commissioner's Office (ICO) at ico.org.uk.
CCPA / CPRA (California)
California residents have the right to opt out of the "sale" or "sharing" of personal information with advertising partners. Declining advertising cookies in our preference panel achieves this. California residents may also request access to, correction of, or deletion of personal data collected through our website. We honour the Global Privacy Control (GPC) signal as an automatic opt-out signal. See our Privacy Policy for full CCPA/CPRA details.
10. Google Consent Mode
Google Consent Mode v2 is a framework developed by Google that allows our website to communicate your consent choices directly to Google's advertising and analytics systems. When you make a choice on our cookie banner, that choice is passed to Google, which adjusts its data collection accordingly.
What Changes Based on Your Consent
- If you accept analytics cookies: Google Analytics collects full session data and reports it in our analytics dashboard to help us understand how our guides are used.
- If you decline analytics cookies: Google Analytics switches to modelled (aggregated) reporting, which does not associate any data with your specific visit. No identifiable data is collected.
- If you accept advertising cookies: Google Ads and the display network can serve personalised advertisements and track conversions with full accuracy.
- If you decline advertising cookies: Google's advertising systems operate in a limited mode. Ads may still appear but are not personalised, and conversion tracking is significantly restricted.
Google Consent Mode ensures that your choices are respected not just on our website but also within Google's own data infrastructure. It is one of the most important tools we use to honour privacy preferences in a technically meaningful way.
11. Updating Your Preferences
You are free to update your cookie preferences at any time — there is no restriction on how often you can change them. To update your preferences:
- Click the "Cookie Preferences" link in the footer of any page on our website.
- The preference panel will open showing your current selections.
- Toggle any category on or off as desired.
- Save your updated choices — they take effect immediately and are stored for future visits.
If you clear your browser cookies, your saved preferences will also be cleared. The next time you visit, our cookie banner will appear again and you will need to make your choices afresh. This is by design — we cannot restore your previous preferences without the consent cookie that stores them.
If you use multiple browsers or devices, your preferences are stored separately on each. Choices made on your laptop do not carry over to your phone. You will need to set your preferences on each browser you use to visit our website.
12. Frequently Asked Questions
What happens if I reject all non-essential cookies?
You will still have full access to every troubleshooting guide, how-to article, and resource on The Guts Guide. Only essential and security cookies will be placed on your device. You will not see personalised advertisements, your display preferences will not be saved between visits, and we will not collect analytics data about your visit.
Can I change my cookie choices after I have already made them?
Yes, at any time. Click the "Cookie Preferences" link in our footer to reopen the preference panel. Adjust any toggle and save your changes. The new preferences take effect immediately.
Do necessary cookies track me?
No. Necessary cookies perform purely functional roles — maintaining your session, enabling security protections, and recording your cookie consent choices. They do not collect information about your interests, browsing history across other websites, or any other data used for advertising or profiling purposes.
Are advertising cookies required to use the website?
No. Advertising cookies are entirely optional. Declining them has no effect on your ability to access any content on this website. You will still see advertisements, but they will be contextual (based on the page content) rather than interest-based.
Will Google Maps still work if I decline cookies?
Google Maps embeds may be limited if you decline functional or analytics cookies, as Google may not set the cookies needed to load the full map interface. The written content of the guide will always remain fully accessible, and in most cases maps can still be viewed without full cookie acceptance.
Will YouTube videos still play if I decline cookies?
We use YouTube's privacy-enhanced embed mode, which means YouTube does not set cookies unless you actively press play on a video. If you decline social or advertising cookies and then press play, the video may set cookies in line with YouTube's own policies. If this concerns you, you can interact with the guide's written content without playing any embedded videos.
Can I disable Google Analytics specifically?
Yes. Declining analytics cookies in our preference panel stops Google Analytics from collecting data about your visits. You can also install the free Google Analytics Opt-Out Browser Add-On from tools.google.com/dlpage/gaoptout, which prevents Google Analytics from tracking your visits to any website that uses it.
Will deleting my browser cookies remove my saved preferences?
Yes. Your cookie preferences are stored in a first-party cookie on your device. If you clear all cookies in your browser, that preference record is deleted along with the rest. The next time you visit our website, the cookie consent banner will appear again and you will need to set your preferences from scratch.
Why is the cookie banner appearing again when I have already set preferences?
This usually happens for one of three reasons: you cleared your browser cookies or browsing data; you are using a different browser or device; or we have updated our Cookie Policy in a way that requires you to re-confirm your preferences. In any of these cases, your previous preferences are no longer stored and you will be asked to choose again.
Are cookies secure?
The cookies we and our trusted partners set are transmitted over HTTPS, meaning they are encrypted in transit. Our security cookies (set by Cloudflare) actively protect the website and your connection. That said, you should always keep your browser updated and avoid accessing websites on public, unsecured Wi-Fi networks where your connection could be intercepted.
What is the Global Privacy Control (GPC) and do you support it?
The GPC is a browser-level signal that tells websites you do not want your personal information sold or shared for cross-context behavioural advertising. We honour GPC signals — if your browser sends one, we treat it as an automatic opt-out from advertising cookies, equivalent to manually declining them in our preference panel.
Do my cookie preferences apply on all my devices?
No. Cookie preferences are stored as a cookie on your specific browser on your specific device. If you use multiple browsers or multiple devices, you will need to set your preferences separately on each one.
How long are my consent preferences stored?
Your preference record is stored for up to 12 months. After that period, you may be asked to re-confirm your choices. You can update your preferences at any time before that period expires by using the Cookie Preferences link in our footer.
What is Google Consent Mode and how does it affect my experience?
Google Consent Mode is a technical framework that communicates your consent choices to Google's analytics and advertising systems. If you decline analytics or advertising cookies, Google's systems switch to a restricted mode — collecting less data and relying on modelled rather than individual-level reporting. It ensures your choices are technically honoured within Google's infrastructure, not just on our website.
How do I contact you about a cookie concern?
Email us at info@thegutsguide.com. We aim to respond within 10 business days. For formal data rights requests under GDPR or CCPA/CPRA, please include your request in writing and we will respond within the legally required timeframe.
13. Contact Information
If you have any questions about your cookie preferences, wish to exercise a privacy right, or need to raise a concern about our cookie practices, please contact us 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
- Cookie Policy — full technical detail on every cookie and third-party service we use.
- Privacy Policy — how we collect, use, and protect your personal data.
- Terms of Use — the terms governing your use of this website.
- Disclaimer — limitations on our educational content.
This Cookie Preferences page was last reviewed on 16 July 2026. The Guts Guide — Free Educational Printer Troubleshooting Guides. Not affiliated with any manufacturer or brand.