Cookie Policy
1. What Are Cookies?
Cookies are small text files placed on your device (computer, tablet, or mobile phone) when you visit a website. They are widely used to make websites function properly, improve user experience, and provide information to website operators. Cookies may be “first-party” (set by us) or “third-party” (set by our service providers).
2. How We Use Cookies
We use cookies and similar technologies for the following purposes:
- Essential website functionality (login sessions, paywall access, security)
- Analytics and performance monitoring (understanding how visitors use our Website)
- Marketing attribution (tracking which campaigns and content drive subscriptions)
- Content personalization (remembering your preferences and subscription tier)
3. Types of Cookies We Use
3.1 Strictly Necessary Cookies
These cookies are essential for the operation of our Website. Without them, core features such as user authentication and subscription access would not function. These cookies cannot be disabled.
| Cookie Name | Purpose | Expiry |
|---|---|---|
wordpress_logged_in_* |
Maintains your authenticated session after login | Session / 14 days |
wordpress_sec_* |
Secure authentication token for logged-in users | Session / 14 days |
wp-settings-* |
Stores your WordPress interface preferences | 1 year |
mepr_* |
MemberPress session and subscription validation | Session |
PHPSESSID |
Server-side session identifier | Session |
__stripe_mid / __stripe_sid |
Stripe payment processing and fraud prevention | 1 year / 30 min |
3.2 Analytics Cookies
These cookies help us understand how visitors interact with our Website by collecting and reporting information anonymously. We use this data to improve our content and Website performance.
| Cookie Name | Purpose | Expiry |
|---|---|---|
_ga |
Google Analytics: Distinguishes unique visitors (GA4) | 2 years |
_ga_* |
Google Analytics: Maintains session state (GA4) | 2 years |
_gid |
Google Analytics: Distinguishes unique visitors (24-hour) | 24 hours |
_gat |
Google Analytics: Throttles request rate | 1 minute |
We have configured Google Analytics 4 with the following privacy-enhancing settings:
- IP anonymization is enabled
- Data sharing with Google products is disabled
- Data retention is set to 14 months
- User-ID tracking is limited to authenticated subscribers only
3.3 Marketing and Attribution Cookies
These cookies track the effectiveness of our marketing campaigns and help us understand which content drives subscriptions. They are set by our Growth Marketing Plugin.
| Cookie Name | Purpose | Expiry |
|---|---|---|
quwa_attr_campaign |
Tracks the marketing campaign that referred you | 30 days |
quwa_attr_post |
Identifies the article that led to a conversion action | 30 days |
quwa_attr_source |
Records the referral source URL | 30 days |
quwa_visitor_id |
Pseudonymous identifier for visitor-level analytics | 1 year |
quwa_cta_shown |
Prevents repeated display of the same call-to-action | Session |
quwa_exit_intent |
Prevents repeated display of exit-intent popups | 7 days |
3.4 Email Service Provider Cookies
When you interact with our email campaigns, the following cookies may be set:
| Cookie Name | Purpose | Expiry |
|---|---|---|
__brevo_* |
Brevo: Email engagement tracking and form submissions | Varies |
ml_* |
MailerLite: Subscriber identification and form analytics | Varies |
4. Managing Your Cookie Preferences
4.1 Cookie Consent Banner
When you first visit our Website, you will be presented with a cookie consent banner that allows you to accept or reject non-essential cookies. You can change your preferences at any time by clicking the cookie settings link in our Website footer.
4.2 Browser Settings
Most web browsers allow you to control cookies through their settings. You can typically:
- View what cookies are stored on your device
- Delete all or specific cookies
- Block all cookies or only third-party cookies
- Set preferences for certain websites
Please note that blocking or deleting certain cookies may affect the functionality of our Website, including your ability to log in or access subscriber content.
4.3 Opt-Out Links
You can opt out of specific third-party tracking using the following tools:
- Google Analytics: Install the Google Analytics Opt-Out Browser Add-on
- General advertising cookies: Visit www.youradchoices.ca (Digital Advertising Alliance of Canada)
- European users: Visit www.youronlinechoices.eu (European Interactive Digital Advertising Alliance)
5. Do Not Track Signals
Some browsers include a “Do Not Track” (DNT) feature that signals to websites that you do not wish to be tracked. There is currently no universal standard for how websites should respond to DNT signals. At this time, our Website does not respond to DNT signals, but we honour cookie preferences as set through our cookie consent banner.
6. Similar Technologies
In addition to cookies, we may use the following similar technologies:
- Local Storage: Used to store non-sensitive preferences and UI state (such as cookie consent status) in your browser’s local storage. Local storage data does not expire automatically but can be cleared through your browser settings.
- Pixel Tags / Web Beacons: Small transparent images embedded in emails or web pages that allow us to track email opens and page views. These are used by Brevo and MailerLite for email engagement analytics.
- Server Logs: Our web servers automatically record certain information about each request, including IP address, timestamp, requested URL, and referrer. This data is retained for 90 days for security and diagnostic purposes.
7. Changes to This Cookie Policy
We may update this Cookie Policy from time to time to reflect changes in our practices or applicable law. We will post the updated Policy on our Website with a revised effective date. Material changes will be communicated through our cookie consent banner.
8. Contact
If you have questions about our use of cookies or this Cookie Policy, please contact:
| Field | Details |
|---|---|
| Privacy Officer | Bilal Khan, CEO and Editor-in-Chief |
| [email protected] | |
| Website | https://quwa.org/contact |