This policy lists every cookie we set, what it does and how long it lasts.
The summary: we set the cookies needed to log you in, keep your basket, and stop form abuse. We set no advertising cookies, run no third-party trackers, and build no behavioural profiles. That is why you are not being asked to dismiss a consent banner.
1. What cookies are
A cookie is a small text file a site stores in your browser so it can recognise you on the next request. Related technologies — local storage and session storage — work similarly and are covered by this policy.
2. Strictly necessary cookies
These are required for the site to work. Under PECR they do not require consent, and the site cannot function without them.
| Cookie | Purpose | Expires |
|---|---|---|
apx_client_sid | Keeps you signed in to the client area | 7 days, or when you sign out |
apx_admin_sid | Keeps staff signed in to the admin portal | 12 hours, or on sign-out |
apx_cart | Remembers what is in your basket between visits | 30 days |
apx_csrf | Protects forms against cross-site request forgery | Session |
All are set as HttpOnly where the browser does not need to read them, Secure so they only travel over HTTPS, and SameSite=Lax to limit cross-site use.
3. Functional storage
We use your browser's local storage to remember small preferences — for example the currency you selected, or which panels you collapsed in the client area. This never leaves your device.
4. Third-party cookies
| Source | When it applies | Purpose |
|---|---|---|
| Cloudflare Turnstile | On public forms only | Distinguishes people from bots without tracking them across sites |
| Payment provider | On the payment page only | Fraud prevention and 3-D Secure |
Neither is used to profile you or to target advertising.
5. Analytics
We use Google Analytics 4 to count page views and see which guides get read. It only runs if you press Accept on the cookie banner. If you reject, or ignore the banner, the Google script is never requested — not loaded and blocked, but never downloaded at all.
Where it does run, we enable IP anonymisation, so your address is truncated before Google stores it. Google acts as our processor for this data, and it may be transferred outside the UK under their standard contractual clauses.
You can change your mind at any time — see Managing cookies below.
6. What we do not use
No Meta pixel. No advertising or retargeting cookies. No cross-site tracking. No data sold to brokers. Nothing on this site profiles you for advertising.
7. Managing cookies
To change your analytics choice, use the Cookie settings link in the footer of any page. That reopens the banner so you can accept or reject again. Your choice is stored in your browser, not in a cookie, so clearing cookies alone will not reset it.
You can also delete or block cookies in your browser settings:
- Chrome — Settings → Privacy and security → Third-party cookies
- Firefox — Settings → Privacy & Security → Cookies and Site Data
- Safari — Settings → Privacy → Manage Website Data
- Edge — Settings → Cookies and site permissions
Blocking the strictly necessary cookies above will stop you signing in and stop the basket working. That is a limitation of how sessions work, not a choice on our part.
7. Changes
If we add a cookie, this table changes before the cookie ships. Any change that would require consent under PECR will be accompanied by a consent mechanism.
Questions: privacy@apaxonhost.com.