What is a cookie
A cookie is a small text file that a website saves on your device to
remember something between page visits — for example, that you are
logged in, or that you have closed a notification banner. Some technologies
similar to cookies (localStorage, sessionStorage) work in the same
browser-side way and are covered by this policy.
What we set on your browser
We use only strictly necessary first-party cookies. We do not use advertising trackers (no Facebook Pixel, no Google Analytics, no third-party retargeting).
Cookies set by our site
gs_gate — signed HMAC token, used during pre-launch ("Under Construction" mode) to keep authorised users from being redirected to the gate page on every request. Lifetime: 7 days. Strictly necessary.
access_token — JWT session token issued at login. Lifetime: 24 hours. Strictly necessary.
ref — affiliate referral identifier when you arrive
via a partner link ?ref=<code>. Lifetime: 90 days. Strictly necessary
(functional — without it, the referring affiliate cannot be credited
when you sign up).
cookie_consent — remembers that you have closed the cookie notice. Lifetime: 365 days. Strictly necessary.
localStorage entries we set
winweatherbot.view — your preference between MAP (3D globe) and SITE views. Strictly functional.
admin_token — only set on the admin panel after admin login; never used on public pages.
What we do NOT set
- No third-party advertising cookies.
- No social-media tracking pixels.
- No remarketing or fingerprinting trackers.
- No third-party analytics (no Google Analytics, no Plausible, etc.) at the time of writing.
Consent under EU law
Under the EU ePrivacy Directive and GDPR, strictly necessary cookies do not require prior consent. Since all the cookies we set fall into this category, no consent banner is mandatory. We still display a small one-time notice for transparency.
How to disable cookies
You can disable cookies via your browser settings:
Note that disabling cookies will prevent login, license activation and affiliate attribution from working.
If this changes
Should we ever add analytics or other non-essential cookies, we will display a proper consent banner with opt-in granularity and update this page accordingly.