Full Disclosure of Cookies and Tracking Technologies
This page lists every category of cookie set on businessentitysearches.org/, who sets it, what it does, how long it lasts, and how to control it. We publish this separately from our Privacy Policy because cookie transparency is important enough to deserve its own page.
What This Policy Covers
1. What Are Cookies?
Cookies are small text files that a website places on your device — your computer, phone, or tablet — when you visit. They allow the website to remember information about your visit, such as your preferred language or whether you have already dismissed a notice. Most modern websites use cookies for some combination of essential function, performance measurement, personalization, and advertising.
Cookies have been around for nearly thirty years and are central to how the modern web works. They are not inherently good or bad — what matters is which cookies are set, what data they collect, who reads that data, and how long it is kept. The purpose of this policy is to make all of that transparent for our Site.
2. Types of Tracking Technology
The term “cookie” is shorthand for several related technologies that store or transmit information about your visit. We use the following types:
- HTTP cookies — the classic cookie file stored by your browser, used for sessions, preferences, and tracking
- Local storage and session storage — browser-side storage similar to cookies but persisting differently
- Web beacons (pixels) — tiny invisible images that signal a server when a page or email is opened
- Tag managers and SDKs — code from third-party providers (such as Google Tag Manager) that loads other tracking scripts
- Server logs — not cookies, but our servers automatically log each request as part of normal operation
For simplicity, this policy uses the word “cookies” to refer to all of the above unless we specify otherwise.
3. Categories of Cookies We Use
The cookies set on businessentitysearches.org/ fall into four categories. The categories below tell you what each kind of cookie is for and whether you can refuse it.
| Category | Required? | Purpose |
|---|---|---|
| Essential | Yes | Basic site function — security, load balancing, consent record |
| Analytics | Optional | Understanding how the Site is used so we can improve content |
| Advertising | Optional | Serving and measuring third-party advertisements |
| Functional | Optional | Remembering preferences such as accepted cookie banner choice |
4. Essential Cookies
Essential cookies are required for the Site to function properly. They do things like distinguish your session from another visitor’s session, protect against cross-site request forgery, balance load across servers, and remember whether you have already responded to the cookie banner. Without essential cookies, the Site cannot operate, which is why these are not subject to consent.
| Name | Set by | Purpose | Expiry |
|---|---|---|---|
| __cf_bm | Cloudflare | Bot management and security | 30 minutes |
| cf_clearance | Cloudflare | Security clearance after challenge | 30 days |
| PHPSESSID | Hosting | Maintains your session on the Site | Session |
| cookie_consent | businessentitysearches.org/ | Records your cookie banner choice | 12 months |
| wordpress_test_cookie | WordPress | Tests whether cookies are enabled | Session |
Essential cookies are not used to track your behaviour or build a profile. They keep the Site working, keep it secure, and remember the answer you have already given to the cookie banner. Disabling them in your browser may break parts of the Site.
5. Analytics Cookies
Analytics cookies help us understand how visitors use the Site so we can improve content. They tell us which guides are read most, which links are clicked, where readers come from (search engine, social media, direct visit), and where they appear to drop off. The data is processed in aggregate; we do not use it to identify individual visitors.
| Name | Set by | Purpose | Expiry |
|---|---|---|---|
| _ga | Google Analytics | Distinguishes unique users (anonymised) | 2 years |
| _ga_* | Google Analytics | Persists session state for GA4 | 2 years |
| _gid | Google Analytics | Distinguishes daily users | 24 hours |
| _gat | Google Analytics | Throttles request rate | 1 minute |
You can opt out of Google Analytics tracking by:
- Declining analytics cookies on our cookie banner
- Installing the official Google Analytics Opt-out Browser Add-on
- Adjusting cookie controls in your browser as described below
6. Advertising Cookies
Advertising cookies are set by Google AdSense and its associated networks to serve and measure third-party advertisements on the Site. They allow advertisers to show ads that may be relevant to your interests, to limit the number of times you see the same ad, and to measure the performance of an advertising campaign.
Advertising revenue is what allows the Site to remain free for readers and funds the verification work behind every guide. We have no commercial relationship with any individual advertiser; ad selection is handled by the network.
| Name | Set by | Purpose | Expiry |
|---|---|---|---|
| __gads | Google AdSense | Serves ads and limits frequency | 13 months |
| __gpi | Google AdSense | Provides ads or stores related info | 13 months |
| IDE | Google DoubleClick | Records ad performance metrics | 13 months |
| test_cookie | Google DoubleClick | Confirms browser supports ads | 15 minutes |
| NID | Stores user preferences for ads | 6 months |
You can opt out of personalized advertising by:
- Declining advertising cookies on our cookie banner
- Visiting Google Ads Settings to control how ads are personalized for you
- Visiting aboutads.info (US) for the Digital Advertising Alliance opt-out
- Visiting youronlinechoices.com (EU/UK) for the European Interactive Digital Advertising Alliance opt-out
- Visiting optout.networkadvertising.org for the Network Advertising Initiative opt-out
Use of advertising cookies that share information with third-party ad networks may be considered “sharing” of personal information under the California Privacy Rights Act (CPRA). You may opt out using the cookie banner or the industry tools above. We honor the Global Privacy Control (GPC) signal as a valid opt-out request.
7. Functional Cookies
Functional cookies remember preferences that personalize your experience but are not strictly required for the Site to operate. Examples include remembering an accessibility preference, a chosen text size, or whether you have dismissed a non-essential notice.
| Name | Set by | Purpose | Expiry |
|---|---|---|---|
| prefs_textsize | businessentitysearches.org/ | Remembers preferred text size | 12 months |
| notice_dismissed_* | businessentitysearches.org/ | Records dismissed informational notices | 6 months |
8. Third-Party Cookies
A "third-party cookie" is set by a domain other than businessentitysearches.org/ while you are visiting our Site. The most common third parties whose cookies you may encounter are listed below, with their privacy policies for further reading.
| Third Party | Purpose | Privacy Policy |
|---|---|---|
| Google (AdSense, Analytics, Tag Manager) | Advertising and analytics | policies.google.com/privacy |
| Cloudflare | Security and content delivery | cloudflare.com/privacypolicy |
| WordPress.org plugins | Site functionality | Provided by individual plugin authors |
Each third party operates under its own privacy policy. We have no control over what cookies they may set or what they do with the data once collected, beyond the contractual and technical controls available through their products.
9. Your Cookie Choices
The cookie banner that appears on your first visit gives you a clear set of choices:
- Accept all — allows essential, analytics, advertising, and functional cookies
- Reject non-essential — allows only essential cookies; analytics and advertising are blocked
- Manage preferences — turn each non-essential category on or off independently
Your choice is recorded in a small “cookie_consent” cookie so you are not asked again on every visit. You can change your choice at any time by clicking the “Cookie preferences” link in the Site footer or by clearing your browser cookies, which will trigger the banner on your next visit.
Every guide on the Site is fully accessible regardless of the cookie choices you make. Refusing analytics or advertising cookies does not put any content behind a paywall, hide any information, or change the layout of any page.
10. Browser Controls
Every modern browser lets you view, block, and delete cookies on a per-site or global basis. The links below take you directly to each browser’s cookie-management documentation.
- Google Chrome — Manage cookies and site data
- Mozilla Firefox — Clear cookies and site data
- Safari (Mac) — Manage cookies
- Safari (iOS) — Clear cookies and history
- Microsoft Edge — Delete cookies
- Opera — Web preferences
- Brave — Privacy features
Most browsers also offer a “private” or “incognito” mode that automatically discards cookies at the end of the session.
11. Industry Opt-Out Tools
The advertising industry maintains opt-out tools that let you opt out of personalized advertising across hundreds of participating networks at once.
- Digital Advertising Alliance (US) — aboutads.info/choices
- Network Advertising Initiative (US) — optout.networkadvertising.org
- European Interactive Digital Advertising Alliance (EU/UK) — youronlinechoices.com
- Digital Advertising Alliance of Canada — youradchoices.ca
- Google Ads Settings — google.com/settings/ads
Opting out through these tools sets opt-out cookies on your browser. If you clear cookies, you will need to opt out again. The Network Advertising Initiative offers a browser plugin that persists opt-outs across sessions.
12. Global Privacy Control & Do Not Track
Some browsers and extensions transmit a Global Privacy Control (GPC) signal or a Do Not Track (DNT) signal to websites you visit.
Global Privacy Control (GPC). GPC is recognized under the California Consumer Privacy Act and several other state privacy laws as a valid opt-out signal for the sale or sharing of personal information. We honor GPC signals on this Site for visitors whose state recognizes GPC, and we treat the signal as a request to opt out of advertising-cookie sharing.
Do Not Track (DNT). Because there is no industry-wide consensus on how to interpret DNT signals, the Site does not currently respond to DNT separately. We honor opt-out preferences expressed through the cookie banner, GPC signals, and the industry opt-out tools described above.
13. Changes to This Policy
We may update this Cookie Policy when our cookie usage changes — for example, when we add or remove a third-party service, or when applicable law requires more detail. The “Last Updated” date at the top of this page shows when the most recent revision was made. Material changes are signposted on the cookie banner so you can review and re-consent if appropriate.
14. Contact
If you have questions about cookies on the Site, want to correct information in this policy, or want help managing your cookie preferences, please contact us:
Email: info@businessentitysearches.org
Subject line: Cookie Policy Inquiry
Site: businessentitysearches.org/
For broader privacy questions, see our Privacy Policy. For the rules governing your use of the Site, see our Terms of Service. For full inquiry routing, see our Contact Us page.