Cookie Policy
Last updated: 13 September 2026
What cookies are
Cookies are small text files a website puts on your device when you visit. They are how a site remembers things between page loads: that you are logged in, that you already filled in a comment form, that you have been here before.
What this site uses them for
Three things, and nothing else.
- Necessary and security: Keeping the site working, keeping the connection secure, and stopping automated spam in the comments. These cannot be switched off without breaking the site.
- Analytics: Google Analytics, through Google Site Kit. I use it to see which articles people actually finish and where readers arrive from. The reports I look at are aggregate, though the service itself does process IP addresses.
- Advertising: Once advertising goes live, Google AdSense and its approved partners will use cookies to serve and measure ads, and to personalise what you are shown based on your visits to this site and others.
The cookies in use
| Cookie | Set by | What it does | Lasts |
|---|---|---|---|
_ga |
Google Analytics | Distinguishes one visitor from another | 2 years |
_ga_[ID] |
Google Analytics | Keeps session state | 2 years |
comment_author_* |
WordPress | Remembers your name and email if you ticked the box on a comment form | 1 year |
wordpress_test_cookie |
WordPress | Checks whether your browser accepts cookies | Session |
IDE |
Google (DoubleClick) | Ad delivery and measurement. Present once advertising is live. | 13 months |
__gads, __gpi |
Google AdSense | Ad delivery, frequency capping and measurement. Present once advertising is live. | 13 months |
test_cookie |
Google (DoubleClick) | Checks whether your browser supports cookies | 15 minutes |
Your choices
If you are in the European Economic Area, the United Kingdom or Switzerland, a consent banner appears on your first visit and no analytics or advertising cookies are set until you accept them. You can change your choice at any time through the Manage Cookie Preferences link in the footer.
Wherever you are, you can turn off personalised advertising at google.com/settings/ads, opt out of many third-party vendor cookies at aboutads.info/choices, and block or delete cookies in your browser settings. Blocking all cookies may stop parts of the site working, including the comment form.
Questions
Write to sauravsinha@talesfromtime.com.