Cookies
This page lists everything The Health Guide stores on your device, what each item is for, how long it lasts, and how to change your mind at any time.
The short version
A handful of necessary items make the site work. Everything else — our own measurement of how guides are read — only runs if you accept. There is no advertising, no social media tracking and no third-party marketing technology on this site.
Strictly necessary
These are always active. Without them the site cannot work properly, so they do not require consent.
| Name | Purpose | Type | Lasts |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sign-in session | Keeps a member of our editorial team signed in to the private staff area. Never set for ordinary readers. | Local storage | Until sign-out |
| sidebar:state | Remembers whether the staff area menu is expanded. | Cookie | 7 days |
| thg_cookie_consent | Remembers the choice you made on the cookie notice, so we do not ask again. | Local storage | Until you clear it |
| pi_optout | Records that you declined measurement, so it stays off. | Cookie | 12 months |
Measurement — only with your consent
These are set by our own software. They tell us which guides are read and where readers get stuck, so we can improve them. They are not shared with anyone else and are not used for advertising.
| Name | Purpose | Type | Lasts |
|---|---|---|---|
| pi_vid | A random identifier so repeat visits are not counted as new readers. Not linked to your name or email. | Local storage | Until you clear it |
| pi_sid | Groups the pages you read in one sitting into a single visit. | Session storage | End of visit |
| pi_sid_ts | Notes when your visit was last active, so a visit ends after 30 minutes of inactivity. | Session storage | End of visit |
Guides you save
Saving a guide stores its address in your own browser. It never reaches us, and it is not used for measurement.
Changing your choice
You can change your mind whenever you like. Declining keeps every part of the site fully working — no feature is withheld.
Your browser can also block or delete cookies for any site, and we honour the "Do Not Track" setting if your browser sends one — measurement stays off regardless of what you choose here.
Who to ask
Questions about this page go to info@thehealthguide.co.uk. How we use the information collected is set out in our privacy policy.