Cookie Policy
Last updated:
This page lists every cookie and local storage entry set by knitcalcs.uk, why we set it, and how to refuse or remove it. It is a companion to our Privacy Policy.
1. What are cookies?
“Cookies” are small text records stored by your browser. PECR reg. 6 also covers similar technologies such as localStorage and sessionStorage. The table below treats all of these as “storage entries”.
2. Your choice
Our statistical analytics run under the UK statistical-purposes exception (see section 3.2): they exist solely to improve these calculators, need no consent, and can be switched off at any time with the toggle below or in the first-visit notice. The notice asks you one question — whether we may use anonymous session replay (section 3.3), which only ever runs if you actively allow it.
3. What we store
3.1 Strictly necessary (no consent required, PECR reg. 6(4))
| Name | Type | Purpose | Retention |
|---|---|---|---|
knitcalcs-notice-v3 | localStorage | Remembers that you have seen the first-visit privacy notice and your session-replay choice. | Until you clear it |
knitcalcs-history | localStorage | Your recent calculations list, stored on your own device. | Until you clear it |
cb_opt_out | localStorage | Only set if you switch off aggregate usage statistics (see section 3.2) — it stores your own objection so we honour it on every visit. | Until you clear it |
3.2 Statistical analytics (no consent needed — PECR statistical-purposes exception, opt-out any time)
We measure how these calculators are used solely to improve them, under the statistical-purposes exception introduced by the Data (Use and Access) Act 2025 (PECR Sch A1 para 5) and the ICO’s April 2026 guidance. Two systems run under this basis, both governed by the single toggle below:
Our first-party counter records, in aggregate only, which pages are used, when, and from which country. Your IP address and browser type are immediately converted into an anonymous code (a one-way hash salted per site and rotated every 24 hours) used only to avoid double-counting within a day, then discarded. We store only totals, never individual profiles, and nothing on your device.
Google Analytics 4 measures page-views and feature usage so we can see which calculators need improving. It sets the cookies below. We run it with Google acting strictly as our processor: all Google data-sharing settings are off, no advertising features, no Google Signals, and data retention is set to the minimum (2 months). Google may not use this data for its own purposes or link it with other data.
| Name | Set by | Purpose | Retention |
|---|---|---|---|
_ga, _ga_* | Google Analytics 4 (processor-only configuration) | Statistical usage measurement to improve this service — nothing else. | Cookie 13 months; server data 2 months |
Switching the toggle off stops both systems: the counter beacon never fires, Google Analytics is set to denied before any data is sent, and existing _ga cookies are deleted. Your objection is remembered on your device. Feedback you send via our feedback buttons is voluntary, anonymous unless you include contact details, and kept for up to 24 months. Complaints: ico.org.uk. The operator of this site is the controller — see our Privacy Policy.
Anonymous usage statistics — ON by default. We count visits in aggregate (no cookies, no personal profile, nothing stored on your device) to improve these calculators. This does not require consent under UK law, but you can switch it off at any time.
3.3 Session replay (optional — only if you allow it)
With your permission we use Microsoft Clarity to record anonymised session replays and heatmaps, which show us where the site confuses people. It loads only after you actively choose “Allow replay” in the first-visit notice — declining stores no replay cookies at all.
| Name | Set by | Purpose | Retention |
|---|---|---|---|
_clck, _clsk, MR, MUID | Microsoft Clarity | Anonymised session replay and heatmaps to improve usability. | Up to 13 months |
4. How to block or remove storage entries
- Toggle: switch off “Anonymous usage statistics” above (or in the first-visit notice). This stops the counter and Google Analytics and deletes existing GA cookies. Session replay never loads unless you actively allowed it.
- Browser: clear storage from browser settings. In Chrome: Settings → Privacy and security → Cookies and other site data → See all site data → search “knitcalcs” → Delete. Other browsers have equivalent tools.
- Opt-out tools: install Google’s Analytics Opt-out Browser Add-on to block GA4 on every site you visit.
5. Third-party cookies
Any third-party cookies listed above are set by the third parties (Google, Microsoft). We do not control their cookie policies. See their policies directly: Google, Microsoft.
See also: Privacy Policy · Terms of Use · Accessibility Statement