Cookies

Everything this site stores on your device, what each thing is for, and how long it lasts. One of them is optional; you can switch it on or off at the bottom of this page.

Effective 10 August 2026

Plain-language draft. These terms were written by the site’s founder, not a lawyer, and have not yet been reviewed by one. They say how we intend to run HomeTruths; they are not legal advice, and we may revise them.

The Short Version

Four cookies keep the site working: signing you in, remembering that you’ve unlocked the site – by reviewing, or with a verified account – and nothing else. They are set because you asked for the thing that needs them, so there is no switch for them.

Google Analytics is the only optional thing here, and it is off until you say yes. Not loaded, not queued, not deferred: if you haven’t agreed, Google’s script is absent from the page and its cookies are never written. If you agree and later change your mind, we switch it off and delete the cookies it left behind.

Cookies The Site Needs

All four are HttpOnly (no script on the page can read them) and SameSite=Lax (they aren’t sent when another site links to us). Each holds a signed token, not your details.

ht_sessionKeeps you signed in to your account.30 days

ht_cidA random contributor id for people who review without an account. It is what keeps your reviews yours and, while they stand, your access to the database unlocked. It says nothing about you.1 year

ht_tdSet only if you tick “trust this device” during two-factor sign-in, so you aren’t asked for a code every time.30 days

ht_adminSigns a site operator in to the admin console. You will never have this one.7 days

Google Analytics: Only If You Agree

We use Google Analytics to see which pages get read and to report audience figures to commercial partners. Advertising personalisation is switched off at our end, so your visit is not used to build an advertising profile or a remarketing audience. Google truncates your IP address before storing it.

_gaGoogle’s id for this browser. It is how Google counts you as one returning visitor rather than several new ones.2 years

_ga_*Session state for our specific Google Analytics property; the * is our measurement id. It tracks where one visit starts and ends.2 years

The two-year lifetime is Google’s default, set by their script rather than by us. There is also a browser-wide opt-out add-on from Google if you want to refuse it everywhere at once, not just here.

Our Own Visit Counting

These are not cookies. They live in your browser’s local and session storage and are never sent to another company. They power the visit counts we read ourselves. We do not store your IP address against them, they are not combined with anything that identifies you, and they are not shared or sold.

ht_vA random id for our own visit counting. Generated in your browser, never derived from anything about you.Until you clear site data

ht_sGroups the pages of one visit together. Starts again after 30 idle minutes.Until you close the tab

ht_uThe utm_ tags from the link you arrived on, so we can tell which post or message sent you.Until you close the tab

We run these without asking, on the basis that a site is entitled to count its own visitors in a way that identifies nobody. If you disagree, clearing this site’s data removes them, and browsing in a private window keeps them from persisting at all.

Things The Site Remembers For You

Also browser storage rather than cookies. These exist because a feature you used needs them, and none of them leaves your device on its own.

ht_shortlistThe buildings you saved. Kept in your browser, not on our server.Until you clear site data

ht_review_draftA review you started writing, so a back-swipe doesn’t throw away ten answers.Until you close the tab

ht_email_givenRemembers you already gave a contact email, so the ask isn’t repeated.Until you clear site data

ht_tip_helpful_*Which tips you marked helpful, so you can’t vote twice by reloading.Until you clear site data

ht_mvHow many residences you’ve looked at since unlocking, so the account prompt appears at a sensible moment rather than immediately.Until you clear site data

ht_acct_snoozeThat you dismissed that prompt, so it stays quiet for a few days.4 days

ht_nudge_dismissedThat you dismissed the mobile join prompt, so it isn’t shown again.Until you close the tab

ht_consentThe answer you gave about Google Analytics.Until you clear site data

ht_introThat you’ve watched the opening animation, so it isn’t replayed every visit.1 year

ht_siA plain yes/no marker that you’re signed in, so our own visit counts can tell members from guests. Holds no name or id.30 days

Your Choice

This changes the Google Analytics setting for this browser, straight away. You can come back and change it as often as you like.

Checking this browser…

The answer is stored in this browser only, under ht_consent. Clearing your site data clears it too, and you’ll be asked again.

Questions

If something on this page doesn’t match what you see in your browser’s developer tools, we would genuinely like to know. Write to legal@hometruths.io. The rest of what we collect and why is on the Privacy page.

Questions about this page? legal@hometruths.io