Some websites store small amounts of data on your computer called ‘cookies’ to remember if you’ve been to the website before. They also enable you to use online services more easily. Find out how you can control which cookies, if any, are stored on your computer.
What a cookie is
A cookie is a small amount of data sent to your computer or mobile phone from a website. This means the website can recognise your device (your computer or mobile phone) if you return to the same website.
A cookie often includes a unique identifier, which is a randomly generated number. This is stored on your device’s hard drive. Many cookies are automatically deleted after you finish using a website.
Cookies are not programs and do not collect information from your computer.
- Understanding what visitors to the website want to use and not use
- Cookies are used to see how many people are looking at specific web pages. This can help organisations make their websites more useful.
- Remembering your selections or preferences when looking at information, or using a service
- Cookies can allow websites to improve the service you receive and archive what is not used. For example, you could tailor a news website’s homepage to only show news from topics you are interested in. The cookie would ‘remember’ this and the website would present the information you want to see next time you return it.
- Enabling you to complete a task without re-entering information you’ve already given before
- Some services need to store a cookie in your computer for them to work.
- Managing which adverts you see on some websites
What cookies are used on the CVSC website?
- qtrans_cookie_test – this cookie helps the language function to work as this site is bilingual – English and Welsh
We also use a statistics package called Clicky. This sets cookies which help us to find out how many visitors use the site as well as other information such as how often certain pages are visited. We only use this information to improve the website and demonstrate site useage to our stakeholders. This is what the Clicky cookies do:
- _jsuid: This is a random number that is generated by the Code the first time someone visits a web site with the Code installed. Its sole purpose is to better identify new and unique visitors to a web site. The value of this cookie is sent to the Service for every event logged. The value of this cookie will also be set as a third party cookie with the name of “cluid” if such a cookie does not exist. The purpose of this is for web sites with multiple domains and who want to track visitor sessions across multiple domains, which is not possible with first party cookies.
- first_pv_[site_id]: This is a session cookie that is set on the first page view of any visit. Its purpose is so that certain parts of the Code only fire on the first page view, making it faster and more efficient.
- unpoco_[site_id]: The Code sends “pings” when a visitor sits on a single page. This allows the Service to more accurately track “time on site” values. Because this feature uses a lot of extra bandwidth, it requires a paid account. For non-paid accounts, this cookie is set to tell the Code not to send these pings. This cookie expires after 24 hours but will be set again upon future visits by the same visitor
How to manage your cookies
Cookies are sent to your browser by a website, and then stored in the cookies directory on your computer. Your browser may be Internet Explorer, Google Chrome, Firefox, Safari or any other browser.
To check and update your cookies settings, you will need to know what browser you are using and what version of it you have. You can usually find this out by opening the browser (just as you do to use the internet), then clicking on ‘Help’ and then ‘About’. This will give you information about the browser version you are using.
If you wish find out how to block cookies follow this link and select the browser you are using. You can also read your browser’s built-in or online help for more information. If you do this please be aware that certain features of this website will not work.
For information about how to reject cookies on your mobile phone’s web browser, see your handset manual