Cookie policy
How my website uses cookies, what they do, and the choices you have. This policy sits alongside my Privacy Policy, which covers your wider data rights.
1 – What cookies are
Cookies are small text files that a website stores on your device when you visit. They are widely used to make websites work, to keep them secure, and to remember preferences. Some cookies are set by the website you are visiting (first-party cookies), and others are set by third-party services used on the site (third-party cookies). Cookies that are essential for a website to work do not need your consent. Cookies that are not essential, such as analytics or advertising cookies, can only be used with your consent.
In practice, simply browsing this website sets only a few essential cookies. It uses no analytics or advertising cookies, and the only third-party cookies you might ever encounter are Google’s, and only if you choose to load a map (see section 4).
2 – The cookies this website uses
This is an information website, and I keep cookies to a minimum. I use only those needed to run the site securely, and I do not use cookies to advertise to you or to track you across other websites.
Strictly necessary: security and performance
The site is protected and delivered through Cloudflare, a service that guards against malicious traffic and helps pages load reliably. Cloudflare sets a small number of strictly necessary cookies, which typically last from around 30 minutes up to about 24 hours. These are essential for the site to function and, under UK rules, do not require your consent.
The website and contact form
The site runs on WordPress, which does not set tracking cookies for visitors browsing the pages. The contact form does not set any cookies. What you submit is emailed to me and stored in my website’s own database, and is not shared with the form provider.
3 – How I measure the site
I do not use Google Analytics or any other analytics cookies. To understand how the site performs in search, I use Google Search Console, which reports on searches and pages at the website level and does not place any cookies on your device.
4 – Maps for my clinic locations
My clinic locations, shown in the “Where to Find Me” section, use Google Maps. To protect your privacy, these maps do not load automatically. Each one loads only when you choose to click it. Until you click, no information about your visit is sent to Google and no Google cookies are set. When you click to load a map, Google may set its own cookies and will receive your device’s IP address, under Google’s own privacy policy and terms. Each map is separate, so loading one does not load the other.
5 – Managing and removing cookies
You can control and delete cookies through your browser settings. Most browsers let you block or remove cookies, and can warn you before one is stored; the “Help” menu in your browser explains how. Please note that blocking strictly necessary cookies may affect how parts of the site work. You can find clear, independent guidance on managing cookies through your browser’s own help pages.
6 – Changes to this policy
I may update this policy from time to time, for example if the services the site relies on change. The date at the top shows when it was last updated.
7 – More information
For details of how I handle your personal data, including your rights, how long information is kept, and how to complain to the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO), please see my Privacy Policy. If you have any questions about cookies, you can contact me at privacy@davidgrahamosteopath.co.uk.