Cookie Policy
This Cookie Policy explains how SpeedCounter.com uses cookies and similar technologies.
What Are Cookies?
Cookies are small text files stored on your device when you visit a website. They help websites remember your preferences, understand how you use the site, and improve your experience.
Cookies aren’t inherently bad — they’re a standard part of how the web works. But you have the right to know what cookies we use and control them.
Cookies We Use
1. Essential Cookies
Required: Yes — These are necessary for the website to function.
| Cookie | Purpose | Duration |
| cookie_consent | Remembers your cookie preferences | 1 year |
| PHPSESSID / session | Maintains your session while browsing | Session |
| __cf_bm | Cloudflare bot management (security) | 30 minutes |
2. Analytics Cookies
Required: No — Help us understand how visitors use our site.
| Cookie | Purpose | Duration |
| _ga | Google Analytics – distinguishes users | 2 years |
| _ga_[ID] | Google Analytics 4 – maintains session state | 2 years |
| _gid | Google Analytics – distinguishes users | 24 hours |
| _gat | Google Analytics – throttles requests | 1 minute |
Note: We use IP anonymization in Google Analytics, so your full IP address is never stored.
3. Marketing / Affiliate Cookies
Required: No — Used to track affiliate referrals.
When you click on affiliate links, third-party cookies may be set by our partners to track that you came from SpeedCounter. These cookies are set by the third-party websites (like hosting providers or plugin companies), not by us.
Common affiliate cookies include:
Hosting providers (SiteGround, Cloudways, Bluehost, etc.)
Plugin/theme companies (Elementor, WP Rocket, Astra, etc.)
Shopify
Amazon (if we link to books or products)
4. Embedded Content
Our articles may include embedded content from other websites (YouTube videos, tweets, etc.). This content may set its own cookies.
YouTube: May set cookies when you play videos
Twitter/X: May set cookies when tweets are embedded
CodePen/JSFiddle: May set cookies for code demos
We try to use privacy-enhanced embeds where possible (like YouTube’s no-cookie mode).
How to Control Cookies
Our cookie banner
When you first visit SpeedCounter, you’ll see a cookie consent banner. You can:
Accept all cookies — Enable analytics and marketing cookies
Essential only — Only allow necessary cookies
Customize — Choose which categories to allow
Browser settings
You can also control cookies through your browser settings. Most browsers allow you to:
See what cookies are stored
Delete cookies (all or selectively)
Block cookies from specific sites
Block all third-party cookies
Browser cookie settings:
Chrome: Settings → Privacy and Security → Cookies
Firefox: Settings → Privacy & Security → Cookies
Safari: Preferences → Privacy → Cookies
Edge: Settings → Privacy, search and services → Cookies
Opt-out tools
Google Analytics Opt-out: tools.google.com/dlpage/gaoptout
Your Online Choices (EU): youronlinechoices.eu
Network Advertising Initiative: optout.networkadvertising.org
What Happens If You Disable Cookies?
Disabling cookies won’t break SpeedCounter. You’ll still be able to read all our tutorials and guides.
However:
You may see the cookie banner repeatedly
Some embedded content (videos) may not load
We won’t be able to track your affiliate purchases (so we may not get credited)
“Do Not Track” Signals
Some browsers send a “Do Not Track” (DNT) signal. Unfortunately, there’s no universal standard for how websites should respond to DNT.
We recommend using our cookie banner or browser settings to control cookies, as these give you more precise control.
Changes to This Policy
We may update this Cookie Policy if we add new tools or change how we use cookies. Check the “Last Updated” date to see when it was last revised.
Questions?
If you have questions about our cookie practices, contact us at [email protected] or visit https://www.speedcounter.com/contact/