Cookie Policy
A complete breakdown of every cookie used on ClickTests.net, why we use it, and how to control it.
1. What Are Cookies?
Cookies are small text files that a website stores on your device — computer, phone, or tablet — through your browser when you visit. They allow the website to recognise your device on subsequent visits, remember your preferences, and understand how you interact with the site.
Cookies are not executable programs and cannot carry viruses or malware. They can only be read by the website that set them (first-party cookies) or by third parties whose code is loaded on the page (third-party cookies).
In addition to traditional cookies, websites can store data locally using localStorage and sessionStorage — browser storage mechanisms that behave similarly to cookies but never leave your device. ClickTests.net uses both cookies and localStorage, as explained below.
2. How We Use Cookies
ClickTests.net uses cookies for three purposes:
- Essential operation — to remember your cookie consent choice and keep the site functioning correctly.
- Analytics — to collect anonymised, aggregate data about how visitors use our tools, so we can improve them.
- Advertising — to display relevant advertisements through Google AdSense, which uses cookies to serve and personalise ads.
Analytics and advertising cookies are only activated after you give consent through our cookie consent banner. You can withdraw consent at any time.
3. Types of Cookies We Use
3.1 Essential Cookies
Essential cookies are required for the basic operation of ClickTests.net. Without them, the site cannot function correctly. These cookies are set automatically when you visit the site and cannot be disabled through our consent banner — however, you can block them through your browser settings, which may cause parts of the site to stop working.
| Cookie Name | Provider | Purpose | Duration | Type |
|---|---|---|---|---|
ct_cookie_consent | ClickTests.net | Stores your cookie consent preferences so the consent banner is not shown on every page visit. | 12 months | First-party |
ct_session | ClickTests.net | Maintains your session state while you navigate between pages on the site. | Session | First-party |
3.2 Analytics Cookies (Optional)
With your consent, we use Google Analytics (GA4) to collect anonymised, aggregate data about how visitors use ClickTests.net. This helps us understand which tools are most popular, how long visitors use them, which browsers and devices are common, and where visitors navigate from.
IP addresses are anonymised before any data is stored — the last octet of your IP is zeroed so individual users cannot be identified. No personally identifiable information is collected or stored via analytics cookies.
| Cookie Name | Provider | Purpose | Duration | Type |
|---|---|---|---|---|
_ga | Google Analytics | Registers a unique ID used to generate statistical data about how the visitor uses the site. Used to distinguish users. | 2 years | Third-party |
_ga_* | Google Analytics (GA4) | Used by Google Analytics GA4 to persist session state and collect usage data including page views, events, and session duration. | 2 years | Third-party |
_gid | Google Analytics | Registers a unique ID used to generate statistical data about how visitors use the site. Resets after 24 hours. | 24 hours | Third-party |
_gat | Google Analytics | Used to throttle request rate — limits data collection on high-traffic sites. | 1 minute | Third-party |
Google Analytics data is processed by Google under its own Privacy Policy. You can opt out of Google Analytics at any time using the Google Analytics Opt-out Browser Add-on.
3.3 Advertising Cookies — Google AdSense (Optional)
With your consent, ClickTests.net serves advertisements through Google AdSense. Google uses cookies — including the DART cookie — to display ads that are relevant to you based on your browsing history across sites participating in the Google Display Network.
These cookies are placed by Google, not directly by ClickTests.net. We have no access to or control over the specific cookies Google sets through AdSense.
| Cookie Name | Provider | Purpose | Duration | Type |
|---|---|---|---|---|
DSID | Google (DoubleClick) | Identifies a signed-in Google user on non-Google websites for ad personalisation and frequency capping. | 2 weeks | Third-party |
IDE | Google (DoubleClick) | Used by Google's DoubleClick to register and report on user actions after viewing or clicking an ad, to measure effectiveness and show relevant ads. | 1 year | Third-party |
NID | Stores visitor preferences and personalises ads shown by Google on non-Google sites. | 6 months | Third-party | |
ANID | Used for advertising purposes by Google to store user preferences and serve personalised ads via the Google Display Network. | 13 months | Third-party | |
__gads | Google AdSense | Stores information about how the visitor uses the website for advertising purposes, set by Google's advertising infrastructure. | 13 months | Third-party |
__gpi | Google AdSense | Stores information about how visitors interact with the Google advertising infrastructure on the site. | 1 year | Third-party |
For full details on Google's advertising cookies, visit policies.google.com/technologies/ads. To opt out of personalised advertising from Google, visit google.com/settings/ads.
4. Local Storage — Not Cookies, But Similar
ClickTests.net also uses your browser's localStorage to store your Settings panel preferences (theme, duration, sound, DPI, etc.) and, optionally, your test score history. This is different from cookies in an important way:
- localStorage data never leaves your device — it is not transmitted to any server.
- It is not accessible by third parties, including Google Analytics or AdSense.
- It has no expiry date — it persists until you manually clear it or clear your browser data.
- You can clear localStorage at any time via the Settings panel under Data → Clear Score History or Data → Wipe Everything.
5. Cookie Consent
When you first visit ClickTests.net, a cookie consent banner is displayed. This banner allows you to:
- Accept all cookies — activates essential, analytics, and advertising cookies.
- Accept essential only — activates only essential cookies; analytics and advertising cookies remain inactive.
- Customise — individually select which categories of optional cookies you accept.
Your choice is stored in the ct_cookie_consent essential cookie for 12 months so you are not asked again on every visit. You can change your preferences at any time by clearing your browser cookies or through the Settings panel on any tool page.
Continuing to use ClickTests.net without making a selection does not constitute consent to optional cookies. Only a positive action — clicking Accept — activates analytics or advertising cookies.
6. How to Control and Manage Cookies
You have several ways to control the cookies on ClickTests.net:
6.1 Through Our Consent Banner
The easiest method is to use our cookie consent banner when you first visit, or to revisit your preferences at any time by clearing the ct_cookie_consent cookie from your browser — this will cause the banner to reappear on your next visit.
6.2 Through Your Browser Settings
All major browsers allow you to view, manage, block, or delete cookies. Instructions for the most common browsers:
- Google Chrome — Settings → Privacy and Security → Cookies and other site data
- Mozilla Firefox — Settings → Privacy & Security → Cookies and Site Data
- Apple Safari — Preferences → Privacy → Manage Website Data
- Microsoft Edge — Settings → Cookies and site permissions → Cookies and site data
- Opera — Settings → Advanced → Privacy & security → Site Settings → Cookies
Please note that blocking all cookies may affect the functionality of ClickTests.net — in particular, your consent preferences and Settings panel choices will not be remembered between visits.
6.3 Opt Out of Google Analytics
Install the Google Analytics Opt-out Browser Add-on to prevent your data from being used by Google Analytics across all websites, not just ClickTests.net.
6.4 Opt Out of Google Advertising
To opt out of personalised advertising across the Google Display Network:
- Visit google.com/settings/ads to adjust your Google ad personalisation settings.
- Visit optout.networkadvertising.org to opt out of interest-based advertising from NAI member companies.
- Visit optout.aboutads.info for additional opt-out options via the Digital Advertising Alliance.
Opting out of personalised ads does not remove advertisements from ClickTests.net — it means the ads shown will be less tailored to your interests.
7. Third-Party Cookies Summary
The following third parties may set cookies on your device when you visit ClickTests.net and have accepted the relevant cookie categories:
- Google Analytics — analytics cookies (
_ga,_ga_*,_gid,_gat). Policy: policies.google.com/privacy - Google AdSense / DoubleClick — advertising cookies (
IDE,DSID,NID,ANID,__gads,__gpi). Policy: policies.google.com/technologies/ads - Google Fonts — no cookies set, but your browser sends an IP request to Google's servers to download font files. Policy: Google Fonts privacy FAQ
We do not use cookies from Facebook, Twitter, affiliate networks, or any other advertising or tracking platform beyond those listed above.
8. Cookies and GDPR
Under the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) and the EU ePrivacy Directive, non-essential cookies may only be placed on a user's device with their prior informed consent. ClickTests.net complies with this requirement by:
- Displaying a clear cookie consent banner on the first visit.
- Not activating analytics or advertising cookies before consent is given.
- Providing a genuine choice — users can accept essential cookies only and still access all tools.
- Making consent withdrawal easy and available at any time.
- Maintaining a record of consent through the
ct_cookie_consentcookie.
If you are located in the European Economic Area (EEA) or United Kingdom, your rights under GDPR regarding personal data processed through cookies are described in full in our Privacy Policy.
9. Changes to This Cookie Policy
We may update this Cookie Policy from time to time — for example, if we add or remove third-party services, or if applicable laws change. When we make updates, we will revise the "Last updated" date at the top of this page. We encourage you to review this page periodically to stay informed about how we use cookies.
10. Contact
If you have questions about our use of cookies or wish to exercise any rights related to cookie-based data collection, please contact us via our Contact page or email contact.clicktests@gmail.com. We aim to respond within 30 days.