This policy explains what cookies and similar tracking technologies are used on irenpins.com, why we use them, and how you can control them.
What Are Cookies?
Cookies are small text files stored on your device by your browser when you visit a website. They allow the site (or third parties) to recognise your browser on subsequent visits, remember your preferences, and track certain actions. Some cookies expire when you close your browser ("session cookies"); others persist for a set period ("persistent cookies").
Cookies We Use
1. Strictly necessary
WordPress sets session cookies to manage login state for administrators and to store security tokens for forms (e.g. comment or contact forms). These are essential for the site to function and cannot be disabled. They contain no personally identifiable information and expire when you close your browser.
2. Analytics (Google Analytics)
We use Google Analytics to understand aggregate traffic patterns. It sets the following cookies on your device:
- _ga — distinguishes unique users; expires after 2 years
- _gid — distinguishes unique users; expires after 24 hours
- _gat — throttles request rate; expires after 1 minute
Google Analytics data is anonymised — we cannot identify you individually from it. Google may process this data on servers outside your country.
3. Affiliate tracking
When you click an affiliate link on this site (for example, a link to Creative Fabrica), you leave our site and enter the merchant's. The merchant sets their own cookies on your browser to:
- Track that you arrived via our referral link, so we receive credit for the commission
- Keep items in your shopping cart across sessions
- Attribute your purchase if you return within their cookie window (typically 30 days)
These cookies are set by the merchant, not by us. Their cookie and privacy policies govern how they are used. We do not have access to the data these cookies collect.
4. Functional / preference storage
We use browser localStorage and sessionStorage (not cookies in the traditional sense) to remember small preferences — for example, whether you have dismissed the newsletter bar or already seen a popup. These store no personal data and are never transmitted to a server.
How to Control Cookies
You have several options to manage cookies:
- Browser settings — all modern browsers let you view, block, or delete cookies. Disabling all cookies may affect site functionality (for example, contact forms may not work).
- Google Analytics opt-out — install the Google Analytics Opt-out Browser Add-on to prevent your data from being used by Google Analytics across all sites.
- Affiliate cookie opt-out — to prevent affiliate tracking cookies from merchants, you can block third-party cookies in your browser settings. Note: this will not prevent you from purchasing — it simply means we will not receive commission credit for the referral.
More Information
For more about how we handle personal data, see our Privacy Policy. Questions? Use the contact page.