What is a cookie?
A cookie is a small piece of data a website asks your browser to store and return with later requests. Sites use cookies for different purposes, including sign-in sessions, preferences and measurement. A cookie is not the same as a downloaded image, a cached stylesheet or a server access log.
Other browser storage mechanisms can hold preferences without using cookies. Whether a particular piece of data is necessary depends on what a site actually does, not simply on the label attached to it.
The current Riftelia site
The current pages do not set an advertising or analytics cookie and does not include a third-party tracking script. It does not require a reader account, and the review filters and mobile menu work within the page rather than needing a stored profile.
The contact form sends the details you enter to the site’s server. Sending that form is a separate action from accepting a cookie. Read the privacy policy for the information used to answer an enquiry.
Common cookie categories
| Category | What it can do | Riftelia context |
|---|---|---|
| Essential | Maintain a session or provide a requested function | No reader sign-in is required by this site. |
| Preferences | Remember choices between visits | Current menu and filter controls do not require persistent preferences. |
| Analytics | Measure visits and behavior | No analytics script is embedded in the current pages. |
| Advertising | Support ad targeting or campaign measurement | No advertising pixel is embedded in the current pages. |
These descriptions explain the usual categories; they are not a statement that every category is active. Hosting services can add their own technical behavior, so a deployed site’s infrastructure should be considered alongside the page code.
External websites and hosting
Following a link to an authority, support organization or another external website takes you to a service with its own cookies and policies. Riftelia does not control those settings. Review the destination’s notice before choosing how to interact with it.
The hosting provider may record server requests for delivery, security or diagnostics. A server log is not a browser cookie, and clearing cookies does not delete information already held in server logs.
Managing data in your browser
- Use your browser’s privacy settings to inspect or remove site cookies.
- Clear cached site data if you want to remove locally stored files.
- Block third-party cookies if that matches your preferences.
- Check exceptions if a browser setting causes a feature on another site to stop working.
The labels differ between browsers. Look for privacy, site settings or browsing-data controls in the browser you use. Removing stored site data may sign you out of other services or reset their saved preferences, depending on the scope you select.
If the site changes
Adding an analytics service, embedded media or another feature can change the data used during a visit. This policy should then be revised to describe the actual service and any applicable choice controls. A generic banner is not a substitute for explaining what runs on a page.
For a question about Riftelia’s current pages, contact editorial@riftelia.com. Include the page address and the behavior you want clarified, without sending browser passwords or unrelated personal information.
Put the details side by side.
Read the offer, the limitations and the conditions behind each platform.