Cookies and similar technologies

This page explains the small amount of local storage this site uses, and how you can control it.

Essential

Needed for the site to function: your cookie preference itself, and basic security measures. These are always on and cannot be switched off, because the site cannot work correctly without them.

Analytics

Helps us understand which pages and tools are used, using our own first-party analytics. Off by default. Only switched on after you actively accept it in the consent banner.

Marketing

Would be used for advertising or retargeting. Off by default. We currently have no marketing or advertising technology on this site at all.

Non-essential is off until you say otherwise

Analytics and marketing storage are switched off by default and are only set once you give explicit consent through the cookie banner shown on your first visit. Nothing non-essential runs before that choice is made.

Google Analytics 4

Consent only

We use Google Analytics 4, a third-party analytics service provided by Google, loaded as a single Google Analytics tag (we do not run a Google Tag Manager container). It is switched off until you actively accept analytics: before that choice, no Google script is loaded, no request is made to any Google domain and no Google cookie is set. If you accept and later withdraw, Google measurement storage is set back to denied and no further events are sent.

We send Google only the same short, categorical events as our own internal log — for example which page type was viewed, which tool was started, or which broad result band was shown. We never send your name, email address, message text, readiness-checker answers or any financial figure you type.

Advertising and personalisation storage remain denied, and there is no Meta Pixel or other advertising tracker on this site.

Everything this site stores in your browser

We use the general term "cookies" because it is familiar, but the mechanism we actually use is browser local and session storage. This is the complete list:

bya.consent.v1Essential
Your analytics and marketing choices. Contains no personal information.
Kept in local storage until you clear it or change your choice.
bya.session.v1Analytics — consent only
A random, rotating label used to group events from one browsing session. Not derived from personal data.
Session storage only — discarded when the browser tab is closed.
bya.checker.v1Feature you started
Your broad answers in the readiness checker, so you can pause and return.
Local storage until you select 'Start again' or clear your browser storage.
bya.submit.v1Essential
Timestamps of your recent form submissions, used only to prevent accidental duplicate or flooded submissions.
Session storage only — discarded when the browser tab is closed.
_ga, _ga_<stream>Analytics — consent only
Google Analytics 4 cookies, set only after you accept analytics. They distinguish visits and pages, and never carry your name, email, message text or any figure you type.
Up to 2 years, or until you decline analytics or clear your browser storage. Nothing is set, and no request is made to Google, before you accept.

None of these contain your name, email address, message text or any figure you type into a tool.

Changing your preferences

You can change your choice at any time using the "Cookie preferences" control in the footer of every page, or the button below. Reopening it lets you switch analytics or marketing on or off again without losing anything else. Withdrawing analytics consent takes effect immediately: Google measurement storage is set back to denied and no further events are sent.

Clearing cookies and local storage yourself

You can also clear stored preferences directly through your browser's settings, usually under "privacy", "site settings" or "clear browsing data". Clearing local storage for this site will reset your consent choice, and you will be asked again on your next visit.

A note on wording

We use the general term "cookies" here because it is familiar, but the mechanism we currently use is browser local storage, not traditional third-party cookies.