Cookie
Policy

What Are Cookies?

Cookies are small text files or similar technologies that may be stored on your device when you visit a website. They may:

• Remember information
• Maintain a login or session
• Keep a website secure
• Remember preferences
• Understand how a website is used
• Detect abuse or automated activity
• Provide or support website functionality

We also use technologies that may perform functions similar to cookies, including certain pixels, scripts, local storage and other device or browser-based technologies. For simplicity, this Policy refers to these collectively as cookies and similar technologies.

Who Uses Cookies on WGA?

• Web Guru Awards Ltd.
• Company Registration Number: 16982435
• Registered in: England & Wales
• ICO Registration Number: ZC169726
• Privacy Contact: info@webguruawards.com

Categories of Cookies and Similar Technologies

We do not currently operate a separate advertising/marketing cookie category for Meta Pixel, Google Ads, LinkedIn Insight Tag or TikTok Pixel.

Necessary Technologies

Necessary technologies may be used without optional analytics consent where they are strictly necessary for the operation of a service requested by the user or otherwise permitted by applicable law.

• Authentication
• Login sessions
• Account functionality
• Security
• Bot protection
• Spam prevention
• Voting protection
• Form functionality
• Payment functionality
• Cookie-consent preferences
• Core Platform functionality
• Other essential website functions

Without these technologies, certain parts of the Platform may not operate correctly.

Google reCAPTCHA

Web Guru Awards uses Google reCAPTCHA or related Google security technology to help protect forms and Platform functionality against bots, spam and automated abuse.

Depending on the implementation, reCAPTCHA may process technical and interaction information such as:

• IP address
• Browser information
• Device information
• Interaction information
• Mouse or touch interactions
• Time and session information
• Other signals used to distinguish legitimate users from automated activity

We use reCAPTCHA for security and abuse prevention rather than advertising. The precise cookie/storage behaviour depends on the reCAPTCHA implementation deployed on the Platform.

Preference Technologies

Preference technologies may allow WGA to remember choices you have made.

• Cookie-consent preferences
• Interface preferences
• Language preferences, where applicable
• Other settings required to provide a consistent experience

These technologies are intended to improve usability rather than to create advertising profiles.

Analytics Technologies

We use analytics technologies to understand how visitors interact with the Platform.

• Google Analytics
• PostHog
• PostHog session or interaction analytics, where enabled
• Other analytics technologies actually deployed on the Platform

Analytics may help us understand which pages are visited, how visitors navigate the Platform, which features are used, whether pages or features are performing correctly, where users encounter problems, and how the Platform can be improved.

Google Analytics

Google Analytics is used to help us understand website traffic and usage.

Depending on the configuration, it may collect information such as pages visited, events and interactions, browser and device information, approximate geographic information, traffic sources, session information, website usage information and other analytics information.

Where required by applicable law, Google Analytics is treated as a non-essential analytics technology and is activated only after the appropriate consent.

PostHog

We use PostHog for product and user-experience analytics.

• How users navigate the Platform
• Which features are used
• How users interact with pages
• Where users encounter difficulties
• How new features perform
• How the Platform can be improved

Depending on our configuration, PostHog may process page views, clicks, events, navigation, device information, browser information, session information, user or account identifiers where applicable, and other interaction information.

Where applicable, PostHog analytics are subject to our consent mechanism.

Session Replay and Interaction Analysis

If session replay or similar interaction-analysis functionality is enabled within PostHog or another analytics service, we may use it to understand how visitors interact with the Platform.

• Navigation problems
• Interface issues
• Broken functionality
• Usability problems
• Form difficulties
• Areas for improvement

We will configure such functionality to reduce unnecessary collection of personal information. We will not intentionally configure session replay to capture sensitive personal information. Where applicable, non-essential session-analysis technologies are subject to consent.

Analytics Consent

Where applicable law requires consent for analytics cookies or similar technologies, WGA will not activate those technologies until the required consent has been obtained.

• Accept All
• Reject Non-Essential
• Manage Preferences

If you reject analytics technologies, necessary Platform functionality can continue to operate.

Cookie Consent Management

WGA uses a consent-management mechanism to allow visitors to manage optional cookie preferences.

• Accept All — allows all available optional technologies.
• Reject Non-Essential — allows only technologies that are necessary for the operation and security of the Platform.
• Manage Preferences — allows you to select your preferences by category.

Your selected preferences may themselves be stored so that we can remember your choice.

Changing Your Cookie Preferences

You can change your optional cookie preferences after your initial choice using Cookie Settings on the Web Guru Awards website.

Changing your preferences may prevent certain technologies from operating. For example, where consent is required, turning Analytics OFF should prevent Google Analytics and applicable PostHog analytics from operating.

Changing your preferences does not affect processing that occurred before your withdrawal of consent.

Necessary Cookies Cannot Generally Be Disabled

Some technologies are necessary for the Platform to function.

• Login
• Authentication
• Security
• Session management
• Voting protection
• Bot protection
• Forms
• Payment processing
• Consent management
• Other functionality explicitly requested by you

Because disabling these technologies may prevent essential functionality, they may remain active even when optional analytics technologies are rejected.

Payments and Stripe

WGA uses Stripe or applicable Stripe services to process payments.

Depending on the payment implementation, Stripe may use cookies or similar technologies necessary to process payments, secure transactions, detect fraud, maintain payment sessions and provide payment functionality.

The exact technologies used may vary depending on whether WGA uses Stripe Checkout, Stripe Elements, Payment Links or another Stripe implementation.

Stripe may also process personal and technical information according to its own privacy documentation. WGA does not intend to store full payment-card information on its own systems.

AWS and Hosting Technologies

The Web Guru Awards Platform is hosted and operated using AWS infrastructure.

AWS infrastructure may involve technical information necessary to deliver website content, maintain connections, monitor system performance, protect infrastructure, detect technical problems, maintain security and operate the Platform.

Not every AWS service necessarily places a cookie on your device. Accordingly, we do not describe AWS generally as an "AWS cookie." The specific technologies depend on the AWS services and configuration used by our Platform.

Marketing and Advertising Cookies

We currently do not use:

• Meta Pixel
• Google Ads conversion/advertising tags
• LinkedIn Insight Tag
• TikTok Pixel
• Similar third-party advertising pixels for behavioural advertising

Accordingly, WGA currently does not have a separate marketing/advertising cookie category for these technologies.

If we introduce advertising or tracking technologies that require additional consent, we will update this Cookie Policy and our consent mechanism as appropriate.

Cookie Table

* The exact legal classification depends on how the technology is implemented and whether it is strictly necessary for the service requested by the user.

Cookie Names and Retention Periods

The exact cookie names, identifiers, expiry periods and storage mechanisms used by the Platform may change as our technical implementation changes.

We therefore do not intend this Policy to provide an exhaustive permanent list of every technical identifier. Where required, our cookie-consent platform may provide a more detailed live cookie inventory.

Before final publication, WGA should ensure that the cookie inventory generated by the production website matches the technologies described in this Policy.

Third-Party Cookies

Some technologies may be provided by third-party services.

• Google
• PostHog
• Stripe
• Other security providers
• Other service providers actually integrated into the Platform

Third-party providers may process information under their own privacy policies and terms. WGA does not control the privacy practices of third parties outside our reasonable control.

Browser Controls

Most modern browsers allow you to control cookies through browser settings.

• Block cookies
• Delete existing cookies
• Block third-party cookies
• Receive warnings before cookies are stored
• Delete stored website data

However, blocking necessary technologies may cause parts of the WGA Platform to stop working properly. Browser controls are separate from WGA's consent-management controls.

Do Not Track Signals

Some browsers provide "Do Not Track" or similar privacy signals. There is currently no universally consistent technical standard for interpreting all such signals.

Where applicable law requires us to recognise a particular legally recognised privacy signal, we will implement it as required. Otherwise, your cookie preferences should be managed through our Cookie Settings interface.

Relationship With Our Privacy Policy

Our Privacy Policy explains how information collected through cookies and similar technologies may be processed, including to:

• Understand Platform usage
• Improve functionality
• Diagnose problems
• Improve user experience
• Maintain security
• Understand how features are used

Please read our Privacy Policy for more information about personal information, lawful bases, data sharing, international transfers, retention, privacy rights and security.

Your Privacy Rights

Depending on applicable law, you may have rights relating to personal information collected through cookies and similar technologies.

• Right of access
• Right to rectification
• Right to erasure
• Right to restriction
• Right to object
• Right to data portability
• Right to withdraw consent where processing is based on consent

Further information is available in our Privacy Policy.

Security

We take reasonable technical and organisational measures to protect information processed through the Platform.

Cookies and similar technologies may themselves be part of security and fraud-prevention mechanisms. However, no internet-based system can guarantee absolute security.

International Data Transfers

Some third-party technology providers used by WGA may process information outside the United Kingdom. Where applicable, we use appropriate legal mechanisms and safeguards for international transfers in accordance with applicable data-protection law. Further information is available in our Privacy Policy.

Changes to This Cookie Policy

We may update this Cookie Policy when new technologies are introduced, existing technologies are removed, analytics providers change, security technologies change, payment technology changes, the Platform changes, applicable law changes, or our cookie practices otherwise change.

When we update this Policy, we will update the Last Updated date. Where required, we will also update our cookie-consent mechanism.

Contact Us

• Web Guru Awards Ltd.
• Company Registration Number: 16982435
• Registered in: England & Wales
• ICO Registration Number: ZC169726
• Email: info@webguruawards.com
• Website: https://www.webguruawards.com

Related Legal Documents

Effective Date: 26 August 2026 · Last Updated: 26 August 2026

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