What are cookies?
Cookies are small files of letters and numbers downloaded on to a device when you access certain websites. Cookies allow some of our websites to recognise a user’s device and provide content accordingly.
The law which applies to how cookies are used for storing information on your equipment (such as your computer or mobile device) changed on 26 May 2011. We will provide you with clear information about how our sites use cookies, and how to disable them if you wish.
To make it clearer for you, we’ve divided how we use cookies into four different categories.
- Setting-based – this type of cookie is used to remember a setting or preference, such as a colour or the size of text on a page.
- Feature-based – this type of cookie is used to remember information about a feature on a page, such as the fact that you’ve watched a video clip or listened to an audio file previously.
- Function-based – this type of cookie is used to remember information about how you use a website and provide analytical information to site administrators.
- Third-party – this type of cookie is created by a third party, and can also fall under the categories of ‘setting’, ‘feature’ and ‘functional’. Where third-party cookies are present on our sites, we will attempt to be as upfront and clear as possible about their intended purpose.
Websites owned, implemented or integrated into our systems
| Cookie(s) | Category | What the purpose is | How to block | What would happen |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Preference cookies | Setting-based, function-based | In some areas of our website, we use cookies to remember your preferences and offer you personalised services. The information message that appears at the top of our website highlighting our use of cookies is one example of this and our accessibility options are another. | To ensure this cookie is not downloaded, we recommend that you disable cookies directly within your browser. | Blocking our preference cookies may result in a reduced service if you wish to personalise some of our services, or dismiss our site-wide messages. |
| Session cookies | Function-based | In some areas of our website, we use session cookies to ensure persistent connections to our servers. | To ensure this cookie is not downloaded, we recommend that you disable cookies directly within your browser. | Blocking our session cookies may result in you being unable to log in to some of our services via secure HTTPS links. Because of this, we strongly recommend that you don’t block these types of cookies. |
| Google Analytics cookies | Function-based | Analytical information is captured in some areas of the main site, to help us improve services and better understand user requirements. This information is captured through a free service provided by Google (Google Analytics), using multiple cookies. Specific information on the cookies used by Google Analytics is available here. | Google Analytics cookies can be blocked in a number of different ways. Google offers an opt-out browser add-on for most modern web browsers, or cookies can be disabled directly within your browser. | Blocking Google Analytics cookies will provide no reduced service to you, but we will be unable to capture detailed information about your experience online. |
| Google Maps cookies | Function-based, Third-party | Google captures some information as you view a map on their servers. Primarily, the purpose is to remember options and preferences (such as location, zoom level or type of map), but some analytical information is also transferred about usage. | Google Maps cookies can be blocked in a number of different ways. Google offers an opt-out browser add-on for most modern web browsers, or cookies can be disabled directly within your browser. | Some maps on our website would cease to work correctly, may not be able to remember preferences, or fail to load. |
| Google API cookies | Function-based, third-party | Google captures some information as you view some Google apps or Google services embedded within our website. Their purposes are both to remember options (such as location, zoom level, view type or part of the app), but also to capture analytical information about usage. | Google API cookies can be blocked in a number of different ways. Google offers an opt-out browser add-on for most modern web browsers, or cookies can be disabled directly within your browser. | Some services on our website would cease to work correctly, may not be able to remember preferences, or fail to load. |
| Google DoubleClick cookies | Feature-based, function-based, third-party | DoubleClick uses cookies to improve advertising. They are used to target advertising based on what’s relevant to a user, to improve reporting on campaign performance, and to avoid showing ads the user has already seen. | Google DoubleClick cookies can be blocked in a number of different ways. Google offers an opt-out browser add-on for most modern web browsers, or cookies can be disabled directly within your browser | Blocking DoubleClick cookies will provide no reduced service to you, but you will not receive personalised adverts based on what you have viewed. |
| SOCITM survey cookies | Feature-based, function-based, third-party | A site-wide survey service, provided by SOCITM, is used by us to obtain feedback about your experience of our website. The service uses cookies to determine whether a customer has previously completed a survey on our website or has declined to take part. The use of a cookie prevents the same customer using the same user account on the same computer from being asked to participate in the survey again during the current survey year. Cookies are set to expire one year after their creation. | To ensure this cookie is not downloaded, we recommend that you disable cookies directly within your browser. | If you clear your cookies, either manually or automatically at the end of visiting our site, you may be invited to participate in the survey again the next time you return to our website. In addition, if you visit our website from a different system or using a different user name then you may be invited to participate in the survey again. If you have cookies turned off by default, the service will never invite you to participate in the survey. |
| Site search cookie | Setting-based, third-party | Our site search engine and A-Z provider, Open Objects, uses technology that will drop a cookie to your device. The purpose of this cookie is to record session information, but this has been disabled for our installation of the service. The cookie is still dropped onto your device, although no information is recorded, and we are working with Open Objects to investigate how we can provide this service without the use of the cookie. | To ensure this cookie is not downloaded, we recommend that you disable cookies directly within your browser | Blocking cookies from this service will provide no reduced service to you. |
| Service directory cookies | Setting-based, function-based | Four cookies are used by various elements of this part of the site. Two of these cookies remember the text size and background settings picked by the visitor. One of the cookies is used to remember the expanded view of the category tree on the advanced search page. One cookie is used if you log in to remember the ID number of your session. | To ensure this cookie is not downloaded, we recommend that you disable cookies directly within your browser. | The user won’t be able to change the page background colour or font size. The user won’t see an auto-expand view of the category tree. Registered users won’t be able to log-in to the system. |
| Crazy Egg cookies | Feature-based, function-based | Across the website, we use Crazy Egg to analyse how visitors interact with certain webpages. This includes looking at user identification and authentication, user preference storage, A/B performance testing, usage pattern assessment and traffic analysis, and advertisement performance assessment. | To ensure this cookie is not downloaded, we recommend that you disable cookies directly within your browser. | Blocking Crazy Egg cookies will provide no reduced service to you, but we will be unable to capture detailed information about your interaction with our website. |
| YouTube cookie | Feature-based, third-party | Web pages on the site occasionally include embedded YouTube videos. Where this occurs, YouTube can drop standard, and flash-based, cookies to collect analytical information. | To ensure these cookies are not downloaded, we recommend that you disable cookies directly within your browser. | Blocking YouTube cookies may prevent some videos from playing properly. |
Open Data website
apps.warwickshire.gov.uk/OpenData
| Cookie(s) | Category | What the purpose is | How to block | What would happen |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Google Analytics cookies | Function-based, third-party | Analytical information is captured in some areas of the main site, to help us improve services and better understand user requirements. This information is captured through a free service provided by Google (Google Analytics), using multiple cookies. Specific information on the cookies used by Google Analytics is available here. | Google Analytics cookies can be blocked in a number of different ways. Google offers an opt-out browser add-on for most modern web browsers, or cookies can be disabled directly within your browser. | Blocking Google Analytics cookies will provide no reduced service to you, but we will be unable to capture detailed information about your experience online. |
Planning website
| Cookie(s) | Category | What the purpose is | How to block | What would happen |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Setting-based cookies | Function-based | Two cookies are created to remember session information during a user’s visit to the site. If you are logged into the site, one of these cookies stores information about your active session. | To ensure this cookie is not downloaded, we recommend that you disable cookies directly within your browser. | Blocking cookies on this site will mean you will be unable to log in correctly. |
Library catalogue website
www.library.warwickshire.gov.uk
| Cookie(s) | Category | What the purpose is | How to block | What would happen |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Google Analytics cookies | Function-based, third-party | Analytical information is captured in some areas of the main site, to help us improve services and better understand user requirements. This information is captured through a free service provided by Google (Google Analytics), using multiple cookies. Specific information on the cookies used by Google Analytics is available here. | Google Analytics cookies can be blocked in a number of different ways. Google offers an opt-out browser add-on for most modern web browsers, or cookies can be disabled directly within your browser. | Blocking Google Analytics cookies will provide no reduced service to you, but we will be unable to capture detailed information about your experience online. |
| Session cookies | Function-based | In some areas of our website, we use session cookies to ensure persistent connections to our servers. | To ensure this cookie is not downloaded, we recommend that you disable cookies directly within your browser. | Blocking our session cookies may result in you being unable to log in to some of our services via secure HTTPS links. Because of this, we strongly recommend that you don’t block these types of cookies. |
Web services
| Cookie(s) | Category | What the purpose is | How to block | What would happen |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Facebook cookies | Feature-based, function-based, settings-based, third-party | Facebook uses its own cookies for a number of purposes, such as keeping track of preferences you specify while you are using their services; delivering advertisements relevant to your interests; gathering anonymous information based on visits; conducting research to improve services and features; support security measures including authentication; and, assist in identifying possible fraudulent activities. | Facebook cookies can be blocked in a number of different ways. To block all cookies from Facebook, you can disable cookies directly within your browser. | Blocking Facebook cookies will not provide a reduced service to you on our site, but some of your preferences may not be remembered on the main Facebook website. |
Flickr
| Cookie(s) | Category | What the purpose is | How to block | What would happen |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flickr / Yahoo cookies | Setting-based, feature-based, function-based, third-party | Yahoo (the owner of Flickr) uses its own cookies for a number of purposes, such as keeping track of preferences you specify while you are using their services; delivering advertisements relevant to your interests; gathering anonymous information based on visits; obtaining general internal and customer analytics; conducting research to improve products and services; support security measures; and, assist in identifying possible fraudulent activities. | Yahoo cookies can be blocked in a number of different ways. To block all cookies from Yahoo, you can disable cookies directly within your browser. | Blocking Yahoo cookies should not provide a reduced service to you on our site, but some of your preferences may not be remembered on the main Flickr website. |
| Cookie(s) | Category | What the purpose is | How to block | What could happen |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Twitter cookies | Setting-based, feature-based, function-based, third-party | Twitter may use both session cookies and persistent cookies to better understand how you interact with their services, to monitor aggregate usage by our users and web traffic routing on their services, and to customise and improve their services. | Twitter cookies can be blocked in a number of different ways. To block all cookies from Twitter, you can disable cookies directly within your browser. | Blocking Twitter cookies should not provide a reduced service to you on our site, but some of your preferences may not be remembered on the main Twitter website. |
WordPress.com blogs/mini-sites
| Cookie(s) | Category | What the purpose is | How to block | What would happen |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| WordPress cookies | Function-based, third-party | WordPress.com (a free service offered by Automattic, used by us to deliver consultation blogs and mini-sites) employs cookies to identify and track visitors, their usage of WordPress.com, and their online preferences. See more information on WordPress.com/Automattic privacy. | WordPress.com cookies can be blocked in a number of different ways. Automattic (the company that provides WordPress.com) recommends that you disable cookies directly within your browser. | Blocking WordPress.com cookies from Warwickshire County Council blogs will not provide a reduced service to you, but some of your commenting preferences/ details may not be automatically remembered by your browser. |