Choose what to allow
Cookie settings opens the site's controls for optional analytics and advertising. You can reject optional tracking and continue using the site. Analytics does not enable advertising. For visits identified as U.S., readership analytics starts on unless you have a valid saved refusal or send Global Privacy Control. Other and unknown locations require explicit analytics acceptance. A Global Privacy Control signal turns off both analytics and advertising on that browser.
Our local choices are not a replacement for a certified advertising consent message. Choosing to enable advertising first connects to Google Advertising Products and loads its consent framework. Google receives technical information such as your IP address and browser details and may read existing Google cookies at that step. Ad requests remain paused until the certified consent framework establishes the required permissions. If it cannot do so, they stay paused. We currently request nonpersonalized ads, which can still require consent for cookies and measurement. An ad slot does not by itself mean an ad has loaded.
If the settings script is unavailable, analytics and advertising remain blocked. If the country lookup fails, analytics needs a valid explicit choice. A country-based analytics default never enables advertising. You can remove stored choices through your browser's site-data controls or ask [email protected] for help.
What is stored in your browser
| Type | Purpose and examples | Duration and control |
|---|---|---|
| Privacy preferences | ht-privacy-preferences remembers consent or rejection, the notice version and choice time. It is used only to apply your privacy choices. | An explicit choice is valid for up to 180 days. The local record may remain after that, but an expired or invalid record is not consent. With no valid choice, the U.S. analytics default may apply after a fresh country check; advertising still requires an explicit choice. Regional defaults are never saved as consent. Change your choice in settings or clear site data. |
| Requested site preferences | ht-model-shortlist and ht-service-shortlist remember comparison selections. headless-thrones-guide-dismissed remembers that you closed the world guide. | Local storage has no automatic browser expiry. It remains until changed or cleared. Remove shortlist selections in the catalog or clear site data. |
| Analytics, subject to regional settings and your choices | Google Analytics may set _ga and a property-specific _ga_… cookie to distinguish browsers and sessions. | Our GA4 configuration caps cookie life at 180 days, or the remaining explicit privacy-choice period when one applies, and disables automatic lifetime extension on visits. Browser limits may shorten this. Cookie settings turns analytics off and removes first-party analytics cookies we can control. |
| Advertising, only when enabled and permitted | Google's consent framework loads after local advertising opt-in. Once the applicable permissions are confirmed, Google and permitted partners may use cookies or similar storage to deliver and measure nonpersonalized ads. Names vary by provider and configuration. | Provider and purpose details are supplied in the certified consent message when available. Use its controls and Cookie settings to withdraw; browser controls can remove remaining cookies. |
| Delivery, security and authenticated publishing | Infrastructure may use limited technical storage for security or delivery. Authorized publishing integrations manage their own authentication; reading the public site does not create a publishing login. | Depends on the feature and provider. These functions must be limited to their operational purpose. |
Cookies are small records sent with requests; local storage stays in the browser unless site code reads or sends it. Both can fall under privacy rules. We use the term “optional tracking” for either kind of technology when it serves analytics or advertising.
Changing or withdrawing permission
Open Cookie settings and save your new choices. We stop optional analytics or ad requests that are no longer permitted and remove first-party analytics cookies we can control. An already transmitted request cannot be recalled. Your browser or the relevant provider may need to remove third-party cookies or information already held by that provider.
Choices are specific to this browser and site storage. Another device, private window or a cleared browser may ask again. Blocking storage can prevent a choice from being remembered. You can also use your browser's controls to delete or block cookies, although this may reset the shortlist and other useful preferences.
Analytics starts only after a verified U.S. measurement default without an existing refusal or Global Privacy Control, or your explicit analytics choice. An unknown or non-U.S. location needs explicit acceptance. Advertising remains disconnected until your separate local choice, then uses the Google consent framework before any ad requests are allowed. We do not send cookieless Google Analytics measurements while analytics is off.
External services and affiliate links
Following an ordinary external link takes you to another site's privacy rules. If we add third-party media that requires optional storage, a separate choice may be needed before it loads. A cookie choice on Headless Thrones does not govern what happens after you visit another website.
A label saying we may earn a commission is an advertising disclosure, not permission to track you. We must still apply the relevant consent controls to any affiliate or advertising technology used here. More detail is in our advertising disclosures and privacy notice.
Provider references: Google's use of cookies, Google Analytics cookies and Cloudflare privacy information.