Cookie Policy

Last Updated: July 2, 2026

Cookies are small files a website stores in your browser. "Local storage" is a related browser feature that saves small pieces of data on your device. This page explains exactly which of these VOWordCounter.com uses, what each one is for, and the choices you have. It sits alongside our full Privacy Policy, which covers our data practices more broadly.

VOWordCounter is deliberately light on cookies. The only cookies we may ever set come from Google Analytics, and only after you accept them. Everything else we store is first-party functional data that never leaves your browser.

1. Google Analytics Cookies

Cookies: _ga, _ga_*. Set by: Google Analytics. Purpose: to distinguish visitors and understand aggregate traffic patterns.

We run Google Analytics under Google's Consent Mode v2 (Advanced), which is the important detail here. On every visit, the Analytics tag loads and sends a single page-view signal. But your consent choice controls what that signal is allowed to do:

  • Before you choose, or if you reject: the page-view ping is anonymized and cookieless. No _ga or _ga_* cookie is set, and no persistent visitor ID is stored. We get rough, aggregate counts with nothing that follows you.
  • After you click "Accept": Google Analytics switches to full cookie-based analytics for your browser, setting the _ga and _ga_* cookies so that returning visits can be recognized. These cookies typically last up to two years.

In other words, the tracking cookies only ever exist if you have explicitly opted in.

2. Ahrefs Web Analytics

Cookies: none. Set by: Ahrefs Web Analytics. Purpose: basic, privacy-friendly traffic measurement.

Ahrefs Web Analytics is cookieless by design. It sets no cookies and uses no persistent identifiers; it simply sends anonymous pings about page loads. For that reason it runs on every page and is not covered by the Accept/Reject choice below. Analytics of this pings-only kind, with no cookies and no persistent ID, generally does not require consent under most cookie laws, which is why we can keep it always on without compromising your privacy.

3. First-Party Functional Storage (Not Cookies)

Type: browser localStorage. Set by: VOWordCounter itself. Purpose: to make the tools work smoothly across page refreshes and visits.

These items are not cookies, they are never sent to any server, and they never leave your browser. We store:

  • Your checkbox preferences on the Script Counter.
  • Your in-progress script text, so it survives a page refresh.
  • Your preferred words-per-minute setting on the Script Timer.
  • Your cookie-consent choice itself (stored under the key vowc_cookie_consent).

Because this storage is strictly functional and necessary for the tools to behave as expected, and because it involves no tracking, it does not require consent. You can remove it at any time using your browser's "clear site data" controls.

4. Your Accept / Reject Choice

When you first visit, we ask whether you accept analytics cookies. Here is what each option does:

  • Accept: Google Analytics is allowed to set its _ga / _ga_* cookies and record your visits with full analytics.
  • Reject: Google Analytics stays in its anonymized, cookieless mode. No analytics cookies are set for your browser.

Either way, Ahrefs stays cookieless and the functional storage in Section 3 continues to work, because none of that involves tracking cookies. We remember your choice for 12 months so you are not asked repeatedly. You can change your mind at any time using the "Cookie preferences" link in the site footer.

5. Questions

If you have any questions about our use of cookies or browser storage, email us at info@vowordcounter.com.