What Are Cookies
Cookies are small text files placed on your device when you visit a website. They allow the site to remember information about your visit, such as login status or preferences, making the site more useful on return visits.
Cookies cannot execute code, carry viruses, or access other files on your device. This policy also covers similar technologies such as local storage used by some of our third-party integrations.
Types of Cookies We Use
ESSENTIAL
Strictly Necessary Cookies
Set by WordPress. Required for the site to function — they handle your session, security tokens, and login state. These cannot be disabled.
Always active — no consent required Session or up to 1 year
FUNCTIONAL
Functional Cookies
Remember your preferences and account settings between visits — such as staying logged into your NodeStories account.
Optional — consent required Up to 1 year
ANALYTICS
Analytics Cookies
Set by Google Analytics to help us understand how visitors use nodestories.com. Data is aggregated and anonymized and never used to identify individuals.
Optional — consent required Up to 2 years
THIRD-PARTY
Third-Party Service Cookies
Set by Paddle (payment processing) and YouTube (embedded product preview videos). These operate under their own privacy policies.
Paddle: required for checkout · YouTube: optional Varies by provider
Full Cookie List
ESSENTIAL — WORDPRESS
| COOKIE | PURPOSE | DURATION |
|---|---|---|
wordpress_logged_in_* | Authenticates logged-in users and maintains session | Session |
wordpress_sec_* | Security token for the WordPress admin area | Session |
wp-settings-* | Stores UI preferences for the WordPress admin | 1 year |
wordpress_test_cookie | Checks browser cookie support (set and immediately deleted) | Session |
cookie_consent | Stores your cookie preferences on nodestories.com | 1 year |
FUNCTIONAL — ACCOUNT & STORE
| COOKIE | PURPOSE | DURATION |
|---|---|---|
woocommerce_cart_hash | Tracks shopping cart contents | Session |
woocommerce_items_in_cart | Indicates whether cart has items (for cart icon display) | Session |
wp_woocommerce_session_* | Session token tied to your cart and checkout data | 2 days |
ANALYTICS — GOOGLE ANALYTICS (GA4)
| COOKIE | PROVIDER | PURPOSE | DURATION |
|---|---|---|---|
_ga | Assigns a unique anonymous ID to distinguish users and track sessions | 2 years | |
_ga_* | Stores and updates a unique value for each page visit; maintains GA4 session state | 2 years | |
_gid | Distinguishes users; throttles request rate | 24 hours |
THIRD-PARTY — PADDLE (PAYMENT PROCESSING)
| COOKIE | PURPOSE | DURATION |
|---|---|---|
paddle_* | Required for the Paddle checkout overlay — handles checkout session, fraud prevention, and order state | Session / 30 days |
Paddle acts as Merchant of Record for our transactions. Full details: paddle.com/legal/privacy.
THIRD-PARTY — YOUTUBE (EMBEDDED VIDEOS)
| COOKIE | PURPOSE | DURATION |
|---|---|---|
YSC | Registers a unique ID to track statistics of YouTube videos viewed by the user | Session |
VISITOR_INFO1_LIVE | Estimates bandwidth on pages with embedded YouTube videos | 179 days |
yt-remote-* | Stores user preferences for the embedded YouTube player | Persistent |
We embed YouTube videos using privacy-enhanced mode (youtube-nocookie.com) where possible, which limits data sent to YouTube until you interact with the player.
Third-Party Services
The following external services place cookies on nodestories.com. We do not control these cookies — they are governed by each provider’s own privacy policy:
- Google Analytics — website analytics. Google Privacy Policy · Opt-out add-on
- Paddle — payment processing and checkout (Merchant of Record). Paddle Privacy Policy
- YouTube (Google) — embedded product preview videos. Google/YouTube Privacy Policy
We do not use Facebook/Meta Pixel, advertising networks, or behavioral retargeting cookies.
Your Consent
In accordance with the EU ePrivacy Directive and GDPR, we request consent before placing non-essential cookies. When you first visit nodestories.com, a cookie banner allows you to accept all, accept essential only, or customize by category.
Your choice is saved for 1 year and can be updated at any time via the “Cookie Settings” link in the footer. Strictly necessary cookies (WordPress session, security, Paddle checkout) do not require consent.
Managing & Disabling Cookies
You can manage cookies through our preference center or directly in your browser:
Disabling essential cookies will prevent login, checkout, and cart functionality from working correctly on nodestories.com.
To opt out of Google Analytics, install the Google Analytics Opt-out Browser Add-on.
Policy Changes
We may update this policy when we add new features or integrations. The “Last updated” date at the top reflects the most recent revision. Material changes will be announced via a banner on nodestories.com.
Contact
Questions about cookies or this policy:
NodeStories
Email: support@nodestories.com
You may also lodge a complaint with the Polish data protection authority: Urząd Ochrony Danych Osobowych (UODO) — uodo.gov.pl.
