Cookies Policy
1. What is a Cookie?
Cookies are small text files that a website stores on your device (computer, phone, or tablet) when you visit. They allow the website to recognize your device, remember your preferences, and understand how you interact with the site. Some cookies are essential for the site to function, while others help us improve the service or measure marketing effectiveness.
This policy covers both expiwell.com (this website) and the ExpiWell application. The two surfaces share a single consent record, so a choice you make in one is honored in the other. Each table below names which surface sets the cookie.
2. Your Consent
We do not set non-essential cookies until you grant consent. When you first visit, you will see a cookie consent banner asking you to choose which categories of cookies you allow. Essential cookies are always active because the site cannot function without them. All other categories (Functional, Analytics, Marketing) are off by default and only activate after you explicitly opt in.
You can change your preferences at any time through the "Cookie choices" link in the footer. Withdrawing consent is as easy as granting it, and any cookies in a category you withdraw consent for are deleted from your browser at the moment you withdraw.
3. Cookie Categories
We organize our cookies into four categories based on their purpose. Below is the complete list of cookies we use, their providers, purposes, and retention periods.
4. Essential Cookies (Always Active)
Essential cookies are required for the site to function correctly. They support core capabilities such as authentication, security, and recording your consent preferences. These cookies cannot be disabled.
| Cookie | Provider | Purpose | Duration | Set on |
|---|---|---|---|---|
session | ExpiWell | User session authentication (Iron Session) | Session / 24 hours | Application |
csrf_token | ExpiWell | CSRF protection on form submissions | Session | Application |
ew_consent | ExpiWell | Stores your cookie consent preferences | 6 months | Both |
_GRECAPTCHA | Google reCAPTCHA | Bot and fraud prevention on login, signup, and contact forms (legitimate interest) | 6 months | Application |
5. Functional Cookies (Consent Required)
Functional cookies remember choices you make to give you a better experience, such as your preferred language, and enable the live-chat widget. If you do not consent to functional cookies, your language preference will still be saved to your account on our servers but will not persist in your browser between sessions, and the chat widget will not load.
| Cookie | Provider | Purpose | Duration | Set on |
|---|---|---|---|---|
locale | ExpiWell | Remembers your language preference | 1 year | Both |
louis5-_zldp | Zoho SalesIQ | Recognizes a returning visitor across pages, so the live-chat widget can continue an earlier conversation | 2 years | expiwell.com |
louis5-_zldt | Zoho SalesIQ | Counts page visits within a live-chat session | 1 day | expiwell.com |
Durations for the two Zoho cookies are the ones Zoho publishes for _zldp and _zldt in its own cookie policy; the louis5- prefix is our SalesIQ portal name.
6. Analytics Cookies (Consent Required)
Analytics cookies help us understand how visitors interact with our site so we can improve it. We use Google Analytics 4 to collect usage statistics such as page views, session duration, and traffic sources. These cookies only load after you opt in.
Google Analytics is configured under Google Consent Mode v2, meaning data collection is denied by default and only activates after your explicit consent. You can also opt out of Google Analytics across all websites by installing the Google Analytics Opt-out Browser Add-on.
| Cookie | Provider | Purpose | Duration | Set on |
|---|---|---|---|---|
_ga | Google Analytics 4 | Distinguishes unique users | 2 years | Both |
_ga_<measurement-id> | Google Analytics 4 | Maintains session state | 2 years | Both |
_gid | Google Analytics 4 | Distinguishes users (24-hour rotation) | 24 hours | Both |
_gat | Google Analytics 4 | Throttles request rate | 1 minute | Both |
7. Marketing Cookies (Consent Required)
Marketing cookies are used to measure the effectiveness of our advertising campaigns. We use Google Ads conversion tracking to understand which marketing channels bring researchers to ExpiWell. These cookies only load after you opt in.
Marketing cookies are also covered by Google Consent Mode v2. Without your consent, no marketing data is sent to Google Ads.
| Cookie | Provider | Purpose | Duration | Set on |
|---|---|---|---|---|
_gcl_au | Google Ads | Conversion tracking for Google Ads | 90 days | Both |
_gcl_aw | Google Ads | Records the ad click that led to a conversion | 90 days | Both |
8. Cookies We Do Not Use
For full transparency, we want to confirm that neither expiwell.com nor the ExpiWell application uses the following tracking technologies:
- Facebook Pixel or Meta Conversions API
- LinkedIn Insight Tag
- Microsoft Clarity (session recording)
- Hotjar
- AdRoll
- HubSpot tracking cookies
- Twitter / X conversion tracking
Our Google tags are loaded directly by the site, not through a third-party tag-manager container, so no tag can be added to your browser without a reviewed change to this site's code.
If we add any new tracking technology in the future, we will update this policy and re-prompt you for consent before activating it.
9. How Long Are Cookies Stored?
Each cookie has a specific retention period listed in the tables above. Cookies fall into two storage types:
- Session cookies are deleted automatically when you close your browser.
- Persistent cookies remain on your device for a defined period (e.g., 24 hours, 1 year) or until you manually delete them.
Your consent preferences (the ew_consent cookie) are stored for 6 months. After this period, you will be asked to confirm your preferences again. You may also be re-prompted if we update the cookie policy in a way that materially affects what data is collected.
10. How Do I Manage Cookies?
You have several ways to manage cookies:
- ExpiWell cookie choices: Use the Cookie choices link in the footer at any time to review and change your consent.
- Browser settings: All major browsers let you block, delete, or restrict cookies. Note that disabling essential cookies will prevent the site from functioning properly.
- Per-browser instructions: Chrome, Firefox, Safari, Edge.
11. Your Rights Under GDPR
If you are located in the European Economic Area (EEA), United Kingdom, or Switzerland, you have rights under the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR), including:
- The right to withdraw consent at any time (Article 7) — use the "Cookie choices" link
- The right to access the personal data we hold about you (Article 15)
- The right to request deletion of your data (Article 17)
- The right to lodge a complaint with your local supervisory authority (Article 77)
For more information about how we process your personal data, see our Privacy Policy and our GDPR Policy.
12. Changes to This Policy
We may update this Cookies Policy from time to time. When we make material changes (such as adding a new tracker or category), we will increment the version number, update the "Updated" date at the top of this page, and re-prompt you for consent. Minor changes (such as clarifications or formatting) will be reflected without re-prompting.
13. Contact Us
If you have questions about our use of cookies or about your privacy rights, please contact us at privacy@expiwell.com.