What Are Cookies (and Local Storage)?
A cookie is a small text file that a website asks your browser to store, then reads back on later visits — commonly used to remember preferences or recognize a returning visitor. Modern sites, including ToolPico, also use a closely related browser feature called localStorage, which saves small key/value pairs directly in your browser rather than as a traditional cookie file. Functionally, for privacy purposes, you can treat localStorage the same way you'd treat a cookie: it's information saved in your browser that persists across visits until it's cleared. This Cookie Policy covers both.
What We Actually Use on ToolPico
We keep this list short and specific to what this site actually does — no vague "we may use various tracking technologies" language.
ak_consent(localStorage) — remembers whether you clicked "Accept" or "Reject" on our cookie banner, so we don't ask you again on every page load.ak_theme(localStorage) — remembers whether you chose dark mode or light mode using the 🌙/☀️ theme toggle button.- Google Analytics 4 cookies — set only after you click "Accept" on the cookie banner. These help us see aggregate traffic patterns (popular pages, general geography, device type) — never anything you type into a calculator.
- Google AdSense / advertising cookies — set only after you click "Accept." Once ads are live, Google and its certified advertising partners may use cookies to serve ads and measure ad performance, which can include personalized advertising based on your activity across sites that use Google's advertising services.
Neither #3 nor #4 is set until you actively accept the banner. This is enforced through Google's Consent Mode v2, under which analytics_storage and ad_storage both default to "denied" for every visitor until you click Accept.
Cookie & Storage Table
| Name / key | Type | Purpose | Set when | Duration |
|---|---|---|---|---|
ak_consent |
localStorage | Remembers your cookie-consent choice (Accept / Reject) | Immediately, once you make a choice | No automatic expiration — persists until you clear this site's data |
ak_theme |
localStorage | Remembers your dark/light mode preference | When you use the theme toggle button | No automatic expiration — persists until you clear this site's data |
_ga |
HTTP cookie (Google Analytics) | Distinguishes unique visitors for aggregate traffic analysis | Only after you click "Accept" | ~2 years (Google default) |
_ga_<container-id> |
HTTP cookie (Google Analytics 4) | Persists session state for GA4 reporting | Only after you click "Accept" | ~2 years (Google default) |
| Google / advertising partner cookies | HTTP cookie (Google AdSense & certified partners) | Ad delivery, frequency capping, fraud prevention, ad personalization | Only after you click "Accept," once ads are enabled site-wide | Varies by cookie; generally up to ~13 months per Google's policies |
We don't invent cookies that don't exist here — this table only lists what the site above actually sets, and rows 3–5 only ever fire after you accept.
How Consent Works Here
The first time you visit any page on ToolPico, a banner appears at the bottom of the screen with two choices: Accept and Reject.
- Click Accept, and we save
ak_consent = "accept"to localStorage, then load Google Analytics (and, once enabled, AdSense). - Click Reject, and we save
ak_consent = "reject"to localStorage; analytics and ad scripts stay off.
Either way, the banner won't reappear on that browser until your stored choice is cleared.
Managing or Withdrawing Consent
Every calculator on ToolPico works exactly the same whether you Accept or Reject — cookies here are only ever used for analytics and (eventually) ads, never to gate functionality. If you'd like to change your earlier choice:
- Clear your browser's cookies/site data for toolpico.com (in most browsers: Settings → Privacy → Clear browsing data → "Cookies and site data," filtered to this site if your browser allows it), then reload the page — the consent banner will reappear.
- Alternatively, use your browser's built-in cookie controls or a private/incognito window to browse without any stored cookies at all.
- To stop personalized ads specifically (once ads are live), you can also visit Google's Ad Settings independent of our banner.
Third-Party Cookie Policies
Google Analytics and Google AdSense are operated by Google, not ToolPico. For details on how Google itself handles cookies and data, see Google's Cookie Policy and Google's Privacy Policy.
Changes to This Policy
If the cookies or storage items we use change — for example, if we add a new analytics tool — we'll update this page and its "Last updated" date at the top.
Contact Us
Questions about cookies on ToolPico? Email us at privacy@toolpico.com (placeholder address — toolpico.com is not yet a live domain at the time of writing). See also our Privacy Policy for how we handle data more broadly.