Last updated: 15 August 2026
A cookie is a small file a website asks your browser to store. Some are needed for the site to work at all; the rest are used to measure audience and to fund the site through advertising. This page lists all of them.
The short version
- Strictly necessary cookies are set without asking, because the site cannot function without them. There are very few, and none of them identify you.
- Statistics and marketing cookies are set only if you accept them in the banner. Refuse, and they are never written.
- You can change your mind at any time using the cookie preferences link in the footer.
- Refusing does not restrict access to any guide on this site. You will still see advertising, but it will not be personalised.
Strictly necessary — always active
| Cookie | Set by | Purpose | Duration |
|---|---|---|---|
cmplz_consent_status | This site | Records the consent choice you made in the banner, so you are not asked again on every page. | 365 days |
cmplz_policy_id | This site | Records which version of this policy you consented to, so we can ask again if it changes materially. | 365 days |
cmplz_marketing / cmplz_statistics | This site | Stores your per-category choice so each category can be honoured independently. | 365 days |
PHPSESSID | This site | Technical session identifier used by the server. Expires when you close the browser. | Session |
wordpress_*, wp-settings-* | This site | Set only for logged-in site administrators. Ordinary readers never receive them. | Session – 1 year |
Statistics — only with your consent
Used to count readers and understand which guides are useful. Aggregated; never used to identify you.
| Cookie | Set by | Purpose | Duration |
|---|---|---|---|
_ga | Google Analytics | Distinguishes one browser from another so visits can be counted without identifying a person. | 13 months |
_ga_<container-id> | Google Analytics | Maintains the session state for GA4. | 13 months |
Marketing — only with your consent
Used by Google AdSense and its advertising partners to select advertisements, cap how often you see the same one, and detect invalid traffic.
| Cookie | Set by | Purpose | Duration |
|---|---|---|---|
__gads, __gpi | Ad selection, frequency capping and measurement. | 13 months | |
IDE, test_cookie | Google (doubleclick.net) | Measures the effectiveness of an advertisement and checks that cookies can be set. | 13 months / 15 minutes |
NID, ANID | Stores advertising preferences associated with your Google account settings. | 6 – 13 months | |
receive-cookie-deprecation | Signals participation in Google’s Privacy Sandbox testing. | 180 days |
Advertising partners can change. The authoritative, always-current list of vendors Google may work with is published at business.safety.google/adscookies.
Things that are not cookies but behave like them
- Google Fonts. Two typefaces are loaded from Google’s font service. No cookie is set, but Google receives your IP address as a technical necessity of serving the file.
- Local storage. Our calculators keep the numbers you enter in your browser’s memory for the duration of the page only. Nothing is sent to us and nothing survives a page reload.
How to change or withdraw consent
- Use the cookie preferences link in the footer of any page. Withdrawing is as easy as giving it.
- Delete cookies in your browser settings — the banner will reappear on your next visit.
- Manage Google’s advertising personalisation directly at adssettings.google.com.
- Block third-party cookies entirely in your browser. The guides will still work.
For the wider picture — legal bases, retention periods, international transfers and your rights — see the privacy policy.