Cookie Policy

Effective Date: March 28, 2026  |  Last Updated: March 28, 2026

1. Introduction

Welcome to churchchicks.digital (the "Website"). This Cookie Policy is designed to help you understand what cookies are, how we use them, why we use them, and what choices you have regarding their use. This policy applies to all users who access or interact with our Website, regardless of location.

This Cookie Policy forms part of our broader Privacy Policy and Terms of Service. By using our Website, you acknowledge that you have read and understood this Cookie Policy. If you do not agree to the use of cookies as described herein, you should adjust your browser settings accordingly or refrain from using our Website.

Our Website uses cookies and similar technologies in compliance with applicable United States federal and state laws, including the California Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA) as amended by the California Privacy Rights Act (CPRA), and the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) Act governing consumer protection and digital advertising practices.

2. What Are Cookies?

Cookies are small text files that are placed on your computer, smartphone, tablet, or other internet-enabled device when you visit a website. These files are stored by your web browser and contain data that allows websites to remember information about your visit, your preferences, and your activity on the site.

Cookies were originally designed to help websites function more efficiently and improve the user experience by remembering your actions and preferences over a period of time. Today, cookies serve a wide range of purposes, from essential website operations to sophisticated marketing and behavioral analytics.

Cookies can be either first-party cookies, which are set directly by the website you are visiting (in this case, churchchicks.digital), or third-party cookies, which are set by a domain other than the one you are visiting — typically advertising networks, analytics providers, or social media platforms.

In addition to traditional cookies, we may also use similar tracking technologies such as:

  • Web Beacons (Pixel Tags): Tiny, invisible graphics embedded in web pages or emails that track whether you have opened a page or email.
  • Local Storage: A web storage mechanism that allows websites to store data locally in your browser, similar to cookies but with greater storage capacity.
  • Session Storage: Temporary data storage that is cleared when your browser session ends.
  • Fingerprinting: A method that collects information about your browser and device settings to identify you across sessions.

3. How Cookies Work

When you first visit our Website, your browser receives one or more cookies from our web server or from third-party servers associated with tools and services we use. Each cookie contains a unique identifier and may also contain information about its expiration date, the domain it belongs to, and additional data relevant to its purpose.

Each time you return to our Website or navigate to a new page within the site, your browser automatically sends these cookies back to the server, allowing the website to recognize your device and retrieve any stored preferences or session data. This is what makes it possible for websites to remember that you are logged in, what items are in your shopping cart, or what language you prefer.

Cookies have a defined lifespan. Session cookies are temporary and expire when you close your browser. Persistent cookies remain on your device for a set period of time or until you manually delete them, even after you close your browser.

4. Types of Cookies We Use

We categorize the cookies used on our Website into four main types:

4.1 Strictly Necessary (Essential) Cookies

These cookies are indispensable for the basic functioning of our Website. They enable core features such as security, network management, page navigation, and access to secure areas of the Website. Without these cookies, certain parts of the Website cannot function properly. These cookies do not collect any information about you that could be used for marketing or to track your browsing activity on other websites.

Because these cookies are essential to the operation of our Website, they are exempt from consent requirements under most applicable laws and are always active.

4.2 Analytics and Performance Cookies

These cookies collect information about how visitors use our Website — for example, which pages they visit most often, how long they spend on each page, and whether they receive error messages. The data collected is aggregated and anonymized, meaning it does not directly identify individual users. We use this information to improve the performance, layout, and content of our Website.

We primarily use Google Analytics for this purpose. Google Analytics is a web analytics service provided by Google LLC. The information generated by these cookies about your use of our Website is generally transmitted to and stored on Google's servers in the United States.

4.3 Functional Cookies

Functional cookies allow our Website to remember choices you make — such as your preferred language, your region, and other customization settings — to provide a more personalized and convenient experience. These cookies may also be used to provide services you have asked for, such as watching a video or using a live chat service.

The information collected by functional cookies may be anonymized and they cannot track your browsing activity on other websites.

4.4 Advertising and Targeting Cookies

Advertising cookies are used to deliver advertisements that are more relevant to you and your interests. They are also used to limit the number of times you see an advertisement and to help measure the effectiveness of advertising campaigns. They are usually placed by advertising networks with the Website operator's permission. They remember that you have visited a website and this information is shared with other organizations such as advertisers.

We use Google Ads (formerly Google AdWords) and may use other third-party advertising platforms to deliver targeted advertising. These services use cookies to track your interactions with advertisements and to serve personalized ads based on your browsing behavior.

5. Specific Cookies Used on Our Website

The following table provides detailed information about the specific cookies deployed on churchchicks.digital:

Cookie Name Provider Type Purpose Duration
_ga Google Analytics Analytics Registers a unique ID used to generate statistical data on how the visitor uses the website. Used to distinguish users in Google Analytics reporting. 2 Years
_gid Google Analytics Analytics Registers a unique ID used to generate statistical data on how the visitor uses the website. Used to distinguish users within a single session. 24 Hours
_gat Google Analytics Analytics Used by Google Analytics to throttle request rate, limiting the collection of data on high-traffic sites. 1 Minute
_gcl_au Google Ads Advertising Used by Google AdSense to experiment with advertisement efficiency across websites using its services. Tracks ad conversions and measures campaign effectiveness. 3 Months
_fbp Facebook (Meta) Advertising Used by Facebook to deliver a series of advertisement products, such as real-time bidding from third-party advertisers. Tracks website visits and actions for retargeting purposes. 3 Months
PHPSESSID churchchicks.digital Essential Preserves user session state across page requests. Essential for the proper functioning of the website's server-side operations. Session
cookie_consent churchchicks.digital Essential Stores the user's cookie consent preferences to ensure that the cookie consent banner is not displayed on every page visit. 1 Year
preferred_language churchchicks.digital Functional Stores the user's preferred language setting to provide a consistent, localized browsing experience across sessions. 1 Year
cart_token churchchicks.digital Essential Maintains the contents of the user's shopping cart or order selections between pages and sessions, enabling a seamless ordering experience. 30 Days
_hjSessionUser Hotjar Analytics Assigned when a user first lands on a page. Persists the Hotjar User ID, which is unique to that site on the browser. Ensures data from subsequent visits is attributed to the same user ID. 1 Year
NID Google Advertising / Functional Registers a unique ID that identifies a returning user's device. The ID is used for targeted ads and to remember user preferences such as preferred language and search results. 6 Months

* This table reflects known cookies as of the effective date of this policy. The specific cookies deployed on our Website may change over time as we update our services and third-party integrations. We encourage you to revisit this page periodically for the most current information.

6. Third-Party Cookies and Services

In addition to cookies we set directly, certain third-party services integrated into our Website may also place cookies on your device. These third parties operate under their own privacy and cookie policies, and we encourage you to review those policies for more information.

Key third-party services we use that may set cookies include:

  • Google LLC — for Google Analytics, Google Ads, and related services. Visit Google's Privacy Policy for more information.
  • Meta Platforms, Inc. (Facebook) — for the Facebook Pixel and social media integration features. Visit Meta's Privacy Policy for more information.
  • Hotjar Ltd. — for heatmaps and user behavior analytics. Visit Hotjar's Privacy Policy for more information.

We do not have control over the cookies placed by third-party services and are not responsible for their content or privacy practices. However, we only integrate third-party services that maintain reasonable data privacy standards.

7. How to Manage and Disable Cookies

You have the right and ability to manage, restrict, or disable cookies at any time. Below are the primary methods available to you:

7.1 Browser Settings

Most web browsers allow you to control cookies through their settings preferences. You can typically find these settings in the "Options," "Preferences," or "Settings" menu of your browser. The following links provide instructions for managing cookies in the most commonly used browsers:

Please note that restricting cookies through your browser settings will affect all websites you visit, not just churchchicks.digital. Also, some browser settings may not fully block all tracking technologies such as local storage or browser fingerprinting.

7.2 Opt-Out Tools Provided by Third Parties

Several third-party services offer their own opt-out mechanisms for behavioral tracking and advertising cookies:

  • Google Analytics Opt-Out: You can prevent Google Analytics from collecting your data by installing the Google Analytics Opt-Out Browser Add-On.
  • Google Ads Personalization: You can opt out of personalized Google advertising by visiting Google Ad Settings.
  • Facebook (Meta) Ad Preferences: You can manage your ad preferences and opt out of targeted advertising on Facebook by visiting Facebook Ad Preferences.
  • Digital Advertising Alliance (DAA): You can opt out of interest-based advertising from participating companies through the DAA's WebChoices Tool.
  • Network Advertising Initiative (NAI): You can opt out of targeted advertising from NAI member companies through the NAI Opt-Out Tool.
  • Hotjar Opt-Out: You can prevent Hotjar from collecting your data by visiting Hotjar's Opt-Out Page.

7.3 Mobile Device Settings

If you access our Website via a mobile device, you may be able to control ad tracking through your device's operating system settings:

  • iOS (Apple): Go to Settings > Privacy & Security > Tracking, and toggle off "Allow Apps to Request to Track."
  • Android (Google): Go to Settings > Google > Ads, and enable "Opt out of Ads Personalization."

8. Impact of Disabling Cookies

The impact of disabling cookies varies depending on the type of cookie you choose to disable:

  • Essential Cookies: Disabling essential cookies will impair the fundamental operation of our Website. You may be unable to complete orders, maintain session states, or access certain secure areas. We strongly advise against disabling these cookies.
  • Analytics Cookies: Disabling analytics cookies will prevent us from understanding how users interact with our Website. While this will not directly affect your browsing experience, it will limit our ability to identify areas for improvement and optimize content for our users.
  • Functional Cookies: Disabling functional cookies means that certain personalized features — such as remembered language preferences, saved settings, or customized content — will not be available, and you may need to re-enter your preferences each time you visit.
  • Advertising Cookies: Disabling advertising cookies will not prevent you from seeing ads entirely. However, the ads you encounter may be less relevant to your interests, as they will no longer be tailored based on your browsing behavior. You may also continue to see the same advertisements repeatedly.

9. Your Rights Under U.S. Law

Depending on the state in which you reside, you may have specific rights regarding cookies and the personal data collected through them:

  • California Residents (CCPA/CPRA): Under the California Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA), as amended by the California Privacy Rights Act (CPRA), California residents have the right to know what personal information is collected, the right to opt out of the sale or sharing of personal information (including for cross-context behavioral advertising), the right to delete personal information, and the right to non-discrimination for exercising these rights. Cookies that track your behavior across websites for advertising purposes may constitute "sharing" of personal information under the CPRA.
  • Other U.S. State Privacy Laws: Various other states have enacted or are enacting comprehensive privacy laws (including Virginia, Colorado, Connecticut, and others) that may grant you similar rights with respect to personal data collected through cookies and tracking technologies.
  • FTC Act: The Federal Trade Commission Act prohibits unfair or deceptive trade practices, including misleading representations about how we collect and use data through cookies.

To exercise any of your applicable privacy rights, please contact us using the information provided in the Contact section below.

10. Do Not Track (DNT) Signals

Some browsers include a "Do Not Track" (DNT) feature that signals to websites that you do not want to be tracked across browsing sessions. Currently, there is no universally accepted standard for how websites should respond to DNT signals, and our Website does not alter its behavior in response to DNT browser settings. We will continue to monitor developments in this area and update our practices accordingly if a recognized standard emerges.

11. Updates to This Cookie Policy

We may update this Cookie Policy from time to time to reflect changes in the cookies we use, changes in applicable laws, or for other operational, legal, or regulatory reasons. When we make material changes, we will update the "Last Updated" date at the top of this page and, where appropriate, notify you through a prominent notice on our Website or via email.

We encourage you to review this Cookie Policy periodically to stay informed about how we use cookies and related technologies. Your continued use of our Website following the posting of any changes constitutes your acceptance of those changes.

12. Contact Us

If you have any questions, concerns, or requests regarding this Cookie Policy or our use of cookies, please do not hesitate to contact us. We are committed to addressing your inquiries in a timely and transparent manner.

Contact Information

This Cookie Policy was last reviewed and updated on March 28, 2026. All rights reserved © 2026 churchchicks.digital.