Cookie Policy.

Last updated: October 27, 2026

This page explains which cookies shanails.com uses, why, and how to change your mind. It goes with the Privacy Policy, which explains how I handle your information more generally.

The short version.

  • When you first visit, I ask you to choose. Until you do, only the cookies this site needs to work are used.
  • Analytics cookies (Google Analytics) and marketing cookies (Meta Pixel) are off unless you switch them on.
  • When you sign up for something, I note which link or ad brought you to the form. That is a record, not a cookie, and it happens whatever you choose here. The Privacy Policy explains it.
  • You can change your choice at any time with Cookie settings in the footer.

What are cookies?

Cookies are small text files that a website saves in your browser. Some are essential, like the one that remembers your cookie choice. Others help a site count visitors or show ads. Similar tools, like your browser’s local or session storage, work in much the same way, so I include them here too.

Change your cookie choices.

Click Cookie settings in the footer of any page, or use the button below, to reopen the cookie banner. You can accept all, reject all, or choose Analytics and Marketing separately. If you switch a category off, I stop using it straight away and remove the cookies I can.

Your choice is saved in a cookie for 180 days, so I won’t ask you again on every visit. After that, or if you clear your cookies, the banner appears again. If you sign up for something, my server reads your choice at that moment and keeps it with your signup. It cannot see it if you change your mind later, so reports about later steps (like confirming your email) can continue for up to 180 days after the signup. You can stop them by unsubscribing or by writing to me at hello@shanails.com.

The cookies on this site.

Strictly necessary (always on)

These keep the site working and remember your choices. They don’t track you and don’t need your consent.

NameSet byWhat it doesHow long
sn_consentshanails.com (first party)Remembers whether you accepted or rejected Analytics and Marketing cookies. It only holds your choice, for example “analytics yes, marketing no”. It’s saved only after you make a choice.180 days
wpEmojiSettingsSupports (session storage)shanails.com (first party), WordPressWordPress checks once per visit whether your browser can display emoji, so they show up correctly. No personal information is stored.Until you close the tab
wordpress_logged_in_…, wordpress_sec_…, wordpress_test_cookie, wp-settings-…shanails.com (first party), WordPressUsed only by the person logging in to edit the site. As a visitor, you will never receive them.Up to 2 weeks (login); 1 year (editor settings)

Analytics (only if you choose “Analytics”)

These help me understand which pages and articles are useful and which links bring people. They load through Google Tag Manager and Google Analytics 4 only after you say yes, and the sn_attr cookie is only set after you say yes. If you say no, Google’s code isn’t loaded at all and these cookies are never created.

NameSet byWhat it doesHow long
_gashanails.com (first party), Google AnalyticsGives your browser a random ID so Google Analytics can tell one visitor from another.13 months
_ga_HZEWRX18ZGshanails.com (first party), Google AnalyticsKeeps track of your session (one visit) on this site.13 months
sn_attrshanails.com (first party)Remembers the campaign tags of your first visit (for example “instagram, bio-link”) so I can tell which link or ad brought you if you sign up later. It holds no name, email or ad click code. Removed when you switch Analytics off.90 days

Marketing (only if you choose “Marketing”)

These let me measure how my Instagram and Facebook ads perform. They load only after you say yes. If you say no, Meta’s code isn’t loaded and these cookies are never created. When you sign up and you have said yes to Marketing, my server reads these two cookies and sends their values to Meta together with the signup report, so Meta can link the signup to the ad (see the Privacy Policy).

NameSet byWhat it doesHow long
_fbpshanails.com (first party), Meta PixelGives your browser a random ID so Meta can measure visits that follow one of my ads.90 days
_fbcshanails.com (first party), Meta PixelSaved only if you arrive from a click on one of my Meta ads. It stores that click’s ID so I can see which ad worked.90 days

When the Pixel is running, Meta may also use its own cookies on its own websites (such as facebook.com) if you’re logged in there. I don’t control those; they’re covered in Meta’s privacy policy.

Not cookies: what I record when you sign up

When you sign up for the newsletter, a guide or a waitlist, my website’s server keeps a short record of it: the campaign tags in the page address, the site you came from, what you chose in the cookie banner and the steps that follow. This is stored on my server, not in your browser, so it is not a cookie and it does not depend on your choice here. The Privacy Policy lists exactly what it holds and for how long.

Content from other services

These aren’t part of the cookie banner choices. They only happen when you take an action, such as pressing play.

ServiceWhen it happensWhat it may storeMore information
YouTube (Google), in privacy-enhanced modeOnly after you press play on a video. Before that, nothing is requested from YouTube.Cookies or similar storage on YouTube’s own domain, set by YouTube, not by this site.Google’s privacy policy
Instagram (Meta)Where my Instagram feed is shown. The pictures may come from Instagram’s servers, which sends them your IP address.Instagram may recognise you if you’re logged in to Instagram in the same browser. This site sets no Instagram cookies of its own.Instagram’s privacy policy

The social media icons in the footer are simple links. They don’t load anything from those services until you click them.

Other ways to control cookies.

You can also block or delete cookies in your browser settings. How you do this depends on the browser; look for “Privacy” or “Cookies” in its Help or Settings menu. If you block all cookies, the site will still work, but I won’t be able to remember your cookie choice, so the banner may reappear on each visit. If you use a browser setting such as Global Privacy Control or “Do Not Track”, please also use the cookie banner here, as this site doesn’t read those signals.

You can also opt out of Google Analytics across all websites with Google’s browser add-on, and manage the ads you see on Facebook and Instagram in your Meta account’s ad settings.

Changes and questions.

If I add or change a cookie, I’ll update this page and the date at the top. Questions? Email hello@shanails.com.