Cookie Policy
This page explains what cookies are, the categories VpnSherpa uses, and how to change your choices at any time. It works alongside our Privacy Policy, which covers how we handle the data those cookies help collect.
01 · The basics
What cookies are
A cookie is a small text file a website stores on your device. Similar technologies — local storage, pixels and tags — do comparable things, and we treat them the same way here. Cookies let a site remember things between page loads (like which country or region you chose) and help us measure how the site is used.
We group what we set into three categories. Strictly-necessary storage supports essential preferences, security and the sign-up forms, as the table below lists. Analytics (Google Analytics) runs for every visitor. Marketing is optional and remains off until you allow it.
02 · The categories
The three categories we use
| Category | Consent | What it's for | Example providers | Rough retention |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Strictly necessary | Always on, no consent required | Remembers choices you make yourself: your cookie decision and that you closed or completed the VpnSherpa sign-up form so it is not shown again. It also holds the details that let a sign-up be linked to the visit it came from (the page you landed on, the referring site, campaign tags, ad click IDs and a random visitor ID). The visit details and visitor ID are set when you arrive and are not switched off by any choice in the cookie banner. They are sent with a sign-up when you submit one, and the visitor ID can also be added to partner links you follow from the site. Our hosting provider may also set security and load-balancing cookies. | cc_cookie (your cookie choice) · alx_lw_shows_vpnsherpa-popup (session storage), alx_lw_closed_vpnsherpa-popup and alx_lw_submitted (browser storage): sign-up popup display limits · alx_lw_attribution (browser storage) and __alx_lw_ft (cookie): how you first arrived · __alxs_vid (cookie): random visitor ID · Cloudflare security cookies | cc_cookie: 6 months · alx_lw_shows_vpnsherpa-popup: ends with the browser session · alx_lw_closed_vpnsherpa-popup and alx_lw_submitted: until you clear site data; the popup stays hidden for 7 days after you close it and 90 days after you sign up · visit details: 90 days · visitor ID: up to 1 year (up to 400 days if it is first set when you follow a partner link) |
| Analytics & measurement | Always on, for every visitor; it cannot be switched off in Cookie settings | Google Analytics, a service from Google LLC, measures how VpnSherpa is used: the pages you view, your device and browser details and your approximate location, derived from your IP address. It loads on every visit without waiting for a cookie choice; we rely on our legitimate interest in measuring the site. Its advertising features are off. | Google Analytics: _ga and _ga_<id> (cookies) | _ga and _ga_<id>: up to 2 years |
| Marketing | Optional, off until you allow it | Allows optional affiliate-network or advertising tracking tags on VpnSherpa if they are configured. None is set by default. Ordinary outbound links still work when you reject optional cookies; after you follow one, an affiliate network or the destination may set its own cookies under its own policy. | Affiliate-network or advertising tracking pixels, only when configured and consented | According to the configured partner and your browser controls |
This reflects our current cookie use and is kept up to date.
03 · Your choice
How to change your consent
You're in control of the marketing category. You can change your mind at any time:
- Use the “Cookie settings” button. It lives in the site footer on every page. Open it to grant or withdraw marketing consent. Strictly-necessary storage stays available because the site relies on it for essential preferences, security and the sign-up forms, and Google Analytics stays on because we measure every visit; you can remove either by clearing site data in your browser.
- Use your browser. Every major browser lets you block or delete cookies in its settings, including the Google Analytics cookies. Note that blocking strictly-necessary cookies may break parts of the site.
Cookie choices are stored per site or domain; changing a choice here does not automatically update a different Sherpa domain.
Withdrawing consent is as easy as giving it and applies to future optional processing on this site. For the full picture of what data we process and your rights over it, see our Privacy Policy.