Legal
Cookie Policy
Which cookies this site uses, what each category actually does, and exactly how to switch them off if you would rather not have them.
Last updated: August 27, 2026
What cookies are
A cookie is a small text file that a website asks your browser to store. On your next visit, the browser hands it back, which is how a site can remember something between page loads. Cookies cannot run programs, cannot read files on your computer, and cannot carry viruses. Related technologies such as local storage and tracking pixels do a similar job and are covered by this policy too.
Cookies set by wattridge.com are called first party cookies. Cookies set by another company whose service runs on the page, such as an analytics provider or an affiliate network, are called third party cookies.
Which cookies this site uses
Watt Ridge uses three categories. Exact cookie names and lifetimes are set by the providers and change from time to time, so the table describes the purpose and the typical duration rather than a fixed list.
| Category | What it does | Set by | Typical life |
|---|---|---|---|
| Necessary | Keeps the site working. Security, load balancing, remembering a comment form entry, and storing your cookie preference where one is recorded. | First party | Session to 12 months |
| Analytics | Counts visits and pages in aggregate so we can see which guides are useful. Does not identify you personally to us. | Google Analytics | Up to 24 months |
| Affiliate tracking | Records that you arrived at a retailer from this site, so a later purchase can be attributed and a commission paid. | Amazon Associates and any other affiliate network in use | Typically 24 hours to 30 days |
Watt Ridge does not run advertising networks, retargeting pixels, or behavioural ad profiling, and there is no newsletter, so no email marketing cookies are set anywhere on this site.
A note on affiliate cookies
Worth knowing
Affiliate cookies are set by the retailer’s network at the moment you click a product link, not by us in advance. They record the referral, nothing about you personally, and they cost you nothing. Blocking them does not change your price or your experience on the retailer’s site. It only means this site is not credited for the referral. See the Affiliate Disclosure for the wider picture.
How to manage or delete cookies
You are in control of cookies through your browser, and you do not need our permission to remove them. Every major browser lets you view stored cookies, delete them, block third party cookies, or block all cookies. The controls are normally found in Settings, then Privacy and security, then Cookies and site data. Private or incognito windows discard cookies when you close them.
- Chrome: Settings, then Privacy and security, then Third party cookies.
- Safari: Settings or Preferences, then Privacy, then Manage Website Data.
- Firefox: Settings, then Privacy and Security, then Cookies and Site Data.
- Edge: Settings, then Cookies and site permissions.
- Mobile: the same options appear under the browser app’s own settings, not the phone’s system settings.
Blocking analytics and affiliate cookies will not break this site. All the guides, charts, tables, and navigation work exactly the same without them. Blocking necessary cookies may stop a comment form from behaving properly, which is the only visible difference.
Do Not Track and Global Privacy Control
Some browsers send a Do Not Track signal or a Global Privacy Control signal. There is still no single industry standard for how a site must respond to Do Not Track, so we cannot promise that every third party service on the page honours it. We do not sell or share personal information for cross context behavioural advertising in any case, which is the main thing those signals are designed to prevent.
Changes and contact
This policy is updated whenever the services running on the site change. The last updated date at the top of the page reflects the most recent revision. For the wider picture of what data is collected and what rights you have over it, read the Privacy Policy.
Questions about cookies: hello@wattridge.com.