Cookie Policy
1. What Are Cookies
Cookies are small text files that are placed on your computer, mobile device or other internet-enabled device when you visit a website. They are widely used to make websites function efficiently, to store your preferences and settings, and to provide information to the owners of the website about how the site is being used. Cookies contain a range of information, including unique identifiers, preference settings and session information, and they are stored locally on your device by your web browser.
In addition to cookies, we may use similar tracking technologies on our website, including web beacons (also known as tracking pixels or clear GIFs), local storage objects, session storage, and browser fingerprinting techniques. References to "cookies" in this Cookie Policy should be read as including these similar technologies where the context permits.
This Cookie Policy explains how ABHOSTER LTD uses cookies and similar technologies on our website at abhoster.cloud, what types of cookies we deploy, what purposes they serve, how long they remain on your device and how you can control or disable them.
This Cookie Policy should be read alongside our Privacy Policy, which is available at privacy-policy.html and which provides further information about how we collect and process personal data generally.
2. Our Legal Basis for Using Cookies
Our use of cookies is governed by the Privacy and Electronic Communications (EC Directive) Regulations 2003 (as amended) (PECR) together with the UK GDPR and the Data Protection Act 2018. PECR requires us to obtain your prior consent before placing non-essential cookies on your device, and to provide you with clear and comprehensive information about the cookies we use.
Strictly necessary cookies do not require your consent as they are essential for the website to function and cannot be switched off without breaking the site's basic functionality. All other categories of cookie require your prior consent, which you provide through our cookie consent mechanism when you first visit our website.
You may withdraw or update your consent to non-essential cookies at any time, as described in Section 6 of this Cookie Policy. Withdrawing consent does not affect the lawfulness of cookie placement prior to withdrawal.
3. Categories of Cookies We Use
We categorise the cookies used on abhoster.cloud as follows:
3.1 Strictly Necessary Cookies
These cookies are essential for our website to function. They enable core functionality such as security, network management and accessibility. Without these cookies, the website cannot operate correctly. They do not require your consent and cannot be disabled through our consent mechanism, though you can disable them through your browser settings (which may render parts of the website non-functional).
Strictly necessary cookies used on our website include: session cookies that maintain your browser session and allow pages to remember your progress as you navigate between them; security cookies that help detect and prevent malicious activity on our website; and load-balancing cookies that ensure your requests are directed to an appropriate server.
3.2 Performance and Analytics Cookies
These cookies allow us to count visits and traffic sources so we can measure and improve the performance of our website. They help us understand which pages are most and least popular and see how visitors move around the website. All information collected by these cookies is aggregated and, where possible, anonymised.
We use Google Analytics to collect performance data about our website. Google Analytics places cookies on your device that enable us to analyse website usage data, including: the pages you visit and in what order; the time you spend on each page; the links you click; the search terms you use to find our website; your approximate geographic location (country or region level); and the browser, device and operating system you are using.
Google Analytics data is transferred to Google's servers, which may be located outside the United Kingdom. We have implemented IP anonymisation in Google Analytics, which means your full IP address is not stored. For further information about how Google uses data collected through Google Analytics, please visit the Google Analytics privacy documentation.
3.3 Functional Cookies
Functional cookies enable our website to provide enhanced functionality and personalisation. They may be set by us or by third-party providers whose services we have added to our pages. If you do not allow these cookies, some or all of these services may not function properly.
Functional cookies we may use include: cookies that remember your cookie consent preferences; cookies that remember form entries to prevent you having to re-enter information; and cookies that remember display preferences such as font size or language settings.
3.4 Targeting and Marketing Cookies
These cookies may be set through our website by our advertising partners as part of our broader AdTech and digital marketing activities. They may be used to build a profile of your interests and show you relevant advertisements on other websites. They do not store directly personal information but are based on uniquely identifying your browser and device.
If you do not allow these cookies, you will experience less targeted advertising. Given the nature of our business as a digital agency and AdTech provider, we are transparent about the use of such technologies and ensure that their deployment complies with applicable PECR and UK GDPR requirements.
4. Specific Cookies Used on abhoster.cloud
The following table describes the principal cookies used on our website. This list may be updated from time to time as our use of third-party services changes.
_ga / _gid / _ga_XXXXXXXX — Provider: Google Analytics. Purpose: Analytics and performance measurement. Duration: _ga persists for 2 years; _gid persists for 24 hours; campaign-specific variants persist for 90 days. Category: Performance.
abh_cookie_consent — Provider: ABHOSTER LTD (first-party). Purpose: Records your cookie consent preferences to avoid presenting the consent notice on every visit. Duration: 12 months. Category: Strictly necessary (required to store your consent decision).
PHPSESSID / session — Provider: ABHOSTER LTD (first-party). Purpose: Maintains your browser session and enables server-side session management. Duration: Session (deleted when you close your browser). Category: Strictly necessary.
Google Fonts — Our website loads fonts from Google Fonts. While Google Fonts does not set cookies in the conventional sense, the request made to Google's servers when our page loads may allow Google to collect log data including your IP address and the URL of the requesting page. We have configured our implementation to minimise data collection where possible.
5. Third-Party Cookies
Our website may load resources from third-party domains, and those third parties may set their own cookies on your device. We do not control the placement or content of cookies set by third parties and cannot guarantee that the third parties will honour their own cookie policies. We recommend that you review the privacy and cookie policies of any third-party services whose content appears on our website.
Third parties whose content or services may result in cookies being set include: Google (via Google Analytics and Google Fonts); and any other analytics, advertising or content delivery services that may be integrated into our website from time to time.
As a digital agency and AdTech provider, we are committed to transparent and lawful use of tracking technologies both on our own website and in the services we provide to clients. Our client engagements that involve AdTech or programmatic advertising always include appropriate consent management infrastructure where required by law.
6. How to Manage and Control Cookies
You have several options for controlling cookies placed on your device:
Through our website consent mechanism: When you first visit abhoster.cloud, you are presented with the opportunity to accept or decline non-essential cookie categories. You may update your preferences at any time by contacting us at about@abhoster.cloud and requesting that your consent settings be updated or reset.
Through your browser settings: Most web browsers allow you to manage your cookie preferences through the browser's settings menu. You can typically instruct your browser to refuse all cookies, to alert you when cookies are being set, or to delete cookies that have already been set. The method for doing this varies by browser. Please refer to your browser's help documentation for specific instructions. Common browser settings pages include:
- Google Chrome: Settings > Privacy and security > Cookies and other site data
- Mozilla Firefox: Options > Privacy & Security > Cookies and Site Data
- Safari: Preferences > Privacy > Manage Website Data
- Microsoft Edge: Settings > Cookies and site permissions > Cookies and site data
Please note that if you disable or refuse certain cookies, some parts of our website may become inaccessible or may not function as intended. In particular, disabling strictly necessary cookies may prevent the website from operating correctly.
Google Analytics opt-out: You can prevent your data from being used by Google Analytics by installing the Google Analytics opt-out browser add-on, which is available at tools.google.com/dlpage/gaoptout.
Industry opt-out tools: For cookies related to interest-based advertising and online behavioural advertising, you may use the opt-out tools provided by industry bodies such as the Internet Advertising Bureau (IAB) UK, the Digital Advertising Alliance (DAA), or the Network Advertising Initiative (NAI).
7. Changes to This Cookie Policy
We review and update this Cookie Policy periodically to reflect changes in our use of cookies, applicable legislation, regulatory guidance or best practice. When we make material changes, we will update the "last updated" date at the top of this document. We may also notify you of material changes through a notice on our website or, where appropriate, by other means.
We encourage you to review this Cookie Policy periodically to stay informed about our use of cookies. The current version is always available at abhoster.cloud/cookie-policy.html.
8. Contact Us
If you have any questions about our use of cookies or this Cookie Policy, or if you wish to exercise any rights in connection with cookies and the personal data they may collect, please contact us:
By email: about@abhoster.cloud
By post: ABHOSTER LTD, 17a Carnegie Drive, Dunfermline, KY12 7AN, Scotland, United Kingdom
By telephone: +44 7782 554321
You also have the right to lodge a complaint with the Information Commissioner's Office (ICO) if you believe that our use of cookies does not comply with applicable data protection law. The ICO can be contacted at ico.org.uk.