Cookie policy
Last updated 13 October 2026 (reviews, the Google sign-in prompt and the sign-in hint).
Cookies are small files a website saves in your browser. This page lists everything WrittenCheck stores in your browser, what it's for and how long it lasts, so you can see for yourself.
The short answer
We use Google Analytics cookies to see how the site is used, but only if you press Accept on our cookie banner. If you decline, no analytics cookies are set. We don't use advertising cookies, tracking pixels or social media widgets. The text you check is never stored in a cookie or sent to Google.
Everything we store
| Name | Type | Who it's for | What it does | How long |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| _ga | Cookie, analytics (only after you accept) | Visitors who accept analytics cookies | Set by Google Analytics to tell visits apart, so we can count visitors and returning visitors. | Up to 13 months |
| _ga_EKT9TE9EF1 | Cookie, analytics (only after you accept) | Visitors who accept analytics cookies | Set by Google Analytics to keep track of the current session. | Up to 13 months |
| wc-consent | Local storage | Every visitor who answers the banner | Remembers whether you accepted or declined analytics cookies, so the banner doesn't come back on every page. It stays on your device. | 12 months, then we ask again |
| wc-theme | Local storage | Visitors who switch the colour theme | Remembers whether you chose light or dark mode. It stays on your device and is never sent to us. | Until you clear your browser data |
| __Host-wcs | Cookie, strictly necessary | Only people who sign in to a WrittenCheck account | Keeps you signed in to your account. It only works over HTTPS on writtencheck.com and can't be read by scripts. | Until you sign out, 14 days without use, or 60 days at most |
| wc_in | Cookie, strictly necessary | Only people who are signed in | Says "someone is signed in" so pages know to show your photo in the header. It holds no secret and goes away when you sign out. | Same as your sign-in |
| __Host-wco | Cookie, strictly necessary | Visitors who see the Google sign-in prompt | A one-time code that protects the "Sign in with Google" prompt against forgery. | 30 minutes at most |
| g_state | Cookie, set by Google's sign-in script | Visitors who close the Google sign-in prompt | Remembers that you closed the prompt, so it does not keep coming back. | Set by Google, usually up to a few weeks |
| wc-onetap | Session storage | Visitors who are not signed in | Makes sure the Google sign-in prompt appears at most once per visit. | Until you close the tab |
| wc-rv-prompt | Local storage | Visitors who use the detector on the homepage | Counts your checks on this device so the "How is WrittenCheck working for you?" prompt shows only after a couple of checks, and remembers if you closed it or already left a review. It stays on your device and is never sent to us. | Until you clear your browser data |
| wc-after-signin | Session storage | Visitors who start writing a review before signing in | Brings you back to the reviews page after you sign in. | Until you sign in or close the tab |
| __Host-wcg | Cookie, strictly necessary | Only while you sign in with Google | Protects the Google sign-in step against forgery. It is removed as soon as you're back. | 10 minutes at most |
| wc-vid | Local storage (only after you accept analytics cookies) | Visitors who accept analytics cookies | A random ID that lets our own check records tell new visitors from returning ones. We receive only a scrambled form of it, never with your text. It is removed if you decline. | Until you decline or clear your browser data |
| __Host-wc_cms_session | Cookie, strictly necessary | Only the team members who sign in to our private editing area | Keeps an editor signed in. Visitors never receive it. | Ends when the editor signs out or the session expires |
Change or withdraw your choice
You can change your mind at any time. Press "Cookie settings" at the bottom of any page to open the banner again. If you decline after accepting, we remove the Google Analytics cookies from your browser. You can also block Google Analytics on every website with Google's opt-out browser add-on.
Page view counts without cookies
We count page views without cookies or IDs. Each page sends only its own address and the website you came from, and we add these up per day. The counts can't be linked to you. If your browser sends a Do Not Track signal, nothing is counted. The privacy policy has the details.
Things that aren't cookies
- Text you check. It isn't stored in your browser or on our server.
- Your document vault. If you have an account, vault documents are encrypted in your browser and stored encrypted on our server. Your vault password and keys are never stored in cookies and never sent to us.
- Our widget on other websites. The detector widget that other sites can add sets no cookies and uses no browser storage. It doesn't load Google Analytics or anything else from another company.
- Fonts and scripts. Our fonts and our own scripts load from our server. The only outside script is the Google Analytics tag, and it only sets cookies after you accept.
- Videos. If an article ever includes a YouTube video, it uses YouTube's privacy-enhanced mode. YouTube may store data in your browser when you press play. We'll list this here if we add one.
How to control what's stored
You can clear local storage and cookies at any time in your browser settings, usually under "Privacy" or "Site data". Clearing them resets your theme and cookie choices, and the banner will ask again. The detector works the same either way.
If this changes
If we ever add ads or other cookies, we'll update this page and the privacy policy before they go live and, where the law requires it, ask for your consent first.
