Cookie Policy

Cookie Policy

Effective: 12 May 2026 · Controller: Archalign Limited (Companies House No. 14635926) · Contact: legal@archalign.co.uk

1. What this Policy covers

This Policy explains what cookies and similar technologies we use on archalign.store and archalign.ltd, what they do, the legal basis on which we use each one, how long they last, and how you can manage your preferences. It complements our Privacy Policy and reflects our obligations under the Privacy and Electronic Communications (EC Directive) Regulations 2003 ("PECR") and ICO guidance.

2. What a cookie is

A cookie is a small text file placed on your device when you visit a website. Similar technologies include pixels, local storage, and software development kits (SDKs). Where this Policy says "cookies", we mean cookies and these comparable technologies. Cookies allow a website to remember your visit — your preferences, basket, login state — and to operate features depending on session state. Some collect analytics or enable advertising.

3. The legal framework

In the UK, cookies are regulated primarily by Regulation 6 of PECR:

  • Strictly necessary cookies — placed without prior consent.
  • All other cookies — analytics, marketing, functional preferences — require prior, freely-given, specific, informed, and unambiguous consent.

Consent meets the Article 4(11) UK GDPR standard. Pre-ticked boxes do not count. Implied consent from continued browsing does not count. Active opt-in only. Our cookie banner reflects this with three choices: Accept all, Reject all (leaves only strictly-necessary cookies), Manage preferences (per-category).

4. Categories of cookies we use

4.1 Strictly necessary. Session management, basket persistence, secure login, fraud prevention, load balancing. Without them the site does not work. Examples: Shopify session cookies, CSRF token. Legal basis: PECR Regulation 6(4) strictly-necessary exception. Lifespan: session up to 1 year.

4.2 Functional (preferences). Currency, language, country, cookie-banner acknowledgement. Consent required. Lifespan: 13 months.

4.3 Analytics. Pages viewed, time on page, navigation paths, site search. Pseudonymised — no direct identifiers, IPs truncated where the provider supports it. Shopify Analytics native + Google Analytics 4 (consent only, IP-anonymisation, consent-mode enabled). Consent required. Lifespan: up to 14 months retention; identifier _ga lasts 2 years per Google defaults.

4.4 Marketing / advertising. We currently run no third-party advertising. If we activate Google Ads, Meta Pixel, or TikTok Pixel in the future, they are placed only with consent. Banner records per-category consent so prior choices apply. Consent required. Lifespan: up to 13 months.

5. Specific cookies we set and process

Working roster at the effective date:

  • _shopify_y — Shopify, persistent visitor ID (necessary, 1 year)
  • _secure_session_id — Shopify, session (necessary, session)
  • cart — Shopify, basket contents (necessary, 14 days)
  • cart_currency — Shopify, currency (functional, 14 days)
  • localization — Shopify, country/language (functional, 1 year)
  • cookie_consent_archalign — Archalign, banner choices (necessary, 13 months)
  • _ga / _ga_<container> — Google Analytics, pseudonymised visitor (analytics, 2 years, consent)
  • Judge.me review widget cookies (functional, 30 days)
  • Hoppy currency converter cookies (functional, 13 months)

For a current exhaustive list of cookies on a specific page, inspect via DevTools → Application → Cookies, or request one from legal@archalign.co.uk.

6. Managing your preferences

At the site: click "Cookie preferences" in the footer to re-open the preferences panel.

In your browser: every major browser allows you to clear and configure cookies. The ICO maintains a guide at ico.org.uk/your-data-matters/online/cookies/.

At Google Analytics: install the GA opt-out add-on at tools.google.com/dlpage/gaoptout.

Disabling all cookies, including strictly-necessary ones, prevents the site from functioning. Withdrawing analytics or marketing consent does not delete data already collected during the consented period; submit an erasure request for that.

7. Do Not Track signals

There is no industry consensus on how websites should respond to DNT, and no UK legal requirement to act on it. We rely on the cookie banner and explicit user action, not DNT headers.

8. Changes to this Policy

Reviewed at least annually and when the cookie roster changes materially. Effective date revised when updated.

9. References

Privacy and Electronic Communications (EC Directive) Regulations 2003 (PECR), Regulation 6; UK GDPR Articles 4(11) and 7; ICO guidance on cookies; EDPB Guidelines 03/2022.

10. Contact

Cookie-related question or complaint: legal@archalign.co.uk. Independent supervisory authority: ico.org.uk.

Archalign Limited. Registered in England and Wales. Company No. 14635926.