Cookie Policy
Effective date: 2026-03-18 | Version 1.1
1. What Are Cookies?
Cookies are small text files stored on your device when you visit a website. They help websites remember your preferences, keep you logged in, and improve your experience.
HomeThink uses cookies to provide essential functionality and improve our service.
2. Cookies We Use
2.1 Strictly Necessary Cookies
These cookies are essential for HomeThink to function and cannot be disabled:
| Cookie Name | Purpose | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| __session | Authentication token from Clerk. Keeps you logged in securely. | Session / 7 days |
| __client_uat | Client-side authentication token for session management. | Session |
| __clerk_db_jwt | Clerk session verification and CSRF protection. | Session |
2.2 Functional Cookies
These cookies enhance functionality and personalisation but are not strictly essential:
| Cookie Name | Purpose | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| theme | Remembers your light/dark mode preference. | 1 year |
| cookie_consent | Stores your cookie consent preferences to avoid showing the banner repeatedly. | 1 year |
2.3 Analytics Cookies
These cookies are optional and only enabled with your explicit consent. We use Vercel Web Analytics for anonymous page-view data and PostHog for product analytics to understand how users interact with HomeThink and improve the service. No cross-site tracking is performed.
| Service | Purpose | Data collected |
|---|---|---|
| Vercel Web Analytics | Anonymous page-view and performance data | Page URL, referrer, country (no personal identifiers) |
| PostHog | Product analytics — understanding feature usage, navigation patterns, and conversion flows | Page views, feature interactions (e.g., property added, tab viewed), user ID and email (for signed-in users only) |
PostHog analytics are routed through our own domain (/ingest) and are fully disabled until you consent. When opted out, no data is transmitted to PostHog's servers. PostHog also stores an anonymous device identifier in local storage to link pageviews within a session.
3. Third-Party Cookies
Some cookies are set by third-party services we use to operate HomeThink:
- Clerk (Authentication): Sets cookies to manage your login session securely. These are essential for authentication and cannot be disabled without preventing you from using HomeThink.
- Stripe (Payments): May set cookies during payment checkout to prevent fraud and ensure secure transactions.
- Vercel Web Analytics (Analytics, optional): Collects anonymous page-view data only when you have consented to analytics cookies. No personal identifiers are stored.
- PostHog (Analytics, optional): Collects product usage data only when you have consented to analytics cookies. For signed-in users, your user ID and email may be linked to analytics events to help us understand user journeys. All data is routed through our own domain and is never sent without your consent.
We do not control third-party cookies. Please refer to each provider's cookie policy for details:
4. How to Manage Cookies
4.1 Cookie Consent Banner
When you first visit HomeThink, you'll see a cookie consent banner. You can choose to:
- Accept All: Enables all cookies (necessary, functional, and analytics)
- Customise: Choose which categories of cookies to enable
Your choice is stored in the cookie_consent cookie so we don't ask you repeatedly.
4.2 Manage Preferences
You can update your cookie preferences at any time:
- Go to Settings → Legal & Privacy → Manage Cookie Preferences
- Adjust your choices and save
4.3 Browser Controls
Most browsers allow you to control cookies through their settings. You can:
- Block all cookies
- Delete existing cookies
- Set preferences for specific websites
Warning: Blocking essential cookies will prevent HomeThink from functioning properly. You will not be able to log in or use the service without authentication cookies.
Learn how to manage cookies in common browsers:
5. Local Storage
In addition to cookies, HomeThink uses browser local storage to save certain preferences and app state on your device. This includes:
- UI state (e.g., sidebar collapsed/expanded)
- Temporary form data to prevent data loss
- Cookie consent preferences (synced with cookies)
- PostHog analytics state (anonymous device ID and event queue — stored locally, but only transmitted to PostHog when you have consented to analytics)
Local storage data remains on your device and is not transmitted to our servers. PostHog stores a small amount of local data for session continuity, but queued events are only transmitted when analytics consent is active. You can clear local storage through your browser's developer tools or by clearing site data.
6. Do Not Track
Some browsers support a “Do Not Track” (DNT) signal. However, there is no industry-standard interpretation of how to respond to DNT signals. HomeThink does not currently respond to DNT signals, but we commit to minimal tracking and transparent cookie usage.
7. Changes to This Policy
We may update this Cookie Policy from time to time. Changes will be posted on this page with an updated effective date. If we introduce new types of cookies (e.g., analytics), we will notify you and request consent where required by law.
8. Contact Us
If you have questions about our use of cookies, please contact us:
Email: privacy@homethink.co.uk