Cookie Policy
How we use cookies and similar technologies on Albot.co.uk
Version 3.0 – March 2026Contents
1. What Are Cookies?
Cookies are small text files that are placed on your device (computer, smartphone, tablet, or other device) when you visit a website. Cookies are widely used to make websites work more efficiently, provide a better user experience, and give website owners useful information about how their site is being used.
Cookies can be set by the website you are visiting ("first-party cookies") or by third parties, such as analytics or advertising services ("third-party cookies").
Note: Cookies cannot access other information on your device, install software, or harm your computer in any way.
2. How We Use Cookies
Albot.co.uk uses cookies and similar technologies to:
- Make our website work: Essential cookies are needed for basic functions like page navigation, form submission, and security
- Remember your preferences: So you don't have to re-enter information or reset settings each visit
- Understand how you use our site: Analytics help us see which pages are popular and how visitors navigate, so we can improve
- Improve our AI assistant: Understanding user journeys helps us make Albot more helpful
- Keep our site secure: Detecting and preventing fraud or suspicious activity
- Support marketing: Showing you relevant advertisements and measuring campaign effectiveness
- Enable remarketing: Following up with visitors who have shown interest in our services
3. Legal Framework
Our use of cookies is governed by the Privacy and Electronic Communications Regulations 2003 (PECR), as amended by the Data (Use and Access) Act 2025 (DUAA), alongside the UK General Data Protection Regulation (UK GDPR).
Changes Effective February 2026
The DUAA introduced five categories of cookies that no longer require your prior consent, provided we give you clear information about them and a straightforward way to opt out:
- Analytics cookies: Collecting aggregate statistics about how our website is used, to help us improve it
- Security cookies: Fraud prevention and keeping our site secure
- Functionality cookies: Remembering your preferences and enhancing your experience
- Software update cookies: Delivering necessary updates to services
- Interface customisation cookies: Settings like language or display preferences
Marketing and advertising cookies still require your consent before we set them. You will always be asked before these cookies are placed on your device.
Your Control
For exempt cookies (analytics, functionality, and security), you can opt out at any time using the "Cookie Settings" link in our website footer. The opt-out takes effect immediately.
For marketing cookies, we only set them after you give consent. You can withdraw that consent at any time using the same Cookie Settings panel.
Penalties for Non-Compliance
The DUAA also increased the maximum penalty for cookie law breaches to align with UK GDPR levels: up to £17.5 million or 4% of annual worldwide turnover. We take our cookie obligations seriously and review our practices regularly.
4. Cookie Categories
We categorise the cookies we use into four types. Each category has a different legal basis under PECR as amended by the DUAA:
Essential Cookies
Required for the website to function. Cannot be disabled.
Legal basis: strictly necessary (no consent required).
Analytics Cookies
Help us understand how visitors use our website.
Legal basis: DUAA exemption (analytics). Opt-out available via Cookie Settings.
Functional Cookies
Remember your preferences and enhance functionality.
Legal basis: DUAA exemption (functionality). Opt-out available via Cookie Settings.
Marketing Cookies
Used for advertising, remarketing, and campaign measurement.
Legal basis: your consent (required before these cookies are set).
5. Essential Cookies
These cookies are strictly necessary for the website to function and cannot be switched off. They are usually set in response to actions you take, such as setting your privacy preferences, logging in, or filling in forms.
Legal basis: Strictly necessary. These cookies are exempt from consent requirements under PECR Regulation 6(4) because the website cannot function without them.
Important: If you block these cookies through your browser settings, some parts of the site will not work properly.
| Cookie Name | Provider | Purpose | Duration |
|---|---|---|---|
cookieconsent_status |
Albot.co.uk | Stores your cookie consent preferences | 1 year |
PHPSESSID |
Albot.co.uk | Maintains your session while browsing | Session |
wordpress_* |
Albot.co.uk | WordPress authentication and functionality | Session / 2 weeks |
wp-settings-* |
Albot.co.uk | WordPress user settings | 1 year |
__cf_bm |
Cloudflare | Bot management and security | 30 minutes |
cf_clearance |
Cloudflare | Security challenge verification | 1 year |
6. Analytics Cookies
These cookies help us understand how visitors interact with our website by collecting and reporting information. This helps us improve our site and the Albot experience.
Legal basis: DUAA exemption (analytics). Since February 2026, analytics cookies used for aggregate statistical purposes no longer require prior consent under UK law. However, you can opt out at any time using the "Cookie Settings" link in our website footer.
| Cookie Name | Provider | Purpose | Duration |
|---|---|---|---|
_ga |
Google Analytics | Distinguishes unique users by assigning a randomly generated number | 2 years |
_ga_* |
Google Analytics 4 | Used to persist session state | 2 years |
_gid |
Google Analytics | Distinguishes users | 24 hours |
_gat |
Google Analytics | Throttles request rate to limit data collection | 1 minute |
_gcl_au |
Google Ads | Conversion tracking and attribution | 90 days |
_hjSessionUser_* |
Hotjar | Identifies returning visitors for analytics | 1 year |
_hjSession_* |
Hotjar | Holds session data for analytics | 30 minutes |
_hjAbsoluteSessionInProgress |
Hotjar | Detects first pageview session | 30 minutes |
What We Learn
Analytics cookies help us understand:
- How many people visit our website
- Which pages are most popular
- How long people spend on each page
- How visitors navigate through the site
- Where visitors come from (search engines, social media, etc.)
- What devices and browsers are used
- Where users drop off in the Albot journey
- Technical errors or issues
We use this data in aggregate form only. We do not use analytics cookies to build individual profiles or to target advertising.
7. Functional Cookies
These cookies enable enhanced functionality and personalisation. They may be set by us or by third-party providers whose services we have added to our pages.
Legal basis: DUAA exemption (functionality and interface customisation). These cookies no longer require prior consent under UK law, but you can opt out at any time using the "Cookie Settings" link in our website footer.
| Cookie Name | Provider | Purpose | Duration |
|---|---|---|---|
albot_user_id |
Albot.co.uk | Identifies returning users to continue conversations | 1 year |
albot_session |
Albot.co.uk | Maintains AI chat session continuity | Session |
albot_preferences |
Albot.co.uk | Stores user preferences and settings | 1 year |
albot_journey |
Albot.co.uk | Tracks progress through the enquiry journey | 30 days |
et_pb_* |
Divi (Theme) | Stores theme-related preferences | Various |
If you disable functional cookies, you may not be able to resume previous conversations with Albot, and some features may not work as expected.
8. Marketing Cookies
These cookies are used to deliver advertisements more relevant to you and your interests. They are also used to limit the number of times you see an advertisement and help measure the effectiveness of advertising campaigns.
Legal basis: your consent. Marketing cookies are not exempt under the DUAA. We will only set these cookies after you have given consent through our cookie banner. You can withdraw your consent at any time using the "Cookie Settings" link in our website footer.
| Cookie Name | Provider | Purpose | Duration |
|---|---|---|---|
_fbp |
Facebook/Meta | Tracks visits across websites for targeted advertising | 3 months |
_fbc |
Facebook/Meta | Stores click identifier for ad attribution | 3 months |
fr |
Facebook/Meta | Enables ad delivery and measurement | 3 months |
_gcl_aw |
Google Ads | Conversion tracking from Google Ads clicks | 90 days |
gclid |
Google Ads | Click identifier for conversion tracking | 90 days |
IDE |
Google DoubleClick | Remarketing and ad targeting | 1 year |
test_cookie |
Google DoubleClick | Checks if browser supports cookies | 15 minutes |
_uetsid |
Microsoft/Bing | Tracks visitors for Bing Ads | 1 day |
_uetvid |
Microsoft/Bing | Tracks visitors across sessions for Bing Ads | 1 year |
MUID |
Microsoft/Bing | Identifies unique browsers for advertising | 1 year |
Remarketing
If you visit our website but don't complete an enquiry, you may see advertisements for Albot.co.uk on other websites you visit. This is called "remarketing" and helps us reconnect with people who have shown interest in our services. Remarketing only operates if you have consented to marketing cookies.
You can opt out of remarketing using the links in Section 14 below.
9. Third-Party Cookies
Some cookies on our website are set by third parties. These cookies are subject to the respective privacy policies of these third parties:
We use Google Analytics, Google Ads, and Google Tag Manager.
- Privacy Policy: policies.google.com/privacy
- Opt-out: Google Analytics Opt-out Browser Add-on
Meta (Facebook/Instagram)
We use the Meta Pixel for advertising and conversion tracking.
- Privacy Policy: facebook.com/privacy/policy
- Ad Settings: facebook.com/ads/preferences
Microsoft (Bing)
We use Microsoft Advertising for paid search campaigns.
- Privacy Policy: privacy.microsoft.com
- Opt-out: Microsoft Advertising Opt-out
Hotjar
We use Hotjar to understand how visitors interact with our website.
- Privacy Policy: hotjar.com/privacy
- Opt-out: Hotjar Do Not Track
Cloudflare
We use Cloudflare for security and performance.
- Privacy Policy: cloudflare.com/privacypolicy
Instigator liability: Under the DUAA, third parties who instigate cookie placement also carry legal responsibility for compliance, not just the website operator. We conduct due diligence on all third-party cookie providers we use.
10. Similar Technologies
In addition to cookies, we may use other similar technologies:
Local Storage
Similar to cookies but can store more data. Used to save your progress in the Albot journey and preferences.
Session Storage
Similar to local storage but cleared when you close your browser. Used for temporary session data.
Pixels / Web Beacons
Small invisible images used in web pages and emails to track whether content has been viewed. Used for analytics and marketing purposes.
JavaScript Tags
Code snippets that enable third-party services like analytics and advertising platforms.
The same legal framework that applies to cookies also applies to these similar technologies. Where consent is required for marketing cookies, it is also required for marketing pixels and tags.
11. Cookie Duration
Cookies can be:
Session Cookies
These are temporary cookies that expire when you close your browser. They are used for things like keeping you logged in during a single browsing session.
Persistent Cookies
These cookies remain on your device for a set period (or until you delete them). They are used for things like remembering your preferences or tracking return visits.
The duration of each cookie is shown in the tables above. Durations range from a few minutes to two years, depending on the cookie's purpose.
12. Managing Your Cookies
You have several options for managing cookies:
Cookie Consent Banner
When you first visit Albot.co.uk, you will see a cookie consent banner. You can:
- Accept all cookies (including marketing)
- Reject marketing cookies (analytics and functional cookies will still operate under their DUAA exemption, with opt-out available)
- Customise your preferences by category
Cookie Settings
You can change your preferences at any time by clicking the "Cookie Settings" link in the website footer. This gives you a one-step way to:
- Opt out of analytics cookies (exempt under DUAA, but you can still choose to disable them)
- Opt out of functional cookies (exempt under DUAA, but you can still choose to disable them)
- Withdraw consent for marketing cookies (these will be removed)
Browser Settings
You can also control cookies through your browser settings (see Section 13).
Third-Party Opt-Outs
You can opt out of specific third-party cookies using the links in Section 14.
Note: Blocking or deleting cookies may affect how the website functions. Essential cookies cannot be disabled without breaking core functionality.
Re-prompting
If you decline marketing cookies, we will not ask you again for the same purpose for at least six months, unless you clear your cookies or use a new device.
13. Browser Settings
Most web browsers allow you to control cookies through their settings. Here's how to manage cookies in popular browsers:
Google Chrome
Settings > Privacy and Security > Cookies and other site data
Mozilla Firefox
Settings > Privacy & Security > Cookies and Site Data
Apple Safari
Preferences > Privacy > Cookies and website data
Microsoft Edge
Settings > Cookies and site permissions > Cookies and site data
Mobile Browsers
Cookie settings on mobile devices are usually found in the browser app's settings menu. The process varies by device and browser.
14. Third-Party Opt-Out Links
You can opt out of tracking by specific third parties using these links:
| Provider | Opt-Out Link |
|---|---|
| Google Analytics | tools.google.com/dlpage/gaoptout |
| Google Ads | adssettings.google.com |
| Facebook/Meta | facebook.com/ads/preferences |
| Microsoft/Bing | Microsoft Opt-out |
| Hotjar | hotjar.com/policies/do-not-track |
| Network Advertising Initiative | optout.networkadvertising.org |
| Digital Advertising Alliance | optout.aboutads.info |
| Your Online Choices (EU/UK) | youronlinechoices.eu |
15. Changes to This Policy
We may update this Cookie Policy from time to time to reflect:
- Changes in the cookies we use
- Changes in technology or our services
- Changes in law or regulation (such as the DUAA amendments reflected in this version)
- Feedback from users
- Updates to ICO guidance
When we make changes, we will update the version number and date at the top of this policy. For significant changes, we may also notify you through a banner or notification on the website.
We encourage you to review this policy periodically. The ICO is expected to publish final updated cookie guidance in Spring 2026, and we will review this policy against that guidance when it is available.
16. Contact Us
If you have any questions about our use of cookies or this Cookie Policy, please contact us:
Cookie Enquiries
Email: privacy@albot.co.uk
Post: Albot, Inc., 1111B S Governors Ave STE 98729, Dover, DE 19904, USA
Website: albot.co.uk
For more information about how we handle your personal data, please see our Privacy Policy.
We are committed to being transparent about how we use cookies and giving you control over your experience on Albot.co.uk.
© 2026 Albot, Inc. All Rights Reserved.
Albot.co.uk is a trading style of Albot, Inc., a group company of Loan.co.uk Ltd.