Cookie Policy

This Cookie Policy explains how YourFirstLocal ("we", "us", "our") uses cookies and similar technologies when you visit yourfirstlocal.com (the "Site").

What are cookies?

Cookies are small text files that are stored on your device by your browser. They help websites remember your actions and preferences over time, such as login details, language, and other settings.

Your choice, and what it controls

On your first visit a notice at the bottom of the page asks whether to turn on Google Analytics. Declining is a real choice — Google Analytics is never loaded, so Google is not contacted. Our own first-party analytics (section 2) are not part of that choice; you can turn off their returning-visitor cookie at any time with Don't track my visits, and a browser that sends Global Privacy Control is honoured automatically. Essential cookies stay on either way, because without them the Site does not work. Cloudflare's cookieless beacon (section 2b) runs regardless, because it stores nothing on your device. Your answer is stored in your browser for twelve months, after which we ask again; clearing your browser data clears it sooner.

Types of cookies we use

1. Essential cookies

These cookies are necessary for the Site to function properly. They enable basic features such as page navigation, core security, and business listing interactions. You cannot opt out of these cookies using the Site's controls, but you can block them in your browser settings (which may cause parts of the Site to break).

Our forms are also protected by Cloudflare Turnstile, which tells real people apart from bots using your IP address and browser signals. We run it in invisible mode without pre-clearance, so it does not set a Cloudflare clearance cookie on this Site. See our Privacy Policy and Cloudflare's Turnstile Privacy Addendum.

2b. Cloudflare — cookieless, and therefore ungated

We use Cloudflare Web Analytics for a basic traffic picture. It sets no cookie and stores nothing on your device, which is why it is not behind the accept/decline choice: that choice is about what gets stored on your machine, and this stores nothing. If it ever changes, it moves behind the choice the same day and this page changes with it.

2. Analytics — ours, first-party

Our own analytics record which pages are read, how long each was visible on screen, how far it was scrolled, where the visit came from (as one word, such as google or chatgpt.com, plus any utm_ campaign tags in the link), the device type and browser family, and the actions taken. To recognise a returning visitor they set one first-party cookie, yfl_vid: a random id — not made from your IP address or device — that lasts 13 months (Secure, SameSite=Lax). It is read only by yourfirstlocal.com, never sent to any third party and never used for advertising. If you sign in, visits from then on are linked to your account so your history continues across devices.

Opting out: use Don't track my visits (also in the footer) or send Global Privacy Control from your browser. Then no yfl_vid is set (an existing one is removed) and your visits are counted only with an anonymous daily code made from the IP address, the browser's user-agent and a random value deleted after 24 hours — it cannot follow anyone between days. The opt-out itself is remembered in a small first-party cookie, yfl_optout. The full IP address and user-agent are never stored. The Privacy Policy lists exactly what is recorded.

3. Google Analytics — only if you accept

With your acceptance we also load Google Analytics 4, which sets its own cookies. If you decline it is never added to the page, so Google is not contacted and does not see your IP address. When it does load, it runs with Google's Consent Mode v2 defaults set to denied and only analytics storage granted: ad storage, ad user data and ad personalisation all stay denied, and Google Signals — the cross-device advertising audience feature — is off.

4. Advertising — no ad network, no ad cookies

There is no advertising network on YourFirstLocal. Advertising here is our own sponsor placements: sold by us, served by us, labelled where they appear, and not personalised to you, because we do not hold the sort of profile that would make that possible. Google AdSense was removed from this Site in September 2026 and is not present at all.

5. Performance & functional cookies

These cookies help improve your experience, for example by remembering preferences or helping pages load faster.

Managing cookies

Most web browsers allow you to control or delete cookies through their settings. You can usually find these controls in your browser's Options or Preferences menu.

Learn more at https://www.aboutcookies.org/.

Changes to this policy

We may update this Cookie Policy from time to time. When we do, we will update the "Last updated" date above.

Contact

If you have questions about this Cookie Policy, contact us at info@yourfirstlocal.com.