Cookies Policy

Last Updated: November 11, 2025

This Cookie Policy explains how Professionals Wiki ("we," "us," "our") uses cookies and similar tracking technologies when you visit our website at https://www.professionals.wiki/ (the "Website"). This policy describes what these technologies are, why we use them, and your rights to control our use of them.

Important: We require your consent before setting non-essential cookies. When you first visit our Website, you will see a cookie consent banner allowing you to accept, reject, or customize your cookie preferences. Essential cookies necessary for basic website functionality cannot be disabled.

1. What Are Cookies?

Cookies are small text files that are placed on your computer or mobile device when you visit a website. Cookies are widely used to make websites work more efficiently and provide information to website owners.

Types of Cookies by Origin:

First-party cookies: Set by Professionals Wiki directly. These help our Website function properly.

Third-party cookies: Set by external services like Google AdSense. These cookies may track you across multiple websites.

Types of Cookies by Duration:

Session cookies: Temporary cookies that are deleted when you close your browser.

Persistent cookies: Remain on your device for a set period or until manually deleted. These remember your preferences across visits.

2. Why We Use Cookies

We use cookies and similar technologies for several purposes:

2.1 Essential Cookies (Strictly Necessary)

These cookies are required for our Website to function properly. Without these cookies, certain features of our Website would not work. These cookies cannot be disabled.

Purpose: Page navigation, secure areas access, basic functionality

Duration: Session (deleted when browser closes)

2.2 Performance and Analytics Cookies

We use Google Analytics 4 (GA4) loaded directly via Google's gtag.js script to understand how visitors interact with our Website. These cookies help us improve content, navigation, and user experience.

Analytics cookies we use:

_ga: Main Google Analytics cookie, distinguishes unique users
ga*: Session-specific cookie for GA4 properties
_gid: Distinguishes users (24-hour expiration)

What we track:

Pages visited and time spent
Traffic sources (how you found our site)
Device type and browser
General geographic location (city/country level)
User interactions (clicks, scrolls)

Duration: Up to 2 years (managed by Google)

Third-party processor: Google LLC (https://policies.google.com/privacy)

2.3 Advertising Cookies (Third-Party)

We use Google AdSense to display advertisements on our Website. Google uses cookies to:

Serve ads based on your interests and browsing history
Measure ad effectiveness and engagement
Prevent the same ad from appearing too frequently

Third-party cookies used by Google AdSense may include:

DoubleClick cookies (IDE, DSID): Used for ad targeting and measurement
Google advertising cookies (__gads, __gac): Track ad interactions and conversions
Duration: Up to 2 years

Google may also use cookies from other domains within the Google advertising network.

For more information about Google's data practices:

Google Privacy Policy: https://policies.google.com/privacy
Google Partner Sites: https://policies.google.com/technologies/partner-sites
Opt-out of personalized ads: https://adssettings.google.com/

2.4 Functionality Cookies

These preferences are stored in your browser's localStorage rather than cookies.

Examples:

Cookie consent preferences: Stores your consent choice under pw_consent_v1 for 12 months
Theme preferences: Stores whether you selected light or dark mode until you clear your browser's site data

Duration: Consent choice: 12 months; theme preference: until you clear your browser's site data.

2.5 Email Marketing Cookies

If you subscribe to our newsletter, Kit (ConvertKit) may use tracking technologies in emails:

Email open tracking: Small transparent pixel to detect if you opened an email
Link click tracking: Tracks which links you click in our emails

These help us understand which content resonates with subscribers and improve our email content. You cannot opt out of email tracking while remaining subscribed, but you can unsubscribe from all emails at any time.

For users in the European Economic Area (EEA) and UK:

Essential cookies: Processed based on our legitimate interest in providing Website functionality (no consent required)
Non-essential cookies (advertising, analytics): Processed based on your explicit consent, which you can withdraw at any time

We honor your cookie preferences and comply with the EU Cookie Law (ePrivacy Directive) and GDPR.

4. Other Tracking Technologies

Beyond cookies, we may use similar technologies:

Web Beacons (Tracking Pixels)

Small transparent images embedded in web pages or emails that track page views and email opens. Google AdSense may use web beacons to measure ad performance.

Local Storage

The consent choice is saved in your browser's localStorage under the key pw_consent_v1 for 12 months, after which the banner asks again. Other HTML5 local storage data may be used to store preferences or application data and remains until manually cleared.

Device Fingerprinting

Third-party advertising services may collect information about your device (browser type, screen resolution, operating system) to create a unique "fingerprint" for ad targeting purposes.

5. How to Control and Delete Cookies

You have several options to manage cookies:

Select the Cookie settings button at the bottom right of any page to reopen the consent dialog and change or withdraw your choices at any time. Withdrawing consent stops new analytics and advertising cookies from being set. Cookies already placed by Google remain until they expire or you delete them through your browser settings (see 5.2).

5.2 Browser Settings

Most web browsers allow you to control cookies through their settings. You can:

Block all cookies
Block only third-party cookies
Delete cookies when you close your browser
Receive a notification before cookies are set

How to manage cookies in popular browsers:

Google Chrome:

Settings → Privacy and security → Cookies and other site data
Choose your preferred cookie settings

Mozilla Firefox:

Settings → Privacy & Security → Cookies and Site Data
Choose your preferred cookie settings

Safari (macOS/iOS):

Preferences → Privacy → Cookies and website data
Choose your preferred cookie settings

Microsoft Edge:

Settings → Cookies and site permissions → Cookies and site data
Choose your preferred cookie settings

Note: Blocking all cookies may prevent our Website from functioning properly.

5.3 Google Ads Opt-Out

To opt out of personalized advertising from Google:

Visit Google Ads Settings: https://adssettings.google.com/
Turn off "Ads Personalization"

5.4 Industry Opt-Out Tools

Use these tools to opt out of interest-based advertising from multiple companies:

Digital Advertising Alliance (DAA): http://optout.aboutads.info/
Network Advertising Initiative (NAI): http://optout.networkadvertising.org/
Your Online Choices (EU): https://www.youronlinechoices.com/

5.5 Global Privacy Control (GPC)

We honor Global Privacy Control (GPC) signals. When enabled in your browser, GPC automatically communicates your opt-out preference for the sale/sharing of personal information.

Browsers supporting GPC:

Brave
Firefox (with extension)
DuckDuckGo
Privacy Badger

Learn more: https://globalprivacycontrol.org/

5.6 Mobile Device Settings

iOS (iPhone/iPad): Settings → Privacy → Tracking → Disable "Allow Apps to Request to Track"

Android: Settings → Google → Ads → Opt out of Ads Personalization

6. Cookies We Use

Below is a detailed list of cookies and similar browser storage that may be set when you visit our Website:

Name	Type	Purpose	Duration	Source
Session cookies	Essential	Website functionality	Session	Professionals Wiki
pw_consent_v1	Essential	Stores your cookie consent choices (browser localStorage, not a cookie)	12 months	Professionals Wiki
_ga	Analytics	Google Analytics user identification	2 years	Google Analytics (GA4)
_ga_*	Analytics	GA4 session identification	2 years	Google Analytics (GA4)
_gid	Analytics	Google Analytics user distinction	24 hours	Google Analytics (GA4)
__gads	Advertising	Google ad targeting	Up to 2 years	Google AdSense
__gac	Advertising	Google ad conversion tracking	90 days	Google AdSense
IDE	Advertising	DoubleClick ad targeting	1-2 years	Google DoubleClick
DSID	Advertising	DoubleClick identification	2 weeks	Google DoubleClick
test_cookie	Advertising	Check if cookies are enabled	15 minutes	Google DoubleClick

Note: The specific cookies used may change as we add or remove services. We update this list by hand when we add or remove a service.

7. International Data Transfers

Cookies set by third-party services like Google may result in your data being transferred to servers located outside your country, including the United States. These transfers are subject to appropriate safeguards under GDPR, including Standard Contractual Clauses.

8. Your Rights

Depending on your location, you have rights regarding your personal data collected through cookies:

GDPR Rights (EEA/UK users):

Right to withdraw consent
Right to access data collected via cookies
Right to deletion
Right to lodge a complaint with your supervisory authority

CCPA/CPRA Rights (California users):

Right to opt out of the "sale" or "sharing" of personal information (see Section 5 for opt-out methods)

For more information about your privacy rights, see our Privacy Policy.

9. Children's Privacy

Our Website is not directed to children under 16. We do not knowingly use cookies to collect information from children under 16. If you believe we have collected data from a child under 16, contact us immediately.

We may update this Cookie Policy from time to time to reflect changes in technology, legal requirements, or our data practices. We will update the "Last Updated" date at the top when changes are made.

Material changes will be communicated through a prominent notice on our Website. We encourage you to review this policy periodically.

11. Contact Us

If you have questions about our use of cookies or this Cookie Policy, please contact us:

Contact: Atlas Email: pro [at] professionals.wiki Mailing Address: 113 Cherry St #92768, Seattle, WA 98104-2205 Website: https://www.professionals.wiki/

For privacy-related inquiries, please also see our Privacy Policy.

Previous version dated: March 19, 2021