1. What Are Cookies?
Cookies are small text files that are placed on your device (computer, tablet, or mobile phone) when you visit a website. They are widely used to make websites work more efficiently and provide a better user experience. Cookies enable websites to remember your preferences, authenticate your identity, and analyze site traffic.
We use cookies and similar tracking technologies (such as web beacons, pixels, and local storage) on the Whatapi platform to enhance your experience, improve our services, and deliver relevant content. This page explains what types of cookies we use, why we use them, and how you can manage your cookie preferences.
2. Types of Cookies We Use
Essential / Strictly Necessary Cookies
These cookies are essential for the proper functioning of our website and cannot be disabled. They enable core functionality such as security, network management, and account authentication. Without these cookies, the Services cannot function properly.
Examples:
- Session tokens for user authentication
- CSRF protection tokens
- Load balancing cookies
- Cookie consent preference storage
Typical Duration: Session / Persistent (up to 12 months)
Functional Cookies
These cookies enhance the functionality and personalization of our platform. They remember your preferences, language selections, and customised settings to provide an improved user experience.
Examples:
- Language preference (e.g., English, Urdu)
- Timezone settings
- Dashboard layout preferences
- Previously viewed pages or features
Typical Duration: Persistent (up to 12 months)
Analytics & Performance Cookies
These cookies collect information about how you use our website and platform, including which pages you visit most frequently and if you encounter any errors. This data helps us improve the performance and usability of our Services.
Examples:
- Page visit tracking
- Feature usage analytics
- Error tracking and debugging
- Load time monitoring
- User flow analysis
Typical Duration: Persistent (up to 24 months)
Marketing & Targeting Cookies
These cookies are used to deliver relevant advertisements and marketing content to you. They track your browsing habits across websites to build a profile of your interests and show you targeted ads that are more relevant to you.
Examples:
- Retargeting pixels for social media ads
- Conversion tracking for ad campaigns
- Third-party advertising cookies (Google Ads, Meta Ads)
- Lead attribution tracking
Typical Duration: Persistent (up to 24 months)
Third-Party Cookies
Some cookies are set by third-party services that appear on our pages. These third parties may use cookies to track your visits to our website and other sites to provide you with relevant advertising and content.
Examples:
- Google Analytics tracking
- Stripe fraud detection cookies
- Cloudflare security cookies
- YouTube embedded video cookies
Typical Duration: Varies by provider
3. Specific Cookies We Use
The following table lists the specific cookies that may be set when you use the Whatapi platform:
| Cookie Name | Provider | Purpose | Type | Duration |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| connect.sid | Whatapi | Session management and user authentication | Essential | Session |
| XSRF-TOKEN | Whatapi | Cross-site request forgery protection | Essential | Session |
| cookie_consent | Whatapi | Stores your cookie consent preferences | Essential | 12 months |
| language | Whatapi | Remembers your selected language preference | Functional | 12 months |
| timezone | Whatapi | Remembers your timezone for accurate data display | Functional | 12 months |
| _ga | Google Analytics | Distinguishes unique users for analytics | Analytics | 24 months |
| _gid | Google Analytics | Stores and counts pageviews | Analytics | 24 hours |
| _gat | Google Analytics | Throttles request rate for analytics | Analytics | 1 minute |
| _fbp | Meta (Facebook) | Ad delivery and targeting | Marketing | 3 months |
| ads_prefs | Google Ads | Ad personalization and tracking | Marketing | 24 months |
| __cf_bm | Cloudflare | Bot detection and security | Essential | 30 minutes |
4. How to Manage Your Cookie Preferences
You have full control over the cookies used on our platform. You can manage your preferences in the following ways:
Cookie Consent Banner: When you first visit our website, you will see a cookie consent banner that allows you to accept or decline non-essential cookies. You can customize your preferences by category.
Browser Settings: Most web browsers allow you to control cookies through their settings. You can:
- View and delete cookies that have been stored.
- Block cookies from specific websites.
- Block all third-party cookies.
- Set your browser to notify you when a cookie is being set.
Instructions for managing cookies in popular browsers:
- Google Chrome: Settings → Privacy and Security → Cookies and other site data
- Mozilla Firefox: Options → Privacy & Security → Cookies and Site Data
- Safari: Preferences → Privacy → Cookies and website data
- Microsoft Edge: Settings → Cookies and site permissions → Cookies and site data
Opt-Out Tools: You can opt out of certain tracking technologies through industry programs:
- Google Analytics Opt-Out: Google Analytics Opt-out Browser Add-on
- Network Advertising Initiative: NAI Opt-Out
- Your Online Choices: Your Online Choices
Important Note: If you disable essential cookies, certain features of the platform may not function properly. Disabling analytics and marketing cookies will not affect the core functionality of the Services but may impact the personalization of content and advertisements you receive.
5. Updates to This Policy
We may update this Cookies Preferences page from time to time to reflect changes in the cookies we use or for operational, legal, or regulatory reasons. Please revisit this page regularly to stay informed about our use of cookies and related technologies. The "Last updated" date at the top of this page indicates when it was last revised.
6. Contact Us
If you have any questions about our use of cookies or would like more information, please contact us:
- Email: privacy@whatapi.pk
- Support: support@whatapi.pk