1. What Are Cookies?
Cookies are small text files that are placed on your computer or mobile device when you visit a website. They are widely used to make websites work more efficiently and provide information to the website owners.
Cookies allow a website to recognize your device and store some information about your preferences or past actions. This helps us provide you with a better experience when you browse our platform and allows us to improve our services.
We also use similar technologies such as web beacons, pixel tags, and local storage, which we refer to collectively as "cookies" in this policy.
2. How We Use Cookies
AEM Labs Marketplace uses cookies and similar tracking technologies to track activity on our platform and hold certain information. We use cookies for various purposes, including:
- To enable certain functions of the platform (essential cookies)
- To maintain your session and authentication state
- To provide analytics and improve user experience
- To store your preferences and personalize content
- To enable referral tracking and creator attribution
- To enhance security and prevent fraud
- To measure advertising effectiveness
3. Types of Cookies We Use
3.1 Essential Cookies (Strictly Necessary)
These cookies are necessary for the platform to function properly. They enable core functionality such as security, network management, authentication, and accessibility. You cannot opt-out of these cookies as they are essential for the platform to work.
Examples:
- Session Cookies: Maintain your login session and authentication state
- Security Cookies: Help protect against unauthorized access and fraud
- Load Balancing Cookies: Distribute traffic across servers for optimal performance
Legal Basis: These cookies are necessary for the performance of our contract with you (providing the platform service).
3.2 Performance and Analytics Cookies
These cookies help us understand how visitors interact with our platform by collecting and reporting information anonymously. This helps us improve the way our platform works, for example, by ensuring that users can find what they are looking for easily.
Examples:
- Google Analytics Cookies: Track page views, user interactions, and website performance
- Performance Monitoring: Monitor page load times and technical performance
Legal Basis: Legitimate interests (improving our services and user experience).
3.3 Functionality Cookies
These cookies allow the platform to remember choices you make (such as your preferences, language, or region) and provide enhanced, more personalized features. They may also be used to provide services you have requested.
Examples:
- Preference Cookies: Remember your display preferences and settings
- Cart Cookies: Remember items in your shopping cart
- Wishlist Cookies: Remember items you've saved to your wishlist
Legal Basis: Legitimate interests (providing personalized features).
3.4 Targeting and Advertising Cookies
These cookies are used to deliver advertisements that are more relevant to you and your interests. They also help measure the effectiveness of advertising campaigns and limit the number of times you see an advertisement.
Examples:
- Google Ads Cookies: Track conversions and measure advertising effectiveness
- Retargeting Cookies: Show you relevant ads based on your browsing behavior
Legal Basis: Consent (where required by law).
4. Specific Cookies We Use
The following table details the specific cookies used on our platform:
| Cookie Name |
Purpose |
Type |
Duration |
| session |
Maintains your login session and authentication state |
Essential |
Session (deleted when browser closes) |
| aem_ref_code |
Stores referral code for creator attribution tracking |
Functionality |
180 days |
| aem_click_id |
Stores click ID for referral attribution (HttpOnly) |
Functionality |
180 days |
| aem_ref_uid |
Stores creator user ID for attribution (HttpOnly) |
Functionality |
180 days |
| _ga |
Google Analytics - distinguishes users |
Analytics |
2 years |
| _ga_* |
Google Analytics - stores session state |
Analytics |
2 years |
| _gid |
Google Analytics - distinguishes users |
Analytics |
24 hours |
| _gat |
Google Analytics - throttles request rate |
Analytics |
1 minute |
| cart |
Stores shopping cart contents |
Functionality |
Session |
| wishlist |
Stores wishlist items |
Functionality |
Session |
5. Third-Party Cookies
In addition to our own cookies, we may also use various third-party cookies to report usage statistics of the platform, deliver advertisements on and through the platform, and provide additional functionality. These third-party cookies include:
5.1 Google Analytics
We use Google Analytics to analyze website traffic and user behavior. Google Analytics uses cookies to collect information about how visitors use our site.
- Purpose: Website analytics, user behavior tracking, performance measurement
- Data Collected: Page views, user interactions, device information, geographic location (country level), referral sources
- Privacy Policy: policies.google.com/privacy
- Opt-Out: You can opt-out of Google Analytics by installing the Google Analytics Opt-out Browser Add-on
5.2 Google Ads
We use Google Ads for advertising and conversion tracking.
- Purpose: Measure advertising effectiveness, track conversions, deliver relevant ads
- Data Collected: Conversion events, anonymized user data, ad interactions
- Privacy Policy: policies.google.com/privacy
- Opt-Out: You can manage your ad preferences at adssettings.google.com
5.3 Stripe
When processing payments, Stripe may set cookies to ensure secure payment processing.
6. Cookie Duration
Cookies can be either "persistent" or "session" cookies:
- Persistent Cookies: Remain on your device for a set period (as specified in the cookie table above) or until you delete them. These cookies help us recognize you when you return to our platform.
- Session Cookies: Are temporary and are deleted when you close your browser. These cookies help us maintain your session while you navigate through the platform.
7. Managing Cookies
You have the right to decide whether to accept or reject cookies. You can exercise your cookie rights by setting your preferences in your browser settings or through our cookie consent mechanism (where available).
7.1 Browser Settings
Most web browsers allow you to control cookies through their settings preferences. You can set your browser to refuse all cookies or to indicate when a cookie is being sent. However, if you do not accept cookies, you may not be able to use some portions of our platform.
Here are links to cookie settings for popular browsers:
7.2 Cookie Consent
When you first visit our platform, you may be presented with a cookie consent banner. You can choose to:
- Accept all cookies
- Reject non-essential cookies
- Customize your cookie preferences
You can change your preferences at any time through your account settings or by clearing your browser cookies and revisiting our site.
7.3 Impact of Disabling Cookies
If you choose to disable cookies, some features of our platform may not function properly:
- You may not be able to log in or maintain a session
- Shopping cart functionality may be limited
- Personalized features may not work
- Some pages may not load correctly
Note: Essential cookies cannot be disabled as they are necessary for the platform to function.
8. Do Not Track Signals
Some browsers incorporate a "Do Not Track" (DNT) feature that signals to websites you visit that you do not want to have your online activity tracked. Currently, there is no standard for how DNT signals work, and different browsers may implement DNT differently.
At this time, our platform does not respond to DNT browser signals or mechanisms. We continue to monitor developments in this area and may implement DNT support in the future.
9. Local Storage and Similar Technologies
In addition to cookies, we may use other similar technologies such as:
- Local Storage: Stores data locally in your browser for faster access
- Session Storage: Temporary storage that is cleared when you close your browser
- Web Beacons: Small images embedded in emails or web pages to track engagement
These technologies serve similar purposes to cookies and are subject to the same privacy protections described in this policy.
10. Updates to This Cookie Policy
We may update this Cookie Policy from time to time to reflect changes in technology, legislation, or our data use practices. We will notify you of any material changes by:
- Posting the new Cookie Policy on this page
- Updating the "Last updated" date
- Sending email notifications for significant changes (where we have your email address)
We encourage you to review this Cookie Policy periodically to stay informed about our use of cookies.
11. Your Rights
Under UK GDPR and the Data Protection Act 2018, you have rights regarding cookies and similar technologies:
- Right to Information: You have the right to be informed about our use of cookies (this policy)
- Right to Consent: You have the right to consent or object to non-essential cookies
- Right to Withdraw Consent: You can withdraw your consent to cookies at any time
- Right to Access: You can request information about what cookies are stored on your device
For more information about your data protection rights, please see our Privacy Policy.
12. More Information
If you would like more information about cookies and how they are used, you can visit:
13. Contact Us
If you have any questions about our use of cookies or this Cookie Policy, please contact us:
AEM Labs Limited
Email: [email protected]
