Cookie Policy

1. What Are Cookies?

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

Cookies allow a website to recognize your device and store some information about your preferences or past actions. This helps improve your browsing experience and allows websites to provide personalized content.

2. How We Use Cookies

Open SEO uses cookies for the following purposes:

2.1 Essential Cookies

These cookies are necessary for the Service to function properly. They enable core functionality such as:

• User authentication and session management
• Remembering your login status
• Security and fraud prevention
• Load balancing and performance

These cookies cannot be disabled as they are essential for the Service to work.

2.2 Functional Cookies

These cookies enhance functionality and personalization:

• Remembering your preferences and settings
• Storing your form inputs temporarily
• Language preferences
• UI customization settings

2.3 Analytics Cookies

These cookies help us understand how visitors interact with our Service:

• Page views and navigation patterns
• Feature usage statistics
• Error tracking and debugging
• Performance monitoring

We use this information to improve our Service and user experience. Analytics data is aggregated and anonymized.

3. Third-Party Cookies

We may use third-party services that set their own cookies:

3.1 Analytics Services

We may use analytics services (such as Google Analytics) that use cookies to collect information about your use of the Service. These services have their own privacy policies.

3.2 Authentication Services

If you log in using third-party authentication (e.g., Google, GitHub), those services may set cookies for authentication purposes.

4. Types of Cookies We Use

5. Managing Cookies

You have control over cookies. You can:

5.1 Browser Settings

Most browsers allow you to:

• See what cookies you have and delete them individually
• Block third-party cookies
• Block all cookies from specific sites
• Block all cookies
• Delete all cookies when you close your browser

Note: Blocking essential cookies may prevent the Service from functioning properly.

5.2 Browser-Specific Instructions

• Chrome: Settings → Privacy and security → Cookies and other site data
• Firefox: Options → Privacy & Security → Cookies and Site Data
• Safari: Preferences → Privacy → Cookies and website data
• Edge: Settings → Privacy, search, and services → Cookies and site permissions

5.3 Opt-Out Tools

You can opt out of certain analytics cookies using:

• Google Analytics Opt-out Browser Add-on
• Your browser's "Do Not Track" setting

6. Local Storage and Similar Technologies

In addition to cookies, we may use:

• Local Storage: Stores data locally in your browser (e.g., draft articles, preferences)
• Session Storage: Temporary storage that clears when you close your browser
• IndexedDB: Browser database for storing larger amounts of data

You can clear local storage through your browser settings, similar to clearing cookies.

7. Cookies and API Keys

Important: Your API keys are NOT stored in cookies. They are stored securely on our servers using encryption. Cookies are only used for session management and preferences.

8. Changes to This Cookie Policy

We may update this Cookie Policy from time to time to reflect changes in our practices or for other operational, legal, or regulatory reasons. We will notify you of any material changes by posting the updated policy on this page and updating the "Last updated" date.

9. More Information

For more information about cookies and how they work, you can visit:

• www.allaboutcookies.org
• www.youronlinechoices.com

10. Contact Us

If you have questions about our use of cookies, please contact us at: