Cookie Policy

Cookies are small text files that websites store on your device when you visit them. They are widely used to make websites work, to remember your preferences, and to give site owners information about how the site is being used.

Cookies are not programs — they cannot carry viruses or install malware. They are simply data stored in your browser.

• Essential authentication cookies — set by Clerk (cannot be disabled).
• Session state cookies — keep you logged in during your browser session.
• UI preference cookies — remember dark mode or layout preferences.
• Anonymized analytics — optional, no personal identifiers collected.
• Advertising cookies — free-tier accounts only, set by Google AdSense, controllable via the consent banner.

These cookies are strictly necessary for the platform to function. Without them, you cannot log in, access your dashboard, or use any authenticated features. They cannot be disabled.

These cookies remember your preferences to improve your experience. They are not essential, but disabling them means the platform may not remember your settings between visits.

• Theme preference (dark/light mode) — stored in localStorage, not a cookie.
• Last-visited roadmap — helps the platform open where you left off.
• UI collapse state — remembers which sidebar sections you have expanded.

Most of these preferences are stored in browser localStorage rather than cookies, which means they are local to your device and never transmitted to our servers.

We use Google Analytics (GA4) to understand how the platform is being used — which pages are visited, how long sessions last, and where users encounter problems. Google Analytics data:

• Is collected via a first-party script loaded on every page.
• Does not contain your name, email address, or any directly identifiable information.
• IP addresses are anonymised before storage per Google's default GA4 settings.
• Is used only to improve platform features and diagnose issues.
• Is not sold or shared with advertisers.

You can opt out of Google Analytics tracking by installing the Google Analytics Opt-out Browser Add-on, or by enabling the "Do Not Track" signal in your browser (see section 8).

CrackLab is funded partly by subscriptions and partly by advertising. To keep the platform free for everyone who doesn't subscribe, free-tier accounts may see a limited number of advertisements served through Google AdSense — placed in a small number of fixed spots (such as a sidebar panel) so the reading experience and page layout stay intact. Pro and Power accounts never see ads.

• Ads are served by Google AdSense and may use cookies or an on-device advertising identifier to select and measure ads.
• We do not build our own advertising profile of you — ad personalization, if any, is handled entirely by Google per its own advertising policies.
• We never combine ad-serving data with your CrackLab account data (progress, roadmaps, quiz history).
• You can decline advertising cookies via the consent banner (see below); doing so may result in less relevant, but not fewer, ads (non-personalized ads may still be shown, consistent with Google's consent framework).
• You can also opt out of personalized advertising generally at Google's Ads Settings (adssettings.google.com) or via the Digital Advertising Alliance's opt-out at optout.aboutads.info.

Third-party services we use may set their own cookies. We do not control these cookies and they are governed by each provider's privacy policy.

• Clerk (auth.clerk.com) — authentication cookies. See Clerk's Privacy Policy.
• Lemon Squeezy (lemonsqueezy.com) — payment session cookies set on checkout pages. See Lemon Squeezy's Privacy Policy.
• Google Analytics — anonymized usage analytics (see section 5). See Google's Privacy Policy.
• Google AdSense — advertising cookies for free-tier accounts only (see section 6). See Google's Privacy Policy.
• Sentry — error tracking may use session identifiers. See Sentry's Privacy Policy.

We do not use Facebook Pixel or any cross-site retargeting trackers of our own.

You can control and manage cookies in your browser settings. Most browsers allow you to refuse cookies, delete existing cookies, or be notified when cookies are set.

• Chrome: Settings → Privacy and Security → Cookies
• Firefox: Settings → Privacy & Security → Cookies and Site Data
• Safari: Preferences → Privacy → Manage Website Data
• Edge: Settings → Cookies and Site Permissions → Cookies

On your first visit, CrackLab shows a cookie consent banner where you can accept or decline non-essential cookies (analytics and advertising) separately from essential ones. Essential cookies (Clerk authentication) are never subject to this choice, since the platform cannot function without them.

You can change your choice at any time — a "Cookie preferences" link is available in the site footer, which reopens the consent banner.

Some browsers offer a "Do Not Track" (DNT) signal. CrackLab currently does not respond to DNT signals because your explicit consent choice (above) already governs which non-essential cookies are set.

We will update this Cookie Policy if we add new cookies or change our approach to tracking. Material changes will be communicated via the in-app notification system or email. The "Last updated" date at the top reflects the most recent revision.

Cookie or tracking questions?

• Email: privacy@cracklab.in
• Subject: Cookie Policy
• Response time: 3 business days