Cookie policy
Last updated: 23 October 2026
This page explains, in plain terms, what comparethem.co.uk stores or reads on your device, and how to switch analytics off.
No cookie banner
This site does not show a cookie banner. Our own visitor counter uses no cookies at all. We may use Google Analytics analytics cookies, and Microsoft Clarity only if it is enabled, to produce aggregate statistics; for those we rely on the exemption for statistical purposes added to the Privacy and Electronic Communications Regulations (PECR) by the Data (Use and Access) Act 2025, and we give you a simple way to switch them off (below).
What we use
- A cookieless visitor counter run on our own server. A small script (
/fm.js) counts page views, clicks to sellers and scroll depth. It sets no cookie, stores nothing on your device and does not store your IP address. - Google Analytics 4 analytics cookies, when enabled. Google Analytics sets
_gaand_ga_<id>. We use them only for aggregate statistics: to understand which pages are read and to improve the site. For these cookies we rely on the UK exemption for statistical purposes introduced by the Data (Use and Access) Act 2025. When Google Analytics is enabled, links to sellers may carry a_glparameter so a visit can be measured across both sites. - Microsoft Clarity, only if enabled. Clarity produces aggregated heatmaps and session analytics that show how pages are used (clicks, scrolling, mouse movement). It does not record what you type into forms. It sets
_clckand_clsk.
If you arrive from an ad, the click ID and keyword in the address (such as gclid or utm_term) are kept in your browser's session storage for that visit and added to links to sellers, so a seller can tell which ad led to a visit. Session storage is cleared when you close the tab.
The full list
| Name | Provider | Purpose | Duration |
|---|---|---|---|
None (cookieless counter, /fm.js) | CompareThem, on our own server | Counts page views, clicks to sellers and scroll depth. No cookie, nothing stored on your device, no IP address stored. | Nothing stored on your device; aggregate counts kept up to 25 months |
_ga | Google Analytics 4 (when enabled) | Distinguishes browsers so visits can be counted in aggregate statistics | 2 years |
_ga_<id> | Google Analytics 4 (when enabled) | Keeps the state of the current visit for those statistics | 2 years |
_clck | Microsoft Clarity (only if enabled) | Keeps the same Clarity user ID across pages of this site | 1 year |
_clsk | Microsoft Clarity (only if enabled) | Groups page views into one session | 1 day |
cm-consent (local storage) | CompareThem | Remembers that you switched analytics off, so it does not load again. Only set if you use the opt-out. | Until you clear your browser's site data |
cm-ad (session storage) | CompareThem | Only if you arrive from an ad: keeps the ad click ID and keyword from the address for your visit and adds them to links to sellers | Until you close the tab |
Cookies set by sellers
When you follow a link to a seller, that seller sets its own cookies on its own website, under its own cookie policy. We don't control them.
How to opt out
Checking your choice…
- On this site: the button above saves a refusal in your browser's local storage (
cm-consent). From then on, Google Analytics and Clarity do not load on this site in this browser. Cookies that were already set are not deleted: clear this site's data in your browser to remove them. - In your browser: block or delete cookies in your browser settings.
- Google's tool: install the Google Analytics opt-out browser add-on (tools.google.com/dlpage/gaoptout), which stops Google Analytics on every website.
The cookieless counter stores nothing on your device, so there is nothing to delete; content blockers that block /fm.js stop it too.
How long data is kept
Google Analytics cookies: up to 2 years in your browser; Google Analytics data: 14 months. Clarity cookies: up to 1 year; Clarity data: up to 13 months (Microsoft's default). Cookieless counter: aggregate counts up to 25 months. Your opt-out choice: until you clear your browser's site data.
Contact
Questions about this policy: contact@comparethem.co.uk. See also our privacy policy.