Sections
- What are cookies?
- How we use cookies
- Where we place cookies
- Types of Cookie
- User Sites
- Examples
- Advertising
- Analytics and Performance
- Functionality
- Security
- Strictly Necessary
- Advertisements from Third Parties Through Automattic’s Ads Program
- Visitors to Sites with Jetpack installed
- Jetpack Comments
- Mobile Theme
- Subscriptions
- EU Cookie Law Banner
- Controlling Cookies
- Our Internal Analytics Tool
- Consent for Advertising Cookies on Our Sites
- Consent and Choices for Advertisements on Our Users’ Sites Through Ou…
- Contact Us
Our Privacy Policy explains our principles when it comes to the collection, processing, and storage of your information. This policy specifically explains how we, our partners, and users of our services deploy cookies, as well as the options you have to control them.
User Sites
In addition to the cookies set on this site, cookies are also set for the Site Stats feature. This tallies the unique numbers of visitors to a site, as well as the number from specific geographic locations. A visitor is counted when we see a user or browser for the first time in a given period.
Examples
Below are examples of the cookies set by WordPress.com, with explanations of their purpose. Some of these cookies are set specific to individual services (e.g. WordPress.com). Please note that this is not an exhaustive list, but rather aims to be representative. Information about cookies that may be set by third parties, such as advertisers on WordPress.com. Additionally, referrer cookies may be set on Jetpack connected sites, using WooCommerce.
In addition, people and companies that use WordPress.com services to publish or host their own sites may place additional cookies. We provide more information on these cookies below.
Advertising
Cookie | Purpose |
ads | Tracks if a visitor has clicked an ad before. |
lr_nw | Counts and tracks pageviews on Longreads.com. Used to determine whether or not to show our Membership popup message. |
wordpress_eli | Reduces the display of ads for repeat visitors. |
Please also see the section below on third party advertisements that you may see on the site.
Analytics and Performance
Cookie | Purpose |
__pdvt | Used in log of Crowdsignal survey data to aid in debugging customer problems. |
_hjIncludedInSample mp_6d7c50ad560e01715a871a117a2fbd90_mixpanel optimizelyBuckets optimizelyEndUserId __hstc hubspotutk optimizelySegments |
Gathers information that helps us understand how visitors interact with the website, which allows us to create a better visitor experience. |
ab | Used for “AB testing” of new features. |
nux_flow_name | Identifies which user signup flow was shown to the user. |
tk_ni / tk_ai / tk_qs | Gathers information for our own, first party analytics tool about how our services are used. A collection of internal metrics for user activity, used to improve user experience. |
tk_*r | Referral cookies used to analyse referrer behavior for Jetpack connected sites using WooCommerce. |
wp-affiliate-tracker | Remembers the ID of the affiliate that referred the current user to WordPress.com |
utma / utmb / utmc / utmt / utmz / ga / gat / gid | Google Analytics. Gathers information that helps us understand how visitors interact with the website, which allow us to create a better experience for our visitors. |
Functionality
Cookie | Purpose |
__stripe_sid / __stripe_mid | For processing payment and to aid in fraud detection. |
_longreads_prod_new | Authentication for Longreads.com Member accounts. Only active when logged in, on *.longreads.com domains. |
akm_mobile | Stores whether a user has chosen to view the mobile version of a website. |
botdlang | Used to track the language a user has selected to view popular blogs in. |
landingpage_currency | Defines the currency displayed in WordPress.com landing pages. |
pd_dashboard | Records last used folder in Crowdsignal dashboard so it can be reopened upon user’s next visit. |
PD_USER_AUTH | Login cookie used to identify Crowdsignal user. |
wordpress_logged_in* | Checks whether or not the current visitor is a logged in WordPress.com user. |
wp-settings-{user_id} | Persists a user’s wp-admin configuration. |
wp_sharing_{id} | Tracks whether or not a user has already performed an action. |
Security
Cookie | Purpose |
csrftoken | Python/Ajax security cookie used on accounts.longreads.com. |
Strictly Necessary
Cookie | Purpose |
country_code | Used in order to determine whether or not the cookie banner should be shown. Set immediately on page load and retained for 6 hours to remember the visitor’s country. |
sensitive_pixel_option | Remembers the state of visitor acceptance to the cookie banner. Only set when the visitor clicks Accept. |
twostep_auth | Set when the user is logged in using two factor authentication. |
wordpress_test_cookie | Checks if cookies are enabled to provide appropriate user experience. |
Advertisements from Third Parties Through Automattic’s Ads Program
Websites using WordPress.com are ad-supported, with Automattic (the hosting company) showing ads on some users’ sites. We may also choose to place ads on this site through an ad program.
Automattic operates its ads program in partnership with third party vendors. As part of the operation of that ads program, they use cookies to collect certain information. Advertising cookies enable them and their partners to serve ads and to personalize those ads based on information like visits to this sites and other sites on the Internet.
Below is a representative list of the advertising program partners, along with information on the cookies that that each partner sets. The partners in the program change from time to time, and this is not an exhaustive list. Your choices to control cookies related to the ads program are described below.
Below is a representative list of the cookies that may be set by ad partners in connection with ads that appear in emails.
Cookie | Purpose |
pi-userid | Used to personalize email-based ads. |
eid_ | Used in email-based ads to track if a visitor has clicked an ad and report to advertisers how their ads performed. |
Visitors to Sites with Jetpack installed
Below are examples of the cookies set for visitors to sites with the Jetpack plugin installed. For more details on the cookies set for administrators, please see https://jetpack.com/support/cookies/.
Jetpack Comments
Mobile Theme
Subscriptions
Internal Analytics Tool
In order to better understand how services are used, Automattic monitors certain user activities that take place within hosted sites, including page views and clicks on any links used when managing a site via our dashboards.
Each one of these actions is termed an “event.” Analytics events are attached to every WordPress.com account and are handled via a first party system that Automattic (the website host) owns and maintains. In general, it records the following data for each event: IP address, WordPress.com user ID and username, WordPress.com-connected site ID (for sites not hosted on WordPress.com), user agent, referring URL, timestamp of event, browser language, and country code.
Automattic uses this information to improve products, make marketing more relevant, personalize the visitor experience, and for the other purposes described in the Privacy Policy.
You may opt out of the analytics program through your user settings. By doing so, you won’t share information with the analytics tool about events or actions that happen after the opt-out, while logged in to your WordPress.com account. Note that opting out does not disable the functionality of the actions tracked, but for an event or action after you opt out, we will not have other data associated with that action or event in the analytics tool.
Consent and Choices for Advertisements on this Site through the Ads Program
You may see a “cookie banner” on this website, particularly if you are in the European Union. If so, then the ad program does not set, or allow ad partners to set, cookies that are used to show you targeted ads before you accept. When you consent in this manner, Automattic and its advertising partners may set third party advertising cookies in order to show you personalized ads. This banner may be displayed periodically, just in case you change your mind.
* Please note this consent feature was implemented on May 22, 2018.
Automattic sets a cookie to help them understand how visitors engage with websites that participate in the ad program. Visitors may opt out of the use of this information by visiting this link (the opt-out will be processed immediately with no confirmation step). When you opt out, the unique value for that cookie is replaced with an opt-out value. The opt-out works across all website in the ads program. If you have opted out by accident, or wish to opt back in, you may do so by visiting this link. Please note that this option is browser specific, and so if you use a different device or browser or clear your cookies, then you will need to repeat the process.
Contact Us
If you have any questions about our use of cookies, you can find the most relevant contact details in our Privacy Policy.