What Are Cookies, Exactly?

Cookies are tiny text files that get saved on your device when you visit a website. They're not programs, can't carry viruses, and definitely can't access your files. Think of them as digital sticky notes that help websites remember things about your visit.

When you come back to cerannovia, these cookies tell our system "Oh, this person was here before" and help us provide a better experience. Some cookies last just for your browsing session, while others stick around longer to remember your preferences.

Essential Cookies We Can't Turn Off

Some cookies are absolutely necessary for cerannovia.com to function. These are the ones that keep you logged in, remember what's in your budget calculations, and make sure the site doesn't break when you navigate between pages.

You can't disable these through our settings because, well, the site wouldn't work without them. It would be like trying to drive a car without an engine—technically possible to sit in it, but you're not going anywhere.

The Cookies You Can Actually Control

Beyond the essential ones, we use several types of tracking technologies that you can choose to accept or reject. Here's what each category does and why we think they're useful—though the choice is entirely yours.

How Long Do These Cookies Hang Around?

Session cookies disappear when you close your browser—they're the temporary sticky notes of the digital world. Persistent cookies stick around longer, anywhere from a few days to a couple of years, depending on their purpose.

• Authentication cookies last up to 30 days so you don't have to log in constantly
• Preference cookies can last up to a year because your settings shouldn't reset every month
• Analytics cookies typically expire after 2 years of inactivity
• Marketing cookies usually last between 30-90 days to track campaign effectiveness

Other Tracking Technologies We Use

Cookies aren't the only way websites track information. We also use a few other technologies that serve similar purposes but work slightly differently.

Pixel tags (also called web beacons) are tiny invisible images that tell us when an email was opened or a page was viewed. Local storage keeps larger amounts of data on your device than cookies can hold. And session storage remembers information just while you're actively using the site.

All of these fall under the same control system—when you decline non-essential cookies, you're also declining these other tracking methods.

Managing Your Browser Settings

If you want more control than our simple reject button provides, every browser lets you manage cookies at a granular level. You can block all cookies, block third-party cookies only, or delete cookies after each session.

Just be aware that blocking all cookies will break most modern websites, including cerannovia. The internet wasn't really designed to work without them. It's a bit like refusing to use doors—you can do it, but getting into buildings becomes unnecessarily difficult.

Third-Party Services and Their Cookies

Sometimes we use services from other companies—like analytics platforms or payment processors—that set their own cookies. We try to keep these to a minimum, but some are necessary for the budgeting tools to function properly.

When you reject non-essential cookies on cerannovia, we signal to these third-party services that you've opted out. However, if you visit those companies' websites directly, they're governed by their own policies, not ours.

Changes to This Policy

Technology changes, regulations evolve, and we might add new features that require different tracking methods. When we make significant changes to this cookie policy, we'll update the effective date and let you know through our platform.

We're not going to email you every time we tweak a sentence, but major changes will get proper notification. This version was last updated in January 2025.