Cookie policy

What is a cookie? 

A cookie is a small text file that is sent to your device from a website and, depending on the type of cookie, may be accessed by the same website during your visit or when you visit the website again. 

They are used to keep track of useful information including search terms and previously viewed pages.  

How long are cookies stored? 

Session cookies are only stored for the duration of your visit, while persistent cookies stay on your device (usually for a few months or longer) to help identify you over multiple visits. 

Cookies can also be stored by your web browser or by third parties such as analytics services, advertising, or social media companies and can be used to improve your browsing experience. 

Technologies similar to cookies

We also use technologies that are similar to cookies to store or access information including tracking pixels, which are also covered by this policy. 

A tracking pixel is a small, invisible image embedded in a web page that is used to track user behavior. When a user visits a web page that contains a tracking pixel, the pixel sends a request to a server to register that the user has interacted with the content.  

How we use our cookies 

We use essential session cookies to make our website work including:

• Temporarily remembering your search settings when using searches on the website
• Temporarily remembering information you have already typed into form fields if you need to reload the page

These session cookies expire when you close your browser.

We also use cookies to compile visitor statistics such as how many people have visited our website, what type of technology they are using (e.g. Mac or Windows, Firefox Chrome, which helps to identify when our site isn't working as it should for particular technologies), how long they spend on the site, and what page they look at etc. This helps us to continuously improve our website. 

Occasionally, we run user surveys on our website to obtain feedback about how we can improve. You may be invited to take part in a user survey via a pop-up on our website (you have the option to accept or decline). We use cookies to tell us whether or not you have already been invited to take part in our survey to make sure we do not show you the message repeatedly.

Our cookies help us:

• make our website work as you would expect
• remember your settings during and between visits
• improve the speed/security of the site
• continuously improve our website for you
• make our marketing more efficient

We do not use cookies to:

• collect any personally identifiable information (without your express permission)
• collect any sensitive information (without your express permission)
• pass data to advertising networks
• pass personally identifiable data to third parties
• pay sales commissions

Types of cookies we use

Necessary Cookies

Necessary cookies are required for our site to function properly on your device. They ensure critical functions such as page navigation and search operate smoothly. These cookies can only be disabled by changing your browser settings.

Marketing cookies

We use marketing cookies on our website to personalise and enhance our cross-platform marketing. We do not display advertisements on this site, but you may see our ads on other sites that you visit on any of your devices where you've accepted marketing cookies. If you disable these cookies you will still see ads on those sites, they just will not be personalised to your interests.

Analytical cookies

We use analytical cookies to monitor how our website is being used. This includes which web pages are most popular and how many visitors we have. Understanding what is working well helps us improve your experience. All user information collected by our analytical cookies is anonymised which means no website visitor can be individually identified through our Google Analytics data.

As well as using first-party cookies, our site, like most websites, includes functionality provided by third parties. A common example is an embedded YouTube video. 

Please see our full list of cookies for more details.

Your choices

With the exception of necessary cookies (which we need to make the site function properly), you can choose which cookies you consent to via our cookie banner sidebar which can be opened by clicking the button at the bottom left side of your screen (see image to the right).

You can change your settings by moving the sliders to the 'On' or 'Off' positions, and then selecting 'Save Changes'. You may need to refresh your page for these changes to be implemented.

If you would like more information, please email: dataprotection@uwl.ac.uk.