Caregiver Support14 mins
Cookie Policy
The Care Ratings — A service of Watch Digital LLC
Introduction
This Cookie Policy explains how The Care Ratings, operated by Watch Digital LLC ("we," "us," or "our"), uses cookies and similar technologies on our website at thecareratings.com (the "Site"). This Policy should be read alongside our Privacy Policy, which provides additional context about how we handle personal information.
We have designed our Site with privacy in mind. We use a minimal number of cookies and do not use third-party behavioral advertising or retargeting cookies. Our self-hosted Umami analytics remains cookieless, while Google Analytics is limited to eligible U.S. traffic as described below.
1. What Are Cookies?
Cookies are small text files that are placed on your device (computer, smartphone, or tablet) when you visit a website. They are widely used to make websites work efficiently, to remember your preferences, and to provide website operators with information about how their site is being used.
Similar technologies include:
- Local Storage: A browser-based storage mechanism that functions similarly to cookies but stores more data and does not expire automatically.
- Session Storage: Similar to local storage but cleared when you close your browser tab.
- Pixel Tags / Web Beacons: Tiny invisible images embedded in web pages or emails that can track whether a page or email was opened.
2. What Cookies We Use
We use a minimal set of cookies, categorized as follows:
2.1 Strictly Necessary Cookies
These cookies are essential for the Site to function. They cannot be disabled because the Site cannot operate without them. They do not collect any information that could be used for marketing.
| Cookie Name | Provider | Purpose | Duration |
|---|---|---|---|
session_token | The Care Ratings | Maintains your logged-in session after authentication | Session (cleared when browser closes) |
csrf_token | The Care Ratings | Prevents cross-site request forgery attacks | Session |
cf_clearance | Cloudflare | Confirms you have passed Cloudflare's security check (Turnstile bot protection) | 30 minutes to 24 hours |
__cf_bm | Cloudflare | Bot management — distinguishes human users from automated traffic | 30 minutes |
2.2 Preference and Functionality Technologies
We also use certain preference and functionality technologies, which may include cookies, local storage, or similar browser-based tools, to remember your settings and improve requested features. Depending on your jurisdiction and the exact implementation in use, some of these technologies may be treated differently from strictly necessary cookies under applicable law.
| Cookie Name | Provider | Purpose | Duration |
|---|---|---|---|
user_preferences | The Care Ratings | Stores your display preferences (e.g., list vs. map view in search results) | 12 months |
geo_region | The Care Ratings | Stores your detected geographic region (state level) to personalize homepage content | 7 days |
compare_list | The Care Ratings | Stores your current facility comparison list (up to 3 facilities) | Session |
recent_searches | The Care Ratings | Stores your recent search queries for convenience | 30 days |
2.3 Analytics Technologies
Umami Analytics. We self-host Umami, a privacy-focused, open-source analytics platform. Umami collects anonymized usage information without cookies and supports the analytics features we provide to participating facility owners. Its data includes page views, session duration, referral source, general geographic region, browser type, and device type. Umami is operated independently from Google Analytics.
Google Analytics 4. On public, non-sensitive pages requested from the United States, we use Google Analytics to understand marketing performance, traffic acquisition, and general engagement. Google Analytics may set first-party _ga cookies and receive information such as the page path, referral source, browser or device information, approximate location, and interaction events enabled in our Analytics property.
Our implementation removes URL query strings before reporting page locations, does not load Google Analytics on account, administrative, claim, or AI Care Advisor areas, disables Google advertising signals and ad personalization in the tag, and does not load the Google tag for requests identified as outside the United States. It also honors supported Global Privacy Control and Do Not Track browser signals and the site-specific opt-out below.
2.4 Third-Party Cookies
We use a limited number of third-party services that may set cookies. We have selected these services specifically because they are privacy-respecting.
| Service | Purpose | Cookie Type | Their Privacy Policy |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cloudflare | CDN, security, bot protection (Turnstile) | Strictly necessary | cloudflare.com/privacypolicy |
| Stripe | Payment processing (only on payment pages) | Strictly necessary | stripe.com/privacy |
| Google Analytics | Marketing and website performance measurement on eligible U.S. public pages | Analytics; first-party _ga and _ga_* cookies, up to 2 years by default | How Google uses site data |
We do not use:
- Google advertising, behavioral advertising, or remarketing cookies through our analytics tag
- Facebook Pixel or any Meta advertising cookies
- Any third-party behavioral advertising or retargeting cookies
- Any data broker or audience enrichment cookies
3. Local Storage
In addition to cookies, we use browser Local Storage for the following purposes:
| Key | Purpose | Duration |
|---|---|---|
careratings_theme | Stores your display theme preference (light/dark mode if applicable) | Persistent until cleared |
careratings_saved_facilities | Stores saved facilities for non-logged-in visitors (synced to account on login) | 30 days |
careratings_ai_chat_history | Stores your current AI Care Advisor conversation locally for continuity | Session |
Local storage data is stored entirely on your device and is not transmitted to our servers except where explicitly noted (e.g., saved facilities are synced to your account upon login).
4. Cloudflare Turnstile
We use Cloudflare Turnstile as our bot protection solution on all forms across the Site, including account registration, login, review submission, the Add Listing form, the Report Listing form, and the contact form.
Turnstile is a privacy-preserving alternative to traditional CAPTCHA systems. It is designed not to use advertising cookies for its core functionality and not to collect behavioral data for advertising purposes. Depending on configuration and security conditions, Turnstile or related Cloudflare services may use short-lived cookies or similar technologies, including cf_clearance, to confirm that a challenge has been passed. These technologies are used for security and abuse prevention.
We treat Turnstile and related Cloudflare security technologies as security-focused tools. The legal treatment of those technologies may vary by jurisdiction and implementation.
5. How to Control Cookies
5.1 Browser Settings
You can control and delete cookies through your browser settings. The following links provide instructions for the most common browsers:
Please note that disabling strictly necessary cookies will prevent you from logging in and using account features on the Site.
5.2 Opt-Out of Specific Services
- Google Analytics: Use the control below to disable Google Analytics in this browser. You may also install the Google Analytics Opt-out Browser Add-on. This setting does not disable our separate, cookieless Umami service.
- Cloudflare: Cloudflare cookies are strictly necessary for security and cannot be opted out of while using the Site. For more information, see Cloudflare's privacy policy.
- Stripe: Stripe cookies are only set on payment pages and are strictly necessary for payment processing. For more information, see Stripe's privacy policy.
5.3 Do Not Track
Some browsers expose Do Not Track (DNT) or Global Privacy Control (GPC) signals. Our Google Analytics loader checks supported DNT and GPC signals and does not request the Google tag when either is enabled. Umami remains a separate, cookieless analytics service and does not use cross-site tracking.
6. Cookie Consent
Our services and marketing are directed to the United States. We do not load Google Analytics for requests identified as originating outside the United States, and therefore we do not currently display a general analytics consent banner. U.S. visitors can disable Google Analytics using the control in Section 5.2 or a supported browser privacy signal.
Consent and notice requirements vary by jurisdiction and may change. If our geographic operations or use of analytics and advertising technologies changes, we will reassess this approach, update this Policy, and introduce an appropriate consent mechanism where required.
7. Changes to This Cookie Policy
We may update this Cookie Policy from time to time. When we make material changes, we will update the "Last Updated" date at the top of this Policy and, where appropriate, notify you by email or through a notice on the Site.
8. Contact Us
If you have questions about our use of cookies or this Cookie Policy, please contact us:
By Email: legal@thecareratings.com
By Contact Form: thecareratings.com/contact
We do not accept requests submitted by physical mail.
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