Cookie & Local Storage Policy

1. Introduction

This Cookie & Local Storage Policy explains how Castsbot (https://castsbot.com) uses cookies, local storage, and similar browser storage technologies when you visit our website.

Castsbot provides gaming insights, reports, news, and podcasts for users around the world. This policy explains what these technologies are, how we use them, what data is stored, and your choices regarding them.

2. What Are Cookies

Cookies are small text files stored on your device when you visit a website. They allow websites to remember user preferences, improve functionality, and collect analytics information.

Cookies may be set by the website you are visiting ("first-party cookies") or by third-party services integrated into the website ("third-party cookies"). Cookies typically have an expiration date and are sent back to the server with each request.

3. What Is Local Storage

Local storage (also known as localStorage) is a web browser feature that allows websites to store data locally on your device. Unlike cookies, local storage data is not automatically sent to the server with each request — it remains on your device and is accessed only by client-side scripts.

Key differences between cookies and local storage:

Capacity: Local storage can hold more data than cookies (typically up to 5–10 MB vs. 4 KB for cookies).
Transmission: Local storage data is not sent to the server automatically; cookies are sent with every HTTP request.
Expiration: Local storage data persists until explicitly cleared by the user or the website; cookies can have expiration dates.

Castsbot primarily uses local storage (rather than traditional cookies) to store user-related information on your device.

4. How We Use Cookies and Local Storage

Castsbot uses cookies and local storage for the following purposes:

Maintaining your login session and authentication state
Remembering your cookie consent preferences
Storing UI preferences (e.g., dismissed promotional banners)
Analyzing website traffic and usage patterns (via third-party cookies)
Protecting the site from spam and automated abuse (via third-party cookies)

5. Types of Cookies We Use

Essential Cookies

These cookies are necessary for the operation of the website. They enable core functionality such as security, network management, and accessibility.

Analytics Cookies

These cookies help us understand how visitors interact with the website by collecting anonymous usage data.

Security Cookies

Security cookies help detect malicious activity and protect the website from automated abuse.

6. Data We Store in Local Storage

The following table describes the data Castsbot stores in your browser's local storage. This data remains on your device until you clear your browser data.

Storage Key	Data Stored	Purpose	Retention
`user`	User ID, email, display name, avatar URL, VIP level, authentication token	Maintains your login session so you don't need to sign in on every visit. Displayed in your account center.	Until you log out or clear browser data
`cookie_consent`	Consent status (accepted/rejected), timestamp	Remembers your cookie consent choice so the consent banner is not shown repeatedly.	Until you clear browser data
`promo_banner_dismissed`	Banner IDs with dismissal dates	Remembers which promotional banners you have dismissed today, so they are not shown again on the same day.	Until you clear browser data (old entries auto-cleaned after 20 records)
`subscription_cache`	Subscription status, trial status, current period dates, fetched timestamp	Caches your subscription and trial status to improve page load performance and avoid redundant API calls. Used to determine whether the Subscribe button should be displayed in the navigation bar.	Until you log out or clear browser data (cache expires after 5 minutes)

Note: We do not store sensitive information such as passwords or full payment card details in local storage. The authentication token stored locally is used solely to verify your identity with our servers.

7. Third-Party Cookies and Storage

Some cookies and local storage entries are placed by third-party services integrated into our website. These services may store data in your browser according to their own policies.

Google Analytics – uses cookies to understand how visitors use our website and improve performance. Google Privacy Policy.
Google reCAPTCHA – uses cookies and may use local storage to protect the website from spam, bots, and automated abuse. Google Privacy Policy.
Stripe – may use cookies and local storage for payment processing, fraud detection, and security purposes. Stripe Privacy Policy.

These third parties may collect information such as IP addresses, browser details, and interaction data. We do not control the cookies or storage used by these third-party services. Please refer to their respective privacy policies for more information.

8. Managing Cookies and Local Storage

You have the right to control and manage cookies and local storage in several ways:

Managing Cookies

Most browsers allow you to delete or block cookies through browser settings.
You can configure your browser to refuse cookies or notify you when cookies are being set.
You may clear all cookies stored on your device at any time.

Managing Local Storage

You can clear local storage data through your browser's developer tools (usually under Application > Local Storage).
Clearing your browser's site data or using "Clear browsing data" will also remove local storage.
Logging out of Castsbot will remove the user session data from local storage.

Please note: Clearing cookies or local storage may log you out and affect the functionality of certain parts of the website. Your cookie consent preference will also be reset, and the consent banner will appear again.

9. Your Choices (GDPR & Applicable Laws)

If you are located in the European Economic Area (EEA), United Kingdom, or similar jurisdictions, you have the right to choose whether non-essential cookies and storage technologies are used on your device.

When you first visit Castsbot, a consent banner will appear allowing you to accept or reject non-essential cookies. Your choice is stored locally (as described in Section 6) so that we can respect your preference on subsequent visits.

Essential storage (such as your login session) is necessary for the website to function and does not require separate consent. However, you may always clear this data manually as described in Section 8.