1. Introduction
SnapFreeTools provides online calculators, PDF tools, text tools, image utilities, and related services. This Cookie Policy supplements our Privacy Policy and covers how we handle cookies, local storage, session storage, IndexedDB, similar browser identifiers, analytics, advertising, and consent records.
Third-party websites or services linked from our platform follow their own independent cookie policies.
3. Cookies vs Other Browser Storage
It is important to distinguish cookies from other types of browser memory:
- Cookies: Sent automatically with relevant web requests to the server.
- localStorage: Data stored locally in the browser that usually remains until cleared, and is not automatically sent with every request.
- sessionStorage: Local browser data that usually remains only for the duration of the browser-tab session.
- IndexedDB: A local database system for storing larger structured data (if utilized).
- Temporary Browser Memory: Exists only while a page or tool is active in your RAM and is purged immediately when closed. This is not a cookie.
- Browser Cache: Stores static assets (like images or styles) to improve performance, but is not necessarily used to track users.
4. Current Technology Status
The following table represents the verified active state of storage and tracking technologies on SnapFreeTools as of the Effective Date.
| Technology | Status | Current Use |
|---|---|---|
| First-party cookies | Not currently used | None active in current implementation |
| localStorage | Current | Stores your privacy consent choices (snapfreetools_cookie_consent) |
| sessionStorage | Not currently used | None active in current implementation |
| Temporary browser memory | Current | Client-side tools processing (PDFs, Image, Word Counting) |
| Essential hosting logs | Current | Vercel standard infrastructure routing & security |
| Google Analytics | Planned | Future integration for traffic monitoring |
| Google AdSense | Planned | Future integration for monetization |
| Consent Management Platform | Current | First-party consent interface is active |
| User account sessions | Not currently available | N/A |
5. Strictly Necessary Technologies
Strictly necessary technologies support security, request routing, server stability, consent choices, and abuse prevention. SnapFreeTools does not currently rely on a user-account session cookie or any first-party necessary cookies. However, our hosting infrastructure provider processes limited, temporary request information necessary to deliver and protect the website globally.
6. Preference Storage
We currently store your cookie consent choices in a localStorage record. Future updates may allow you to save tool settings, compression quality targets, or UI themes here as well. Users can remove these at any time by clearing their browser's site data or interacting with the Cookie Settings control. Clearing this storage will reset your consent preferences and require you to choose again.
7. Analytics Technologies
SnapFreeTools does not currently have an active Google Analytics or similar analytics script in the inspected frontend code.
Analytics may be introduced later to understand page usage, performance, and errors. Future analytics systems may process page views, device/browser type, referrers, approximate regions, interaction events, and consent states. Consent will be requested where legally required, and this policy will be updated immediately upon activation.
8. Advertising and Google AdSense
When activated, Google and third-party vendors may use cookies or similar technologies to serve, measure, limit frequency, and protect ads. Advertising data may include page context, device/browser information, IP-derived region, consent signals, and ad interactions.
Personalized ads may use prior visits or interests where permitted. Non-personalized ads may still use cookies or identifiers for frequency capping, aggregated reporting, fraud prevention, and abuse prevention. Where legally required, optional advertising technologies will not be activated before appropriate consent. Users will be provided controls to accept, reject, or manage optional categories.
See our Advertising Disclosure for more information.
9. Consent Management Platform
SnapFreeTools operates a first-party consent interface allowing you to manage your choices for optional analytics and advertising technologies. Even though these optional scripts are currently planned and not active, the consent system is already active to securely capture your privacy choices for the future.
You can change these choices at any time by using the "Cookie Settings" link in the website footer.
10. Google Consent Mode
Conditional/Planned: Google Consent Mode may be used in the future to communicate user consent choices to Google tags. It does not itself collect consent but works together with a real consent interface or CMP. It is not currently active.
12. Session and Persistent Storage
Session technologies: Usually expire automatically when the browser or session ends.
Persistent technologies: Remain until a predefined expiry date or until manual deletion.
Browser storage: May remain indefinitely until users manually clear site data.
Provider cookies: Duration depends entirely on the respective third-party provider's configuration and policies.
13. Third-Party Providers
Currently, infrastructure and security are handled via our hosting provider. In the future, third-party providers (such as Google Analytics, Google AdSense, or a CMP provider) may be integrated. Third parties control their own technologies, maintain their own policies, may process data in different regions, and receive data only where relevant to the service provided.
14. User Cookie Controls
As a user, you always have ultimate control over your browser. You can block cookies, delete cookies, clear site data, use private browsing mode, restrict third-party cookies, and reset website permissions.
Blocking storage technologies may reset your saved preferences and affect your advertising choices. Our current core calculators and tools process data entirely client-side and do not require cookies to function.
15. Browser-Specific Controls
Cookie and site-data controls are available within the privacy or security settings of all major browsers (such as Chrome, Firefox, Safari, and Edge). You can manage or wipe data on a site-by-site basis.
16. Global Privacy Control and Do Not Track
Some browsers send "Do Not Track" or "Global Privacy Control" (GPC) signals. Standards and legal requirements for responding to these signals differ by region. SnapFreeTools will evaluate and respect legally required signals when optional tracking is activated. At present, no optional analytics or advertising scripts are active.
17. Children and Cookies
SnapFreeTools is a general productivity platform. We do not intentionally use optional advertising or analytics technologies to profile children in the current implementation. Any future advertising or analytics setup will require appropriate safeguards and consent handling. Parents or guardians may contact SnapFreeTools regarding any concerns.
18. Data Sharing Through Cookies
Browser storage itself does not necessarily mean data is shared. However, third-party scripts may transmit technical or consent data when active. SnapFreeTools does not sell cookie data as a standalone product. Advertising providers may independently process data under their own policies.
19. Retention
Session cookies end according to session behavior. Persistent cookies last until expiry or deletion. Local storage may remain until cleared. If implemented in the future, consent records may be stored to demonstrate user choices, and analytics/advertising retention will depend strictly on the respective provider's configurations.
20. Policy Changes
This policy may be updated when Google Analytics is activated, Google AdSense is activated, a CMP is added, accounts are introduced, new storage technologies are used, or laws/provider requirements change. The visible "Last Updated" date will be revised when changes occur.
Frequently Asked Questions
1. Does SnapFreeTools currently use cookies?
No. Based on our current frontend code audit, SnapFreeTools does not set any first-party persistent or session cookies.
2. Is localStorage the same as a cookie?
No. While both store data in your browser, localStorage does not automatically send its data to the server with every web request. We currently use localStorage to securely remember your privacy consent choices.
3. Does SnapFreeTools currently use Google Analytics?
No. Google Analytics is planned for future performance monitoring but is not currently active in the codebase.
4. Does SnapFreeTools currently show Google AdSense ads?
No. Advertising monetization is planned for the future, but AdSense scripts are not currently active.
5. How can I remove saved preferences?
You can remove any saved data at any time by using your browser's site-data or cache clearing controls available in its privacy settings.
6. Will I be able to reject advertising cookies?
Yes. You can manage your choices right now using the first-party consent interface, even though advertising technologies are not yet active.