Cookies
Cookies Policy
What Are Cookies?
Cookies are small text files that a website saves to your browser when you visit. They are stored on your device and sent back to the website on your next visit so the site can remember information about you — like whether you’re logged in, or how you prefer the site to look.
Cookies are not programs and cannot carry viruses or malware. They cannot access other files on your device. Most cookies are completely harmless and are essential for modern websites to work properly.
There are a few different types of cookies:
- Session cookies — Temporary cookies that are deleted as soon as you close your browser.
- Persistent cookies — Cookies that remain on your device for a set period of time, or until you delete them manually.
- First-party cookies — Set directly by the website you are visiting.
- Third-party cookies — Set by a different domain to the one you are visiting, typically used for analytics or advertising services.
How We Use Cookies
Gold Coast Innovations uses cookies in two ways: to keep the website functioning correctly for administrators, and to understand how visitors use our site so we can improve it.
We do not use cookies for advertising, remarketing, or tracking you across other websites.
Strictly Necessary Cookies
These cookies are set automatically by WordPress, the platform that powers our website. They are required for administrator logins and basic site functionality. They are always active and cannot be turned off, but they collect no personal data about regular visitors.
| Cookie | Purpose | Type | Expires |
|---|---|---|---|
wordpress_logged_in_* |
Keeps site administrators authenticated after logging in to the WordPress dashboard | First-party, persistent | Session / 2 days |
wordpress_test_cookie |
Checks that your browser is able to accept cookies before you log in | First-party, session | Session |
wp-settings-* |
Stores WordPress admin interface preferences (e.g. list view vs grid view) | First-party, persistent | 1 year |
Analytics Cookies
With your consent, we use Google Analytics (via the Google Site Kit plugin) to collect anonymised data about how visitors use our website. This helps us understand which pages are most useful, how people find us, and how we can improve the experience.
Google Analytics works by setting cookies in your browser that assign you a randomly generated identifier. This identifier is used to count unique visits and track sessions — it is not linked to your name, email address, or any other personal information.
The data collected includes things like:
- Which pages you visited and how long you spent on them
- How you arrived at our site (e.g. a search engine, a direct link)
- Your approximate location (country or city level only)
- Your device type and browser
This data is sent to and stored by Google on servers that may be located outside Australia. Google may process this data in accordance with their own privacy policy.
Analytics cookies are only set after you click “Accept” on the cookies banner. If you click “Decline” or dismiss the banner, none of these cookies will be placed.
| Cookie | Purpose | Type | Expires |
|---|---|---|---|
_ga |
Assigns a unique identifier to distinguish visitors and count unique sessions | Third-party (Google), persistent | 2 years |
_ga_* |
Maintains the current session state for Google Analytics 4 | Third-party (Google), persistent | 2 years |
_gid |
Distinguishes unique visitors over a short time window | Third-party (Google), persistent | 24 hours |
_gat |
Throttles the rate of requests sent to Google’s servers | Third-party (Google), persistent | 1 minute |
For more information on how Google uses this data, see Google’s privacy policy: https://policies.google.com/privacy
Managing Your Cookie Preferences
You have full control over analytics cookies. You can change your preference at any time using the panel below, or through your browser settings.
Using Our Preference Panel
The panel at the bottom of this page lets you allow or decline analytics cookies with a single click. Your choice is saved in your browser and takes effect immediately.
Using Your Browser Settings
All modern browsers allow you to view, block, and delete cookies through their settings. Here are links to the cookie settings for the most common browsers:
Note that blocking all cookies may affect how some websites function, including the administrator login on this site.
Opting Out of Google Analytics
You can also prevent Google Analytics from collecting data across all websites by installing the official Google Analytics Opt-out Browser Add-on.
Changes to This Policy
We may update this Cookies Policy from time to time to reflect changes in the cookies we use or for other operational, legal, or regulatory reasons. The “Last updated” date at the top of this page will always reflect when the policy was last revised.
Contact Us
If you have any questions about how we use cookies, please reach out via the Help & Support form on our website.
Your Cookie Preferences
You can review and change your analytics cookie choice at any time below. Your preference is stored only in your browser and does not affect other visitors.
Current status: