Cookie Policy
Last updated: June 27, 2026
The short version
PolishPal does not use cookies for tracking, advertising, or analytics, and we don't set any third-party cookies. The only cookie we use is a strictly-necessary login cookie for the site administrator — regular visitors never receive it. Because we set no tracking or marketing cookies, there's nothing for visitors to consent to.
What we use instead of cookies
Instead of cookies, we use localStorage — a browser storage mechanism that keeps data only on your device. Unlike cookies, localStorage data is never sent to our servers with each request.
| Data | Purpose | Sent to server? |
|---|---|---|
| Learning progress | Track completed lessons, quiz scores, streaks | No |
| Theme preference | Remember light/dark/system mode | No |
| Accessibility settings | Font size, contrast, dyslexia mode | No |
| Your star ratings | Prevent duplicate votes | No |
| Comment display name | Pre-fill your name when commenting | No |
The one cookie we do use
PolishPal has a private content-management area used only by the site administrator. When the administrator logs in, we set a single strictly-necessary cookie to keep them signed in:
| Cookie | Purpose | Who gets it |
|---|---|---|
| cms_session | Keeps the administrator logged into the content-management area | Admin only |
This cookie is httpOnly (not readable by JavaScript), secure (HTTPS only), and SameSite=Lax. It contains no personal data and is never set for regular visitors browsing lessons, grammar, quizzes, or the blog. It expires after 30 days or when the admin logs out.
Third-party cookies
We do not embed any third-party services that set cookies. There are no analytics scripts (Google Analytics, etc.), no advertising networks, no social media widgets, and no tracking pixels on PolishPal.
Hosting infrastructure
Our website is hosted on Vercel, which may set essential, strictly-necessary cookies for load balancing and security purposes. These are infrastructure-level cookies that do not track users and are not used for advertising. See Vercel's Privacy Policy for details.
How to clear stored data
To clear all PolishPal data from your browser, go to your browser's settings and clear site data for polishpal.pl. This will reset your learning progress, theme preference, accessibility settings, and saved comment name.
Questions?
If you have questions about our cookie or data practices, feel free to open an issue on our GitHub repository. Since PolishPal is open-source, you can inspect exactly what data is stored by reviewing the source code.