Cookie Policy

Overview

This Cookie Policy explains how PineForest ("we," "us," or "our") uses cookies and similar tracking technologies when you visit our website or use our mobile application. This policy should be read alongside our Privacy Policy, which provides additional information about how we collect, use, and protect your personal information.

By using PineForest, you consent to our use of cookies and similar technologies as described in this policy. If you do not agree to our use of cookies, you may disable them through your browser settings, though this may affect your ability to use certain features of our Service.

What Are Cookies

Cookies are small text files that are placed on your device (computer, tablet, or mobile phone) when you visit a website. Cookies allow websites to recognize your device and store certain information about your preferences or past actions.

How Cookies Work: When you visit PineForest, our servers send a cookie to your browser, which stores it on your device. When you return to our website, your browser sends the cookie back to our servers, allowing us to recognize you and remember your preferences.

Types of Cookies: Cookies can be "session" cookies (temporary and deleted when you close your browser) or "persistent" cookies (remain on your device until they expire or are deleted). They can also be "first-party" cookies (set by PineForest) or "third-party" cookies (set by other services we use).

Types of Cookies We Use

PineForest uses the following categories of cookies:

• Essential Cookies: Required for the Service to function properly
• Analytics Cookies: Help us understand how users interact with our Service
• Functional Cookies: Remember your preferences and settings

We do not use third-party advertising cookies or tracking pixels for marketing purposes.

Essential Cookies

Essential cookies are necessary for PineForest to function properly. These cookies enable core functionality such as:

• Authentication: Maintaining your login session and verifying your identity
• Security: Protecting against unauthorized access and ensuring secure connections
• Session Management: Keeping you logged in as you navigate between pages
• Load Balancing: Distributing traffic across servers to ensure optimal performance

Third-Party Authentication: We use Clerk.com for authentication services. Clerk may set cookies on your device to manage your authentication session. These cookies are essential for maintaining your login state and are subject to Clerk's privacy policy.

Cannot Be Disabled: Essential cookies cannot be disabled without affecting the functionality of the Service. If you disable these cookies, you may not be able to log in or use certain features of PineForest.

Analytics Cookies

We may use analytics cookies to understand how users interact with PineForest and improve our services. These cookies help us:

• Analyze which features are most popular and how users navigate the Service
• Identify technical issues and areas for improvement
• Measure the effectiveness of our Service and user experience
• Understand user behavior patterns (aggregated and anonymized)

Data Collection: Analytics cookies collect information such as:

• Pages visited and time spent on each page
• Features used and interactions with the Service
• Device and browser information (anonymized)
• General location data (country/region level, not precise)

Anonymized Data: Analytics data is aggregated and anonymized. We do not use analytics cookies to identify individual users or track your activity across other websites.

Third-Party Cookies

Service Providers: PineForest integrates with third-party services that may set cookies on your device. These include:

• Clerk.com: Authentication and user management services
• Social Media Platforms: When you connect your social media accounts (Instagram, Facebook, LinkedIn), these platforms may set cookies for their own purposes

No Advertising Cookies: We do not use third-party advertising cookies or tracking pixels for marketing or advertising purposes. We do not allow third-party advertisers to place cookies on our Service.

Third-Party Policies: Third-party cookies are subject to the privacy policies of the respective third-party services. We encourage you to review their policies to understand how they use cookies and other tracking technologies.

Managing Cookies

You have control over cookies through your browser settings. Most browsers allow you to:

• View and delete cookies stored on your device
• Block all cookies or only third-party cookies
• Set preferences to be notified before cookies are set
• Delete cookies automatically when you close your browser

Browser Instructions: To manage cookies in your browser:

• Chrome: Settings → Privacy and Security → Cookies and other site data
• Firefox: Options → Privacy & Security → Cookies and Site Data
• Safari: Preferences → Privacy → Cookies and website data
• Edge: Settings → Privacy, search, and services → Cookies and site permissions

Impact of Disabling Cookies: If you disable cookies, some features of PineForest may not function properly:

• You may not be able to log in or stay logged in
• Your preferences and settings may not be saved
• Some features may not work as expected

Mobile Apps: If you use our mobile application, cookie management is handled through your device settings and the app's privacy controls.

Local Storage

In addition to cookies, PineForest uses browser local storage and session storage to store information on your device. Local storage is similar to cookies but can store larger amounts of data and persists until you clear it.

What We Store: We use local storage to:

• Remember your preferences and settings (theme, language, etc.)
• Store temporary data to improve performance and reduce server requests
• Cache content and data for faster loading on subsequent visits
• Maintain session state and user interface preferences

Managing Local Storage: You can clear local storage through your browser settings:

• Chrome: Settings → Privacy and Security → Clear browsing data → Cached images and files
• Firefox: Options → Privacy & Security → Clear Data
• Safari: Preferences → Privacy → Manage Website Data

Security: Local storage data is stored locally on your device and is not transmitted to our servers unless necessary for Service functionality. We do not store sensitive information like passwords in local storage.

Changes to This Policy

We may update this Cookie Policy from time to time to reflect changes in our practices, technology, or legal requirements. When we make changes, we will:

• Update the "Last Updated" date at the top of this policy
• Post the updated policy on our website
• Notify you of material changes via email or through the Service

Your continued use of PineForest after changes to this Cookie Policy constitutes acceptance of the updated policy. We encourage you to review this policy periodically to stay informed about how we use cookies and similar technologies.

Contact Information

If you have questions, concerns, or requests regarding this Cookie Policy or our use of cookies, please contact us:

Response Time: We aim to respond to all inquiries within 48 hours. For urgent privacy concerns, please indicate "URGENT" in your subject line.

Related Policies: For more information about how we collect, use, and protect your personal information, please see our Privacy Policy and Terms of Service.