Cookie Policy
We keep cookies minimal. Here's exactly what we use, why, and how to control them.
1. What Are Cookies
Cookies are small text files that a website stores on your device when you visit. They're used to remember information between page loads and visits — things like whether you're logged in, what language you prefer, or how you navigated to the site.
Alongside traditional cookies, websites also use related technologies like local storage (data saved in your browser that persists after a session ends) and session storage (data that clears when you close the tab). This policy covers all of these technologies collectively when we refer to "cookies."
This policy covers shopreviews.com — the marketing website and app dashboard. It does not cover the review widget that your customers see embedded on your store. The widget's data handling is documented separately in the widget documentation.
2. How We Use Cookies
We use cookies for three purposes only:
- Making the website and app work correctly — essential cookies that handle login sessions, payment security, and protection against cross-site attacks. Without these, the site simply does not function.
- Understanding how people use the site — privacy-first analytics that tell us which pages are popular and where visitors come from, so we can improve the product. No personal data is collected.
- Remembering your preferences — functional cookies that save things like your language choice and dark/light mode setting, so you don't have to reset them every visit.
We do not use advertising cookies, retargeting cookies, or any cookies that track your behaviour across other websites.
3. Essential Cookies
These cookies are required for the website and app to work. They cannot be disabled without breaking core functionality such as staying logged in or completing a checkout securely.
| Name | Purpose | Duration | Provider |
|---|---|---|---|
__stripe_mid |
Fraud prevention during checkout. Stripe uses this to distinguish legitimate payment attempts from fraudulent ones. | 1 year | Stripe |
__stripe_sid |
Secure session management during the payment flow. Expires quickly to limit exposure. | 30 minutes | Stripe |
shopreviews_session |
Keeps you logged in to the Shopreviews dashboard while your browser tab is open. | Session | Shopreviews |
shopreviews_csrf |
Cross-site request forgery protection. Prevents malicious websites from submitting forms on your behalf. | Session | Shopreviews |
srLang |
Remembers which language you have selected so the correct version of the site loads on your next visit. | 1 year | Shopreviews |
4. Analytics Cookies
We use Plausible Analytics to understand how visitors use shopreviews.com. Plausible is a privacy-first analytics tool built in the EU, and it works without setting any cookies at all.
Here's what that means in practice:
- Plausible does not use cookies or local storage.
- Plausible does not track individual users or build behavioural profiles.
- Plausible does not collect or store personal data such as IP addresses.
- All data is aggregated — we see page views, referrer sources, and device types at a population level, not per person.
- All data is processed and stored on EU infrastructure.
Because Plausible is cookieless and collects no personal data, no consent banner is required under GDPR, and there is no opt-out mechanism needed. You can read more at plausible.io/data-policy.
We do not use Google Analytics.
5. Functional Cookies
These cookies remember preferences you've set so the app feels consistent across visits. They're not strictly required for the site to work, but disabling them means your preferences will reset every time.
| Name | Purpose | Duration | Provider |
|---|---|---|---|
shopreviews_theme |
Remembers whether you have selected dark mode or light mode in the dashboard. | 1 year | Shopreviews |
shopreviews_builder_state |
Saves your in-progress widget builder configuration so you can return and continue customising without starting over. | 30 days | Shopreviews |
6. Third-Party Cookies
When you connect a review platform — such as Google, Trustpilot, or another source — Shopreviews redirects you through that platform's OAuth authorisation flow so you can grant us read access to your reviews. During that redirect, the third-party platform may set its own cookies on your device. We have no control over those cookies, and they are governed by the platform's own privacy and cookie policies.
Relevant policies for platforms you may connect:
The Intercom support chat widget (the chat bubble in the bottom corner) may set its own cookies when it loads. If you'd prefer not to receive those cookies, you can block the chat widget in your browser's site settings or using a content blocker. Blocking the chat widget has no effect on core Shopreviews functionality — you can always reach us by email instead at support@shopreviews.com.
7. Managing Cookies
Every modern browser lets you view, delete, and block cookies. Here's how to do it in the most common ones:
- Chrome — Settings → Privacy and security → Third-party cookies. Or go directly to support.google.com/chrome/answer/95647.
- Firefox — Settings → Privacy & Security → Cookies and Site Data. Guide at support.mozilla.org.
- Safari — Settings → Privacy → Manage Website Data. Guide at support.apple.com.
- Edge — Settings → Cookies and site permissions → Manage and delete cookies. Guide at support.microsoft.com.
A note on blocking essential cookies: if you block cookies like shopreviews_session or shopreviews_csrf, you will not be able to log in to your Shopreviews account. These cookies are technically necessary for authentication and security — there is no workaround for that.
If you want to change your language preference, the cleanest way is to use the language switcher in the navigation menu rather than deleting the srLang cookie directly. The switcher updates the cookie and reloads the correct page in one step.
Questions about our cookie use? Email hello@shopreviews.com and we'll get back to you within two business days. Shopreviews is operated by Gearlab B.V., Haarlem, Netherlands.