Quick summary: essential cookies keep the site working while optional cookies remember your choices and help us improve services
The cookies placed by a website are small data files saved on a user’s device to support basic functions and personalise the experience. In plain terms, a cookie is a tiny text file that a browser stores to remember information about your visit.
Some of these files are strictly necessary to deliver the site itself, while others are used to record preferences or to gather anonymous usage information. This page explains the different types of cookies, why a site might want to set them, and what control you have over them.
Understanding how cookies work helps you make informed choices about privacy and convenience. While technical details can seem daunting, the main point is simple: a few cookies are required for the site to function correctly, and others enhance the service by remembering settings or analysing how the site is used.
The rest of this article outlines essential cookies, the role of additional cookies that store preferences, and practical steps you can take to manage or block them.
What cookies do and why they are used
At a basic level, cookies enable a website to keep track of a session and to restore user settings between pages or visits. For example, when you choose a language or a display option, the site can save that choice so you do not need to reselect it each time. More advanced cookies may collect anonymous performance data to help teams spot usability problems or to measure which pages are most useful. In this sense, additional cookies support continuous improvement by providing insight into how people interact with the site, always in aggregated form rather than as identifiable personal records.
Essential cookies
Essential cookies are those without which a website cannot operate as intended. They are typically used to power security features, manage forms, or keep a user logged in during a session. Because these cookies are necessary to deliver the core functionality, they do not require explicit consent in the same way as optional tracking tools. In policy terms, they are sometimes referred to as strictly necessary cookies, and they are set only to the extent required for the site to work reliably and securely.
Additional cookies for preferences and improvement
Beyond essentials, sites may want to set cookies that remember preferences or help understand usage patterns. These optional cookies can store choices such as theme, text size, or previous search queries so returning visitors enjoy a smoother experience. They may also include cookies that collect aggregated analytics, which help developers prioritise enhancements. While valuable for service development, these cookies typically require clear notice and the opportunity for users to opt in or out.
How you can manage cookie settings
Most browsers let you review and delete stored cookies, and many sites offer a cookie preference tool to enable or disable non-essential cookies. If you want to prevent all optional tracking, you can change your browser settings to block third-party cookies or to ask for permission each time a site tries to set a cookie. Bear in mind that disabling certain cookies may affect convenience or prevent some features from working. Use the cookie controls to balance privacy concerns with the functionality you want to keep.
Practical tips for browser-based control
To adjust cookie behaviour, open your browser’s privacy settings and look for options labelled cookies, site data, or tracking protection. You can often clear cookies for a single site or configure exceptions to retain preferences while blocking tracking. For added privacy, use private browsing modes that delete cookies when you close your session. Remember that managing cookies does not remove server-side logs or other types of tracking, so combine these measures with good browsing practices to protect your data.
Final note on service improvement
Allowing some optional cookies helps site teams identify friction points and prioritise improvements that benefit everyone. When you agree to these cookies, the information collected is usually aggregated and analysed to produce insights rather than to profile individuals. If you prefer not to participate, you can decline optional cookies and still access the essential functions of the site. Either choice is valid: the goal is to give you clear information and easy tools to control how your preferences and usage data are stored.
