1. What Are Cookies?
Cookies are small text files placed on your device (computer, tablet, or mobile phone) when you visit a website. They are widely used to make websites function correctly, improve efficiency, and provide statistical information to site owners. Cookies are not programs — they cannot carry viruses or install malicious software.
- Session cookies: Temporary; expire when you close your browser.
- Persistent cookies: Remain on your device for a set period or until you delete them.
- First-party cookies: Set directly by techpods.co.
- Third-party cookies: Set by external services we use (e.g., Google, LinkedIn).
2. How We Use Cookies
TechPods uses cookies on techpods.co for the following purposes:
- To ensure the website functions correctly and securely.
- To protect against automated spam and fraudulent form submissions via Google reCAPTCHA.
- To analyse how visitors use our Site so we can measure performance and make improvements (via Google Analytics 4).
- To measure the effectiveness of our advertising campaigns and reach relevant professional audiences (via Google Tag Manager, Google Ads, and LinkedIn Insight Tag).
3. Types of Cookies We Use
3.1 Strictly Necessary Cookies
These cookies are essential for the website to function and cannot be disabled. They enable core functionality such as security and form submission protection. No personal data captured by these cookies is used for marketing or tracking.
| Cookie | Provider | Purpose | Duration |
|---|---|---|---|
| _GRECAPTCHA | Google (reCAPTCHA) | Distinguishes human users from automated bots on our contact and application forms. Prevents spam and abuse. | Session / up to 6 months |
| tp_consent | TechPods | Stores your cookie choices and the date you made them, so we can honour them on later visits and evidence your consent. Without it we would have to ask you on every page. | 6 months |
| NEXT_LOCALE | TechPods | Remembers whether you are reading the site in English or Bulgarian. | 1 year |
3.2 Performance & Analytics Cookies
These cookies help us count visits and measure Site performance. All information is aggregated and anonymous — they show us which pages are most popular and how visitors navigate. If you disable these cookies, we will not be able to monitor Site performance.
| Cookie | Provider | Purpose | Duration |
|---|---|---|---|
| _ga | Google Analytics 4 | Registers a unique ID to generate statistical data on how you use the website. | 2 years |
| _ga_YPMPHFJB64 | Google Analytics 4 | Used by GA4 to persist session state and track engagement across pages on techpods.co. | 2 years |
3.3 Targeting & Advertising Cookies
These cookies are set by our advertising partners and are only placed with your consent. They are used to build a profile of your interests and show relevant advertising on other platforms. If you do not allow them, you will experience less targeted advertising.
| Cookie | Provider | Purpose | Duration |
|---|---|---|---|
| _gcl_au | Google (Conversion Linker) | Stores click information so that a later enquiry can be attributed to the ad or campaign that brought you here. | 3 months |
| IDE | Google DoubleClick | Used by Google to register and report actions after seeing or clicking an ad. | 13 months |
| li_fat_id | LinkedIn's member indirect identifier for ad conversion tracking and analytics. | 30 days | |
| bcookie | Browser identifier used by LinkedIn for ad and analytics purposes. | 2 years | |
| bscookie | Secure browser identifier for LinkedIn. | 2 years | |
| lidc | Set by LinkedIn for routing requests to the correct data centre. | 24 hours | |
| UserMatchHistory | Used for LinkedIn Insight Tag conversion tracking and retargeting. | 30 days | |
| AnalyticsSyncHistory | Records the time of the last sync with the lms_analytics cookie. | 30 days | |
| li_sugr | Makes a probabilistic match of a user's identity for ad targeting outside LinkedIn's designated countries. | 90 days | |
| lang | Remembers a user's language preference. | Session |
4. Third-Party Cookies
Our Site incorporates services from the following third parties, which may set their own cookies independently of TechPods:
- Google LLC (Google Analytics 4, Google Tag Manager, Google Ads, Google reCAPTCHA, Google Cloud Platform) — Google Privacy Policy | Google Cookie Policy
- LinkedIn Corporation (LinkedIn Insight Tag) — LinkedIn Privacy Policy | LinkedIn Cookie Policy
TechPods does not control third-party cookies. Please refer to the respective providers' policies for information on how to opt out.
5. Managing Your Cookie Preferences
5.1 Cookie Consent Banner
When you first visit techpods.co, you will be presented with a cookie consent banner. You may accept all cookies, reject non-essential cookies, or manage your preferences by category. You can update your consent at any time by clicking the “Cookie Settings” link in the footer of our Site.
5.2 Browser Settings
Most browsers allow you to control cookies through their settings. Please note that disabling cookies may affect the functionality of our Site.
- Google Chrome: support.google.com/chrome/answer/95647
- Mozilla Firefox: support.mozilla.org
- Apple Safari: support.apple.com (Safari)
- Microsoft Edge: support.microsoft.com (Edge)
5.3 Provider-Specific Opt-Outs
- Google Analytics: Google Analytics Opt-out Browser Add-on
- Google Ads personalisation: Google Ads Settings
- LinkedIn Insight Tag: LinkedIn opt-out page
- Interest-based advertising (general): Your Online Choices (EU) | Digital Advertising Alliance (US)
6. Do Not Track Signals
Some browsers include a “Do Not Track” (DNT) feature that signals to websites that you do not wish to be tracked. There is currently no universally accepted standard for DNT signals, and our Site does not respond to them automatically. You can use the cookie management tools described in Section 5 to limit tracking.
7. Updates to This Cookie Policy
We may update this Cookie Policy from time to time. When we do, we will revise the “Last Updated” date at the top of this page and, where appropriate, notify you via our consent banner. We encourage you to revisit this page periodically.
8. Contact Us
If you have any questions about our use of cookies or this Cookie Policy, please contact us:
See also our Privacy Policy for full details on how we handle your personal data.