This Cookie Policy explains how ABR Hosting LTD ('ABR Hosting', 'we', 'us', or 'our') uses cookies and similar browser storage when you visit our website at abrhosting.com. It explains what these technologies are and why we use them, as well as your rights to control our use of them.
1. What Are Cookies?
Cookies are small data files placed on your computer or mobile device when you visit a website. They are widely used to make websites work correctly and to provide reporting information to site owners.
We also use localStorage — a browser storage mechanism similar to cookies but stored locally on your device without an expiry date and not sent to our servers with every request. We use localStorage to remember your cookie preferences so we do not ask you again on each visit.
2. Why Do We Use Cookies?
We use cookies and localStorage for two purposes:
- Necessary: to keep our website functioning correctly (session management, security, and client portal authentication).
- Analytics: to understand how visitors use our site so we can improve it. This is optional and requires your consent before any analytics data is collected.
We do not use cookies for advertising or targeted marketing.
3. How We Collect Your Consent
When you first visit abrhosting.com, a consent banner appears at the bottom of the page. You can:
- Accept all — enables analytics cookies for this and future visits.
- Decline — analytics cookies are not set; necessary cookies still apply.
- Manage preferences — opens a preference panel where you can enable or disable the Analytics category individually before saving.
Your choice is saved to your browser's localStorage under the keys listed in section 4. Analytics data is only collected after you give consent — we use Google's Consent Mode v2, which ensures Google Analytics receives no identifying data until consent is granted.
You can withdraw or change your consent at any time by clearing your browser's localStorage for abrhosting.com (see section 5) or by contacting us at legal@abrhosting.com.
4. What Cookies and Storage Do We Use?
Necessary (always active)
These are required for the site and client portal to function. They cannot be disabled via our consent banner.
- WHMCS Session cookie: Manages your login session in our client portal at my.abrhosting.com. Expires when you close your browser or log out.
- Stripe: Payment processing cookies set by Stripe on our checkout pages to prevent fraud and process transactions securely. Governed by Stripe's Privacy Policy.
- Google reCAPTCHA: Used on contact and order forms to distinguish human users from automated bots.
- Facebook Login: Set only if you choose to register or log in using Facebook Login, to maintain your authenticated session with that sign-in method. Not set for visitors who don't use this feature. Governed by Meta's Privacy Policy.
Consent preferences (localStorage — always active)
We store your cookie choice in your browser's localStorage, not as an HTTP cookie. These entries are never sent to our servers.
- abrConsent_v: The version of our consent schema you agreed to (currently "1"). Used to re-show the banner if our policy changes materially.
- abrConsent_analytics: Your analytics preference — either "granted" or "denied".
- abrConsent_timestamp: The date and time you made your choice (ISO 8601 format). Stored for our records.
Analytics (only with your consent)
These cookies are set only after you click Accept all or enable Analytics in the preference panel.
- Google Tag Manager: We use Google Tag Manager to load analytics scripts. GTM itself does not collect personal data; it manages which tags are fired based on your consent state.
- Google Analytics 4 (_ga, _ga_*): Collects anonymised data about pages visited, time on site, referral sources, and general location (country/city level). No personally identifiable information is sent. Retention period: 2 years. Governed by Google's Privacy Policy.
5. How to Control Cookies
You can manage or withdraw your consent at any time using any of these methods:
- Browser localStorage: Open your browser's developer tools, navigate to Application → Local Storage → https://abrhosting.com, and delete the
abrConsent_*entries. The consent banner will reappear on your next page load. - Browser cookie settings: Most browsers allow you to block or delete cookies directly:
- Google Analytics opt-out: You can install the Google Analytics Opt-out Browser Add-on to prevent your data being used by Google Analytics across all sites.
6. Updates to This Policy
We may update this Cookie Policy when we change the cookies or storage we use, or for legal or regulatory reasons. When the consent schema changes in a way that requires your renewed choice, we increment the consent version and the banner will reappear automatically. The date at the top of this page shows when it was last updated.
7. Contact Us
If you have any questions about our use of cookies or other technologies, please contact us at:
ABR Hosting LTD20 Onslow Close
Hatfield, Hertfordshire AL10 8BU
United Kingdom
Phone: (+44) 01707 929887
Email: legal@abrhosting.com