Cookie Policy
Last updated: 4 October 2026
1. About this policy
This policy explains how Joseph Galea trading as Blue Tool Case (“we”, “us”, “our”), established in Malta, uses cookies and similar technologies on bluetoolcase.com. It describes their purposes and how you can accept, reject or withdraw optional tracking. For information about personal data, service providers and your rights, see our Privacy Policy.
Our theme blocks Google Analytics, Google advertising and Google Tag Manager snippets, and separately blocks Jetpack statistics, until you accept optional tracking. Necessary technologies for security, authentication and remembering your choice may operate without optional-tracking consent.
2. Cookies and similar technologies
Cookies are small pieces of information stored in your browser. First-party cookies are set for the website you visit; third-party cookies are set for another domain. Session cookies generally end with the browser session, while persistent cookies have an expiry time and can be removed sooner through browser settings.
Scripts, tracking pixels and browser storage can also support tracking or remember information. A request can disclose information such as an IP address and browser details even without a cookie. For this reason, our optional-tracking controls block the supported tracking scripts and pixels, rather than relying only on deleting cookies.
3. Necessary cookies and consent storage
These technologies support your requested use of the site or record and enforce your privacy choice. Selecting Reject All does not remove the consent record or necessary authentication and security cookies.
| Name | Provider and purpose | Duration |
|---|---|---|
btc_cookie_consent | Blue Tool Case. Records acceptance or rejection, the consent-format version and expiry time. It does not contain an analytics identifier. | Up to 180 days from saving your choice; replaced when you change it. |
wp_consent_functional, wp_consent_preferences, wp_consent_statistics, wp_consent_statistics-anonymous, wp_consent_marketing | WP Consent API on our site. Communicates category choices to compatible plugins. These are consent records, not evidence that the corresponding tracking has been permitted. | The installed plugin’s default is 30 days; site configuration can change this. The theme restores the categories from its valid consent record on subsequent visits. |
btc_cookie_consent_failed (session storage, not a cookie) | Blue Tool Case. A per-tab denial fallback if cookies cannot save a changed choice after tracking has started. It is not an analytics identifier. | Until successfully saving a new choice, clearing session storage or ending the tab’s browser session. Browser session restoration can retain it. |
wordpress_test_cookie | WordPress. Tests whether the browser supports cookies when using the login screen. | Session. |
wordpress_logged_in_*, wordpress_sec_* and other WordPress authentication cookies | WordPress. Maintains authenticated access for authorised site users. Ordinary visitors do not need an account to use our public tools. | Depends on login and “Remember Me” settings; ended or invalidated on logout or authentication expiry. |
An asterisk (*) represents a variable suffix. You may not see every listed cookie on every visit.
Wordfence and enabled Jetpack protection features can use additional security or authentication cookies when the relevant feature is used. Cloudflare may also use security or challenge cookies if our live traffic is routed through its services. These are feature-dependent, not a claim that every visitor receives them. Only genuinely necessary uses are treated as necessary; optional measurement is not made necessary simply because a security or hosting provider supplies it.
4. Optional analytics
Google Analytics: after acceptance, Google Analytics through Site Kit can measure pages viewed, interactions, referral sources and browser/device information to help us understand and improve the site. The GA4 cookies commonly include _ga and _ga_*, used to distinguish browsers and maintain measurement/session state.
Jetpack statistics: our live site is connected to Jetpack. Where statistics are enabled, acceptance allows its statistics script and tracking pixels to measure visits and related activity. Data can include pages viewed, referring URLs, request metadata and timestamps. A visit may be measured with a pixel even when no persistent statistics cookie is set.
| Name | Provider and purpose | Duration |
|---|---|---|
_ga, _ga_* | Google Analytics. Browser identification and measurement/session state. | Persistent; Google commonly defaults to up to two years, but the property/tag configuration can shorten or change this. This is not a verified expiry for our live property. |
_gid, _gat, _gat_* | Other or legacy Google Analytics integrations, if present. Short-lived identification or request-rate control. These are not asserted to be part of our current GA4 configuration. | Depends on the integration; historically about 24 hours for _gid and one minute for _gat. |
tk_ai, tk_ni, tk_qs, tk_or, tk_lr, tk_r3d | Automattic/Jetpack-related analytics or referral measurement, if a feature sets them. The theme recognises these names for optional-cookie cleanup; this is not evidence that all are used here. | Session or persistent, depending on the cookie and enabled feature; verify the applicable expiry in your browser and Automattic’s documentation. |
Cookie expiry is separate from how long a provider retains measurement data on its servers. Provider settings, consent changes and browser restrictions can affect both. See Google’s Privacy Policy, Google’s Analytics cookie documentation, the Jetpack Privacy Center and Automattic’s Cookie Policy.
5. Advertising and other optional features
The theme also gates Google advertising and Google Tag Manager snippets behind acceptance. This capability does not establish that we currently run advertising campaigns, use remarketing or have enabled every Google service. Where enabled, advertising tags can measure conversions or support advertising-related processing according to their configuration. Known Google advertising-cookie names handled by our cleanup include _gcl_au, _gcl_aw, _gcl_dc and _gac_*; their actual use and expiry depend on the enabled product.
Accept All permits the optional categories offered by this banner, including analytics and advertising where enabled. Reject All denies those categories. We do not infer acceptance from continued browsing. Any newly introduced optional service must be reviewed and appropriately consent-controlled before use; a policy disclosure alone is not permission to track you.
6. What accepting or rejecting does
- Before a choice: the supported Google tracking tags and Jetpack statistics remain blocked.
- Accept All: saves your choice and activates the enabled optional tracking scripts. A valid saved acceptance can activate them on later visits.
- Reject All: saves rejection and leaves these trackers blocked. They do not send denied-consent cookieless measurement pings through the blocked tags.
- Withdrawal after acceptance: saves rejection and reloads the page to stop previously loaded trackers. Requests already sent under your earlier choice cannot be recalled. Withdrawal does not affect the lawfulness of processing based on valid consent before withdrawal.
- Expired, invalid or outdated choice: optional tracking remains blocked and the banner requests a new choice.
- Controls unavailable: if WP Consent API is unavailable or JavaScript is disabled, the supported optional tracking scripts stay blocked. Google tracking and Jetpack statistics pixels are disabled on AMP pages, where our custom banner cannot operate.
Rejection attempts to remove the known optional first-party cookies described above that our script can access on the current host, parent domains and visible paths. It preserves necessary WordPress and consent-choice cookies. It cannot delete HttpOnly cookies, cookies belonging to another domain or every custom cookie name. You can remove remaining cookies through your browser settings.
If cookies cannot save a changed choice after tracking has started, we attempt to remember a denial in the tab’s session storage and reload with tracking blocked. If both storage mechanisms are unavailable, the browser leaves the page to stop the loaded trackers. A saving error is reported; allow cookie storage and use Cookie Settings again to make a persistent choice.
7. Services outside optional analytics
Rejecting optional tracking does not stop every network request or all processing needed to deliver the website:
- ScalaHosting and enabled security services process requests needed to host and protect the site. Server logs are not browser cookies.
- Jetpack security, image delivery and other requested features can communicate with Automattic separately from Jetpack statistics.
- Externally loaded Google Fonts can disclose your IP address and request metadata to Google independently of analytics acceptance.
- A DNS lookup that you submit uses Google Public DNS; IP and WHOIS/RDAP tools use the services described in our Privacy Policy. These are separate requested lookups, not Google Analytics.
- Following a Calendly or other external link takes you to a service with its own cookie controls and privacy policy. Our banner does not control storage on that service’s website.
These separate data flows are described in our Privacy Policy. Their presence does not make all associated cookies or tracking exempt from consent requirements.
8. Managing your choice
Use the first-visit banner or Cookie Settings in the footer to accept or reject optional categories. You can withdraw or change your choice at any time. Rejection does not prevent access to the public tools; essential security checks and requested third-party services may still be needed to fulfil a request.
Your choice is specific to the browser/device and site cookie scope in which it is saved. Another browser, private window or cleared consent record may prompt again. Other open tabs are notified of withdrawal where the browser supports it, and restored or foregrounded pages re-check the saved choice.
Most browsers let you inspect, block and delete cookies and other site storage. Blocking necessary cookies may prevent login, stop your choice from being saved or affect site functionality. Deleting analytics cookies alone is not the same as withdrawing a saved acceptance: use Cookie Settings to reject optional tracking too.
9. Changes and contact
We update this policy when our services, storage technologies or consent controls change, and revise the date above. Where a change requires fresh consent, optional processing remains subject to an appropriate new choice.
Data controller: Joseph Galea trading as Blue Tool Case, Malta.
Email: [email protected].