Cookie policy
Effective 21 May 2026
A cookie is a small text file a website stores on your device to remember you across pages and visits. We use cookies sparingly. v1 of govn.ai sets two categories of cookies and no marketing or advertising cookies whatsoever.
Categories we use
- Strictly necessary. Required for the site and platform to function — your signed-in session, CSRF protection, your cookie-choice itself. These are always on. You can disable them via your browser, but the platform won't work.
- Analytics. Help us understand how the site is used so we can improve it. Default off; only set after you click "Accept" on the cookie banner. You can change your mind at any time via the banner (which reappears if you clear cookies or click the "Cookie settings" link in the footer — coming Sprint 11).
Cookies we set
| Name | Category | Set by | Purpose | Retention |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| __session | Strictly necessary | Clerk (authentication) | Maintains your signed-in session. | Session, refreshed on activity (max 7 days) |
| __client_uat | Strictly necessary | Clerk (authentication) | Helps Clerk detect when your session needs to be refreshed. | Session |
| next-auth.csrf | Strictly necessary | Next.js (built-in) | CSRF protection for form submissions. | Session |
| govnai_cookie_consent | Strictly necessary | govn.ai | Remembers your cookie choices so we don't ask again on every visit. Stores values like 'accepted' or 'rejected' for analytics. | 12 months |
| ph_* | Analytics | PostHog (analytics) | Pseudonymous visitor id and feature-use tracking. Only set after you accept analytics cookies. | 12 months |
How to manage cookies
Most browsers let you view, delete, and block cookies from the site preferences menu. The ICO publishes guidance on managing cookies for the main browsers; see ico.org.uk. You can also change your analytics choice at any time via the banner that appears on first visit — clear your browser cookies and reload to see it again.
Changes
We may update this page when we add or remove cookies. The effective date at the top of the page reflects the most recent revision.
Questions
Email privacy@govn.ai.