Cookie Policy
Effective: April 5, 2026
1. Does Hugo Use Cookies?
No. Hugo does not set any browser cookies — first-party or third-party. We use your browser's localStorage API instead, which stores data locally on your device and is never transmitted automatically with HTTP requests.
2. What We Store in localStorage
| Key | Purpose | Duration | Required |
|---|---|---|---|
auth_tokens | Keeps you signed in (JWT access & refresh tokens) | Until sign-out or token expiry | Yes |
hugo_consent | Stores your privacy preferences so the banner does not repeat on every visit | Until cleared manually | Yes |
auth_tokens is only written when you sign in and removed when you sign out. hugo_consent is a small JSON record containing the consent version, a timestamp, and your per-category preferences.
In addition, when you grant Advertising consent, Google AdSense may set browser cookies (not localStorage) on your device. The most common ones are:
| Cookie | Set by | Purpose | Required |
|---|---|---|---|
_ga | Distinguishes unique users (Google Analytics / Ads) | Ads consent | |
_gid | Identifies a user session (expires after 24 h) | Ads consent | |
_gads | Links activity to ad clicks for measurement | Ads consent |
These cookies are only set if you grant Advertising consent in the preferences panel. Without consent, Hugo instructs Google to serve contextual-only non-personalised ads; no advertising cookies are placed on your device.
3. Third-Party Services
Hugo calls the Google PageSpeed Insights API when you run an analysis. The URL you submit is sent to Google to retrieve Lighthouse performance data. This is governed by Google's Privacy Policy.
Hugo also uses Google AdSense to display ads. The AdSense script loads on every page. Its behaviour depends on the consent you provide:
- Advertising consent granted — Google may set advertising cookies (see table in section 2) and serve personalised ads based on your interests.
- Advertising consent denied (default) — Google serves contextual non-personalised ads only. No advertising cookies are placed on your device.
You can manage Google's ad settings at adssettings.google.com.
4. Managing Your Preferences
You can review or withdraw your consent at any time by opening the privacy preferences panel:
You can also clear all Hugo data (including sign-in tokens) by clearing your browser's site data for hugo-seo.com. Note that this will sign you out.
5. Changes
We may update this policy if our use of cookies or storage changes. Material changes will be reflected in the effective date above.