Cookie Policy
Last updated: 2026-06-06
This policy explains the small pieces of data that Chatporch reads from or writes to your browser, across our three surfaces: the marketing site at chatporch.com, the embed widget loaded from embed.chatporch.com onto customer websites, and the dashboard at app.chatporch.com.
In EU/UK terms, “cookies” here also covers similar client-side storage techniques such as localStorage and sessionStorage.
1. The marketing site (chatporch.com)
The marketing site does not currently set any cookies, and it does not load any third-party analytics scripts. The only browser storage it relies on is whatever your browser handles automatically (such as HTTP caching). If we add cookies or analytics in the future, we will update this page and, where required by law, ask for your consent first.
2. The embed widget (loaded onto customer websites)
When a customer adds the Chatporch widget to their site, your browser loads our script from embed.chatporch.com. The widget itself does not set any cookies. It uses sessionStorage, which is automatically cleared when you close the browser tab.
The keys we write are scoped to the customer’s site:
| Purpose | What it holds | Why | Lifetime |
|---|---|---|---|
| Chat continuity | The list of messages exchanged in the current chat, so the conversation survives a page navigation within the same tab | Continuity within the visit | Until you close the tab, or click “Clear chat” |
| Conversation identifier | A randomly generated identifier scoped to the current chat | Allows the customer to view a coherent transcript and lets us deduplicate turns | Until you close the tab, or click “Clear chat” |
The widget does not load any third-party tracking scripts. It does not set any cross-site identifier. The conversation identifier is unique per browser tab per customer site; we cannot use it to follow you from one customer’s website to another.
We also keep a short-lived rate-limit counter on our server (not in your browser) keyed against a one-way hashed identifier derived from your IP. That counter is described in the Privacy Policy.
3. The dashboard (app.chatporch.com)
The dashboard is for Chatporch customers (account holders). When you sign in, our authentication provider sets a small number of cookies that are strictly necessary for the service:
| Cookie | Purpose | Lifetime |
|---|---|---|
| Session cookie | Keeps you signed in across requests | Until the session expires or you sign out |
| Short-lived state cookies for OAuth and magic-link sign-in flows | Prevents CSRF and ties the callback to your sign-in attempt | Minutes |
These cookies are essential for the dashboard to work. We do not run analytics or marketing cookies on the dashboard.
4. Why we don’t show a cookie banner on the marketing site
The marketing site does not set non-essential cookies and does not run third-party tracking. Under the EU ePrivacy Directive and similar laws, prior consent is required for non-essential storage; essential storage is exempt. If we add analytics or marketing cookies later, we will show an appropriate consent prompt before they load.
The embed widget uses sessionStorage that is strictly necessary for the chat to function (without it, your messages would be lost on every page navigation). Because it’s strictly necessary, no separate consent is required under EU rules — though customers running the widget should still mention the widget in their own privacy notice.
5. Controlling what your browser stores
You can clear sessionStorage, localStorage, and cookies through your browser’s settings at any time. Doing so will sign you out of the dashboard and end any active chat conversation. Most browsers also let you block third-party storage entirely; the embed widget’s sessionStorage runs in a first-party context (on the customer’s domain) so it is unaffected by third-party blocking.
6. Updates
We may update this policy when our storage practices change. Material updates will be reflected in the “Last updated” date and, for customers, surfaced in the dashboard.
7. Questions
Questions about cookies or other browser storage: [email protected].