What Are Cookies?
A cookie is a small text file that asks for permission to be placed on your computer’s hard drive when you are visiting some websites, such as this one for example. Each and every cookie has a name and stores a value. For example, one of the cookies that we use stores the page that you were on previous to clicking on a link to visit our website – this in turn helps us to see where our visitors have come from.
Cookies allow for web applications to respond to you as an individual. For example web applications can tailor its operations to suit your needs, your likes and dislikes. This is carried out by gathering and remembering information about your preferences.
Cookies cannot cause any harm to your computer whatsoever, in fact they are one of the simplest (and oldest) web technologies that are used by millions of websites all over the world.
Cookie Expiration
Cookies are automatically removed from your computer when they reach their ‘expiration date’. When a cookie is first set on your computer, it is given an expiration date – this is the date when you browser will automatically remove the cookie from your computer.
When you revisit a website, the expiration date on the cookie can then be updated so that the cookie is maintained. Cookies can also be set to be deleted when you end your ’session’, which is done when you leave a website. With some browsers, these cookies can even be removed when you restart your browser (for example when you close and open it again) or the next time you restart your computer. Any cookies that are stored on your computer can also be manually deleted.
How We Use Cookies
Here at Prestige Villas Spain we use cookies to see which pages you have viewed on our website and to gather analytical information on how you have used or are using our website. This can give us a better understanding of what our clients are looking for.
When you arrive at a website you can choose to accept or decline cookies. Most web browsers nowadays automatically accept cookies, however you can usually modify your browser setting so that you decline cookies if that is what you prefer. This may prevent you from taking full advantage a website however.
You are also able to remove any cookies from your web browser that have been set by any of the websites that you have visited.
Third Party Cookies
In addition to the cookies that we have set, we also work with carefully-selected third party services that may also set cookies when you are visiting our website, an example being Google Analytics.
All the third party cookies that are set adhere to the same standard as our own – importantly, no personal information is stored in cookies that are set by third parties.
Third Parties That We Work With Google Analytics and Hitslink
Here at Prestige Villas Spain we use Google Analytics and Hitslink so that we are able to see how visitors use our website, for example; which pages any visitors are looking at and how long they spend on our website. No personally identifiable information is stored or tracked in third party cookies– it is all completely anonymous.