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Cookie Notice · Effective 5 February 2024

Cookie Policy Small Files, Clear Rules

Cookies are small text files that help a website remember your preferences, keep you secure, measure traffic and — on sites funded by advertising — serve relevant ads. This page tells you exactly which cookies BuildMetric sets, why we set them, how long they last, and how you can control them. No surprises, no dark patterns.

Read the Full Policy
Version
2.0
Updated
15 Jan 2026
Regions
US · UK · AU

Introduction

Cookies in Plain Language

Cookies get a bad reputation — partly deserved, partly not. They are not inherently good or evil. They are simply small text files that a website asks your browser to store, and that your browser sends back on subsequent visits. What matters is who sets them, why, and what choices you have. This document answers those three questions directly, without the usual legal hedging, and without the manipulative "accept all" patterns that have made cookie banners so frustrating in the first place.

The reason cookies exist at all is that HTTP — the protocol that powers the web — is stateless. Every request your browser makes is treated as if it were the first. Without cookies, a website would not be able to remember that you had chosen metric units over imperial, or that you had already dismissed a notification, or that you had logged into an account. Almost every useful web interaction depends on some form of state, and cookies are the standard way to maintain it. The same mechanism, however, can also be used to track users across sites, build advertising profiles and measure behaviour in ways that many people — reasonably — find intrusive. Both statements are true.

BuildMetric uses cookies in the first sense, and only in the first sense, for our own site. That is: functional cookies that make the site work for you, and strictly necessary cookies that keep the site secure. If you reject everything else, every calculator on this site will still function identically. The only effect of rejecting optional cookies is that analytics won't measure your visit (so we'll have slightly less data about which tools are popular) and fewer ads will appear. Nothing on the site is gated behind a cookie wall, and there is no dark pattern that makes rejecting cookies harder than accepting them.

We do use third-party cookies for two purposes: analytics (Google Analytics, with IP anonymisation enabled) and advertising (Google AdSense). These are set by Google, not by us, and they are subject to Google's own privacy policy. We configure them carefully — disabling personalised advertising for users in the EEA, UK and Switzerland unless they have consented through the certified consent flow, and excluding sensitive advertising categories across all markets. But we cannot control them entirely, and we do not pretend to. This page tells you exactly what those services set, so you can decide whether to accept, reject or block them.

We operate across the United States, the United Kingdom and Australia, and this policy is written to comply with the cookie rules in each. In practice, this means we follow the strictest common standard — the ePrivacy Directive and UK PECR, which require opt-in consent for non-essential cookies, with no cookies set until consent is given. If you are in California, you also have rights under the CPRA to opt out of "sharing" for cross-context behavioural advertising, and the cookie consent banner reflects that. If you are in Australia, the Privacy Act 1988 and the Australian Privacy Principles apply to the personal information that cookies can generate.

If, after reading this, you want to change your cookie preferences, you can do so at any time using the Cookie Settings button in the footer, or by clearing cookies in your browser. If you have a question about a specific cookie that is not covered here, email contact@buildmetric.org with the subject line "Cookie Enquiry" — we will respond within two business days and, where warranted, update this document.

Section 01

What Are Cookies?

Cookies are small text files that a website asks your browser to store. When you visit the site again, your browser sends the cookie back, allowing the site to recognise you or remember something about your previous visit. Cookies are one of the oldest mechanisms on the web — introduced in 1994 by Netscape — and they remain in use today because they solve a fundamental problem: the web was designed to be stateless, and cookies make it slightly less so.

Cookies are not programs. They cannot execute code, they cannot access files or data on your device, and they cannot install software. They are simple key-value pairs — small strings of text such as consent=accepted; expires=2027-01-15 — that are read by the site that set them. Any claim that a cookie "reads your files" or "tracks everything you do" is a misunderstanding of the technology, even though the effect of many cookies working together can feel like tracking.

1.1 Related technologies

When we talk about "cookies" in this policy, we use the term as shorthand for cookies and closely related technologies that serve a similar purpose. That includes:

  • Cookies — small text files stored by your browser, with an optional expiry date. Session cookies expire when you close your browser; persistent cookies survive until their expiry date or until you delete them.
  • Local Storage (HTML5) — a browser-side key-value store that persists indefinitely unless cleared. Used for functional preferences like unit system.
  • Session Storage — similar to local storage but cleared when the browser tab is closed.
  • Pixels and beacons — tiny transparent images or scripts embedded in a page that report to a third-party server when the page is loaded. Used by ad networks to measure impressions.

1.2 First-party vs third-party cookies

Cookies can be set by the site you are visiting (first-party cookies) or by a different domain whose scripts are embedded on that site (third-party cookies). A first-party cookie might remember that you prefer metric units; a third-party cookie set by Google AdSense might help deliver a relevant ad. Most modern browsers now block third-party cookies by default, which means some ad-network behaviour may be reduced without you having to configure anything.

1.3 Session vs persistent cookies

Session cookies are deleted when you close your browser. They are typically used for things that only need to be remembered during a single visit. Persistent cookies remain on your device for a defined period — from a few minutes to several years — and are typically used for things like remembering your cookie consent choice so you are not asked on every page load.

Plain Language

A cookie is just a small text file. It does not contain code, cannot read your files, and cannot do anything beyond what the website that set it asks your browser to do with it.

Section 02

How BuildMetric Uses Cookies

We use cookies for a small number of clearly defined purposes. We do not use cookies to build user profiles, to record your calculator inputs, to fingerprint your device, or to track you across other websites beyond what is standard for advertising networks like Google. Every category is set out below, with a plain-language explanation of what it does and why it exists.

2.1 To remember your consent choices

When you interact with our cookie banner, we set a single first-party cookie to remember your choice. Without it, you would be asked again every time you navigated to a new page. This cookie stores only a short status code (for example, "essential-only" or "all-accepted") and an expiry date. It contains no personal data.

2.2 To remember your preferences

Some of our calculators default to imperial or metric units depending on your region. If you switch to the other system, we store that preference in local storage (a close cousin of a cookie) so it persists on your next visit. This preference is not linked to your identity and is never transmitted to our servers.

2.3 To measure traffic and improve content

We use Google Analytics to understand which calculators and guides are used most, which pages are visited least, and how users navigate between them. This is aggregate data — we do not know who you are — and we have enabled IP anonymisation so the last octet of your IP address is discarded before storage. Analytics is optional and is only loaded if you accept analytics cookies in the banner.

2.4 To serve advertising

Google AdSense serves the display ads that fund this site. AdSense uses cookies to deliver ads, measure impressions and — if you consent — personalise the advertising based on your browsing behaviour across Google's network. If you reject advertising cookies, ads may still appear, but they will be non-personalised. This is explained in more detail in Section 04.

2.5 What we do NOT use cookies for

  • We do not record the values you enter into any calculator. All calculator maths runs in your browser and is never transmitted to our servers.
  • We do not use session-replay or heatmap tools that record your mouse movements, keystrokes or page scroll.
  • We do not use browser fingerprinting to identify you across visits.
  • We do not set cookies that persist for more than 24 months.
  • We do not sell cookie data to third parties outside the advertising ecosystem described in this policy.

We Do Not Track Calculator Inputs

Your calculator inputs never reach our servers. There is no cookie, script or analytics event that records the dimensions you enter — the maths happens entirely in your browser.

Section 03

Types of Cookies We Set

Below is a complete list of the cookie categories set when you use buildmetric.org. Each category has a clear purpose, a stated duration, and a note about whether it can be disabled through our consent banner. Categories marked "always on" are strictly necessary to operate the site and cannot be disabled — but they never contain personal data beyond what is required for the site to function.

Category 01

Strictly Necessary

Always On

Cookies that are essential for the site to operate correctly — for example, remembering your cookie consent choice or maintaining basic security. These cannot be disabled because without them the site cannot function.

Examples
bm_consent
__cf_bm
Provider
BuildMetric · Cloudflare
Duration
12 months · 30 min

Category 02

Functional

Always On

Cookies that remember your preferences to improve the experience — for example, whether you last used imperial or metric units on a calculator. Without these, the site still works but some preferences reset on each visit.

Examples
bm_units
bm_recent
Provider
BuildMetric (local storage)
Duration
Persistent

Category 03

Analytics

Optional

Cookies set by Google Analytics to measure traffic and understand which calculators and guides are most useful. Data is aggregated and anonymised, and is used to plan editorial priorities and improve the site.

Examples
_ga
_ga_*
Provider
Google LLC
Duration
Up to 24 months

Category 04

Advertising

Optional

Cookies set by Google AdSense to deliver and measure display ads. If you accept these, Google may personalise ads based on your browsing behaviour across its network. If you reject, ads still appear but are non-personalised.

Examples
_gcl_au
IDE
test_cookie
Provider
Google LLC
Duration
Up to 13 months

In addition to the four categories above, Cloudflare — our CDN and DDoS protection provider — sets a small number of security cookies that are strictly necessary. These include __cf_bm (bot management, 30-minute duration) and cf_clearance (challenge clearance, up to 30 minutes). These are essential for protecting the site from attacks and cannot be disabled.

Finally, Google Fonts sets no cookies of its own when served from fonts.googleapis.com in our configuration — but the request itself transmits your IP address to Google's servers. This is a technical necessity of loading fonts and is disclosed here for transparency, even though it does not involve a cookie.

Complete List

These four categories cover every cookie set when you use buildmetric.org. If we add a new service in the future, we will update this table and — where required by law — refresh your consent before loading it.

Section 04

Third-Party Cookies

Most of the cookies on buildmetric.org are set by third-party services rather than by us directly. We choose those services carefully, configure them to minimise tracking, and disclose every one of them below. What we cannot do from our servers is change how their cookies behave — only they can, and only if you exercise the controls they provide directly.

Each service listed below is a data controller or processor in its own right, and each is bound by its own privacy policy. We encourage you to review them if you want to understand the full data flow. The links below go directly to each provider's policy.

Service Purpose Cookie Types Policy
Google Analytics Traffic measurement, page analytics _ga, _ga_*, _gid google.com/privacy
Google AdSense Display advertising, ad measurement IDE, _gcl_au, test_cookie google.com/ads
Google Fonts Typography delivery None (IP transmitted in request) google.com/privacy
Cloudflare CDN, security, DDoS protection __cf_bm, cf_clearance cloudflare.com
Affiliate networks Purchase attribution (where disclosed) Varies by network Disclosed at link

4.1 How to opt out of Google cookies

Google provides several mechanisms for controlling how its cookies are used:

  • Google Ad Settings — adssettings.google.com lets you turn off personalised advertising across Google's network.
  • Google Analytics Opt-out — the browser add-on at tools.google.com/dlpage/gaoptout prevents Analytics from collecting data on your visits to any site.
  • Rejecting via our banner — if you reject analytics and advertising cookies in our consent banner, neither Google Analytics nor Google AdSense will load on your visit.

4.2 Do Not Track (DNT)

Some browsers send a "Do Not Track" (DNT) signal with every request. There is no industry consensus on how websites should respond, and many ignore it entirely. BuildMetric's approach is that DNT is honoured wherever feasible: if your browser sends DNT and you have not actively consented to analytics or advertising cookies through our banner, those cookies will not be set. We recommend using our banner as the primary control, since it is more reliable than DNT across browsers and networks.

4.3 Global Privacy Control (GPC)

Global Privacy Control is a newer signal supported by some browsers and extensions. It is legally recognised under CCPA/CPRA in California as a valid opt-out of sale and sharing. If your browser sends GPC, we treat it as equivalent to rejecting advertising and analytics cookies — the same effect as clicking "Reject All" in our banner.

Two Signals Honoured

We honour both Do Not Track and Global Privacy Control signals. You do not need to configure anything beyond your browser to have these respected.

Section 05

Managing & Disabling Cookies

You have three levels of control over cookies: our consent banner (easiest, applies to optional categories), your browser settings (most thorough, applies to all sites), and your device or network (for example, mobile OS-level privacy settings or a network-level ad blocker). We recommend using all three where possible — but at minimum, our banner is enough to control everything we set directly.

5.1 Using our consent banner

The easiest way to control cookies on buildmetric.org is through our consent banner, shown on your first visit. It offers two equally prominent buttons — Accept All and Reject Non-Essential — plus a "Manage Preferences" link for granular control. Your choice is remembered for 12 months or until you change it.

You can change your choice at any time by clicking the "Manage Cookie Settings" button near the top of this page, or by clicking the "Cookie Settings" link in the footer of any page on the site.

5.2 Using your browser settings

Every major browser lets you view, manage and delete cookies. Instructions for the most common browsers are linked below — click through for the official support page of your browser.

Google Chrome

Settings → Privacy and security → Third-party cookies

Mozilla Firefox

Settings → Privacy & Security → Cookies and Site Data

Safari

Settings → Safari → Privacy & Security → Cookies

Microsoft Edge

Settings → Cookies and site permissions

5.3 Mobile devices

On mobile, most browsers offer cookie controls in their settings menus. On iOS, the Settings app has a "Safari → Prevent Cross-Site Tracking" toggle that blocks third-party tracking cookies across all apps. On Android, Chrome and Firefox offer similar options under "Site settings" or "Enhanced Tracking Protection."

5.4 Deleting cookies already set

To delete cookies already stored on your device, use your browser's "Clear browsing data" or "Clear cookies" option. On most browsers this is accessible via a keyboard shortcut — Ctrl+Shift+Delete on Windows or Cmd+Shift+Delete on Mac. Clearing cookies will also clear your consent preference, so you will be asked again on your next visit.

5.5 What happens if you block all cookies

If you block all cookies through your browser, the site will still work — every calculator, every guide, every result. The only effects will be minor: your unit preference (metric vs imperial) may not persist between visits, and you will be shown the consent banner again on each new session because we cannot remember your choice. No functionality is lost.

No Site Breakage

Blocking cookies will not break any calculator or guide. The only visible effects are a re-asked consent banner and a reset unit preference on some tools.

Section 07

Cookies & Your Privacy Rights

Cookies are only one part of the broader story about how we handle your data. The full picture — including what personal information we collect, how long we retain it, how it is protected, and how to exercise your privacy rights — is set out in our Privacy Policy. This section summarises the link between the two.

7.1 What cookies contain

The cookies we set — and those set by our third-party providers — contain identifiers, preferences and technical metadata. They do not contain your name, email address, calculator inputs, project details, or any other personal information that you have not explicitly submitted to us. If you have submitted an enquiry via our contact form, the data of that enquiry is handled per the Privacy Policy, not via cookies.

7.2 Your GDPR and CCPA/CPRA rights

Under GDPR, UK GDPR, CCPA/CPRA and the Australian Privacy Principles, you have specific rights over any personal information processed through cookies or otherwise. These include:

  • Right to be informed — this policy is how we satisfy that right for cookies.
  • Right of access — you can ask what cookies are set on your device and what data is associated.
  • Right to erasure — you can clear cookies yourself at any time, or ask us to assist.
  • Right to object — you can reject non-essential cookies; we honour that choice immediately.
  • Right to withdraw consent — already covered in Section 06.
  • Right to non-discrimination (CCPA/CPRA) — rejecting cookies does not degrade the site or deny you any service.

7.3 How to exercise these rights

To exercise any of the above rights beyond what you can do yourself in the banner or browser, email contact@buildmetric.org with the subject "Privacy Request." We respond within 5 business days to acknowledge, and within 30 calendar days substantively. There is no fee for exercising these rights.

7.4 Complaints

If you are not satisfied with how we have handled a cookie or privacy matter, you can escalate to the relevant supervisory authority:

  • UK: Information Commissioner's Office (ICO) — ico.org.uk
  • EU: your local Data Protection Authority
  • Australia: Office of the Australian Information Commissioner (OAIC) — oaic.gov.au
  • California: California Attorney General — oag.ca.gov/privacy

One Email for Everything

Cookie questions, privacy rights requests and consent complaints all go to contact@buildmetric.org — handled by a real person, acknowledged within 5 business days.

Section 08

Updates & Contact

8.1 Changes to this cookie policy

This cookie policy is versioned and dated. The current version (2.0) was published on 15 January 2026. When we make material changes — adding a new cookie category, changing a third-party provider, or altering the legal basis for any processing — we will:

  • Update the "Last Updated" date at the top of this page
  • Increment the version number
  • Display a notice on the homepage for at least 30 days
  • Refresh your cookie consent if a new category of cookies is introduced

Minor changes (typos, broken links, formatting) may be made without incrementing the version, but the update date will always reflect the most recent revision. If you would like a diff between any two versions, email contact@buildmetric.org and we will send it.

8.2 Third-party policy changes

When one of our third-party providers (Google, Cloudflare) changes its own cookie practices, we may update this policy to reflect that — even if the change is not "material" from our perspective. We review our third-party providers' policies at least annually.

8.3 Contact

For any question, correction or concern about cookies on buildmetric.org, email us:

We respond to cookie-related enquiries within two business days. If you are not satisfied with our response, the escalation options in Section 07.4 apply.

Version 2.0 · 15 January 2026

This document was published on 15 January 2026 and supersedes all previous versions. Questions, corrections or version diffs: contact@buildmetric.org.

Frequently Asked Questions

Common Cookie Questions

Seven direct answers about cookie consent, calculator inputs, third-party services, advertising, DNT/GPC signals and how to change your mind.

01 Do I have to accept cookies to use BuildMetric?

No. All calculators and guides on BuildMetric work without any optional cookies. Only strictly necessary and functional cookies are set by default — these are essential to make the site work and to remember your preferences. Analytics and advertising cookies are entirely optional and are only set if you actively click "Accept All" or toggle them on in Manage Preferences. Rejecting them has no effect on the functionality of the site — every calculator, every guide, every result works identically whether you accept or reject. You can change your choice at any time via the cookie settings button or the footer link.

02 Do your calculators store the values I enter?

No. Every calculator on BuildMetric runs entirely in your browser — the values you enter (dimensions, quantities, weights) are never transmitted to our servers and are never stored in a cookie. The maths happens locally on your device. Even if you copy a result to your clipboard, that action stays on your device unless you choose to email it to us or post it elsewhere yourself. There is no cookie, script or analytics event that records what you typed into a calculator.

03 What cookies does BuildMetric set, and how long do they last?

BuildMetric sets four categories of cookies: strictly necessary (consent preferences, 12 months; Cloudflare bot management, 30 minutes), functional (unit system preference in local storage, persistent), analytics (Google Analytics _ga and _ga_*, up to 24 months), and advertising (Google AdSense IDE, _gcl_au and test_cookie, up to 13 months). Analytics and advertising cookies are only set after you actively accept them in the consent banner. The complete list, with cookie names, providers and durations, is available in Section 03 of this policy.

04 Why do I see ads on BuildMetric, and can I turn them off?

Ads are how BuildMetric stays free. We do not sell subscriptions, do not require sign-up, and do not gate calculator results. Display advertising through Google AdSense funds the servers and the editorial team. You can reject advertising cookies through our consent banner — ads will still appear but will be non-personalised rather than targeted to your browsing behaviour. You can also block ads entirely through browser extensions such as uBlock Origin. Blocking ads does not break any part of the site — every calculator and guide continues to work.

05 What is the difference between first-party and third-party cookies?

First-party cookies are set by the website you are visiting — in this case, by buildmetric.org. They are used to remember things like your cookie consent choice or your preference for metric versus imperial units. Third-party cookies are set by a different domain whose scripts are embedded on the site — typically Google Analytics, Google AdSense or Cloudflare. First-party cookies usually serve functional or preference purposes, while third-party cookies are more often used for analytics and advertising. Modern browsers increasingly block third-party cookies by default, which can reduce ad-network tracking without any configuration on your part.

06 How do I change or withdraw my cookie consent?

You have four options. First, click the "Manage Cookie Settings" button near the top of this page to reopen the consent banner and change your choice. Second, click "Cookie Settings" in the footer of any page on the site. Third, clear all cookies through your browser — on your next visit you will be asked again and can choose "Reject Non-Essential". Fourth, email contact@buildmetric.org with the subject "Cookie Consent Withdrawal" and we will action it manually within 5 business days. Withdrawal takes effect immediately for future visits, is free, and is never penalised.

07 Do you honour Do Not Track and Global Privacy Control signals?

Yes. BuildMetric honours both Do Not Track (DNT) and Global Privacy Control (GPC) signals wherever feasible. If your browser sends either signal and you have not actively consented to analytics or advertising cookies through our banner, those cookies will not be set. GPC in particular is legally recognised under CCPA/CPRA in California as a valid opt-out of sale and sharing, and we treat it as equivalent to clicking "Reject All". That said, we recommend using our consent banner as the primary control — it is more reliable across browsers and gives you granular per-category control.

Still have a cookie question?

Email contact@buildmetric.org — every message is read by a real person, and we reply within two business days.

Cookie Compliance Contact

v2.0 · 15 Jan 2026

BuildMetric Privacy & Cookie Team

Cookie Consent & Data Protection

GDPR · CCPA/CPRA · Australian Privacy Act

Cookie and consent matters at BuildMetric are handled by the same small compliance team that responds to privacy requests. Every cookie enquiry, consent withdrawal and DNT/GPC question lands in the same inbox and is triaged by the same person — not routed through an outsourced support system.

We have deliberately designed our consent banner to comply with the EDPB Guidelines 03/2022 on deceptive design patterns and equivalent guidance from the ICO and OAIC. Accept and reject are equally prominent, closing the banner defaults to reject, and rejecting non-essential cookies has no effect on the site's functionality.

  • Human-handled — every consent and cookie email is read by a real person.
  • 5-day acknowledgment — every request, every time, no exceptions.
  • No dark patterns — equal buttons, reject-on-close, no nagging.
contact@buildmetric.org Withdraw Consent

This Document

Document
Cookie Policy
Version
2.0
Last Updated
15 Jan 2026
Acknowledgment
≤ 5 business days
Consent Refresh
12 months

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