Cookie Information

Essential and authentication cookies

AU Studio uses its Laravel session cookie to maintain application session state, including signed-in sessions. This essential first-party authentication cookie is configured as HTTP-only and uses the Lax same-site setting by default. It is marked Secure in production. Laravel also sets an XSRF-TOKEN cookie containing a request-verification token for cross-site request forgery protection; it is not an authentication credential. These security cookies are always active and do not depend on optional consent.

The session also supports reading published stories without signing in. AU Studio links guest reading progress to a random secret held in that session and stores only its hash with server-side reading records. Clearing or losing the session prevents access to that guest progress; it does not itself delete the stored reading record.

Analytics cookies

Google Analytics is enabled for this application, but AU Studio loads it only after you choose Accept All or enable Analytics in Manage Preferences. If enabled, Google Analytics may set or read cookies, commonly named _ga and _ga_*, to measure opted-in page categories and product events, including creation form opening, submission and validation outcomes. Page titles and addresses use fixed labels without private record IDs, query text or authored content. These analytics cookies are provided by Google. Choosing Essential Only prevents Analytics from loading.

Preferences

Your Analytics choice is saved in your browser's local storage under the AU Studio site. This lets AU Studio remember your choice without adding a consent cookie. Use the Cookie settings button at the bottom of a page to change your choice, or clear AU Studio site storage to reset it.

Browser session storage

AU Studio also uses browser storage for interface preferences: local storage remembers your dashboard view and reader light/dark appearance, and session storage remembers a temporary workspace zoom preference. Browser storage is not a cookie. Session storage is cleared by the browser when its tab session ends.

Your browser controls

You can use browser settings to inspect, limit, or clear cookies and site storage. Blocking the application session cookie may prevent sign-in and other session-dependent features from working. You can change your Analytics choice by clearing AU Studio site storage.