Cookie Policy

What cookies are

Cookies are small text files that websites store on your device. They let a site remember who you are between page loads so you don't have to log in on every click. Some cookies are required for the site to function. Others help us understand how people use the site or track referrals from affiliate links.

FriendsWithTools uses three categories of cookies. Two of them you can turn off.

Essential cookies

These cookies keep the site working. Without them, you can't log in or use the app. They cannot be disabled.

• Supabase auth session — Stores your login session so you stay signed in across page loads. Set when you log in, cleared when you log out. httpOnly, Secure, SameSite=Lax.
• CSRF token — Protects form submissions from cross-site request forgery attacks. Generated per session, expires when the session ends.
• Theme preference — Remembers whether you chose light or dark mode. First-party, no expiration (persists until you clear site data).

None of these cookies contain personal information beyond your session identifier. None are shared with third parties.

Analytics cookies

We use privacy-first analytics to understand which pages get traffic and where visitors drop off. These analytics do not build advertising profiles, do not track you across other websites, and do not sell data to third parties.

Analytics cookies collect aggregate data: page views, referral sources, device type, and country. No names, emails, or account details are included.

You can disable analytics cookies in your Privacy Settings. When disabled, we collect no analytics data from your sessions.

Affiliate tracking cookies

When you click a purchase link on our tool comparison pages, a cookie is set so the retailer can attribute the sale back to FriendsWithTools. This is how we earn affiliate commissions at no extra cost to you.

Networks and cookie durations

We work with three affiliate networks. Each sets its own cookie when you arrive at the retailer's site:

• Amazon Associates — 24-hour cookie. If you add a product to your cart within 24 hours of clicking, the cookie extends to 90 days for that cart item.
• CJ Affiliate (Lowe's) — 14-day cookie. Purchases made within 14 days of clicking are attributed to the referral.
• Impact (Home Depot) — 14-day cookie. Same 14-day attribution window.

These cookies are set by the retailer's domain, not by FriendsWithTools. We do not control their duration or contents.

How sub-IDs work

When you click an affiliate link, we encode a sub-ID in the URL parameters. This sub-ID tells us which comparison page and product card generated the click. It does not contain your name, email, account ID, or any personally identifiable information. The retailer stores the sub-ID alongside their standard purchase data. We receive it back in commission reports so we can measure which comparisons are useful.

Our first-party referral cookie

We also set a first-party cookie called fwt_cid on our own domain. This contains an anonymous referral identifier and helps us match clicks to commissions in our own reporting. Duration: 2 years. It contains no personal data.

Opting out of affiliate tracking

You can disable affiliate tracking cookies in two ways:

• Privacy settings — Go to your Privacy Settings and turn off affiliate tracking. Purchase links will still work, but we won't include sub-IDs in the URLs and won't set the fwt_cid cookie.
• Do Not Sell page — Visit our Do Not Sell page for CCPA/CPRA opt-out options, including Global Privacy Control support.

Managing cookies in your browser

Every major browser lets you view, delete, and block cookies. Here's where to find those controls:

• Chrome — Settings > Privacy and Security > Cookies and other site data
• Firefox — Settings > Privacy & Security > Cookies and Site Data
• Safari — Settings > Privacy > Manage Website Data
• Edge — Settings > Cookies and site permissions > Manage and delete cookies

Blocking all cookies will prevent you from logging in to FriendsWithTools. If you want to block only tracking cookies, use the category-specific controls in your Privacy Settings instead of a blanket browser block.

Questions about our cookies

If you have questions about how we use cookies or want help managing your preferences, email us at privacy@friendswithtools.io.