1. What are cookies?
Cookies are small text files that are placed on your device (computer, smartphone, or tablet) when you visit a website. They are widely used to make websites work more efficiently, to remember your preferences, and to provide information to website owners.
In addition to traditional cookies, we may also use similar storage and access technologies, including web beacons, pixels, local storage, and scripts that store or access information on your device. This policy covers all such technologies.
Cookies can be:
- Session cookies — temporary cookies that are deleted when you close your browser.
- Persistent cookies — cookies that remain on your device for a set period of time or until you delete them.
- First-party cookies — set directly by Outernest.
- Third-party cookies — set by third-party services we use on our website.
2. Who we are
This Cookie Policy is issued by:
Outernest
Website: https://outernest.co.uk
Email: hello@outernest.co.uk
Outernest is the data controller for personal data collected through cookies on this website. We are subject to the UK General Data Protection Regulation (UK GDPR), the Data Protection Act 2018 (DPA 2018), and the Privacy and Electronic Communications Regulations 2003 (PECR), as updated by the Data (Use and Access) Act 2025 (DUAA).
3. Cookies we use
We use four categories of cookies on this website. The legal basis and consent requirement for each category differs as explained below.
3.1 Strictly necessary cookies No consent required
These cookies are essential for the website to function and cannot be switched off. They are usually set in response to actions you take, such as filling in forms or setting your privacy preferences. Under PECR, strictly necessary cookies are exempt from the consent requirement.
| Cookie name | Provider | Purpose | Duration |
|---|---|---|---|
| wordpress_sec_* | WordPress | Security and authentication | Session |
| wordpress_logged_in_* | WordPress | Keeps you logged in to admin area | Session |
| wp-settings-* | WordPress | Saves your WordPress admin preferences | 1 year |
| woocommerce_cart_hash | WooCommerce | Stores your shopping cart state | Session |
| woocommerce_items_in_cart | WooCommerce | Detects when cart contents change | Session |
| wp_woocommerce_session_* | WooCommerce | Maintains your session across pages | 2 days |
| cky-consent | CookieYes | Stores your cookie consent preferences | 1 year |
3.2 Analytics cookies Consent required
These cookies help us understand how visitors interact with our website by collecting and reporting information anonymously. We only place these cookies once you have given your consent. Under the updated ICO guidance (April 2026), certain aggregate-only analytics may qualify for a new statutory exception — however, we continue to request consent for all analytics as best practice.
| Cookie name | Provider | Purpose | Duration |
|---|---|---|---|
| _ga | Google Analytics | Distinguishes unique users by assigning a randomly generated number | 2 years |
| _ga_* | Google Analytics 4 | Stores and counts page views | 2 years |
| _gid | Google Analytics | Distinguishes users (24-hour session) | 24 hours |
| _gat | Google Analytics | Throttles request rate to Google Analytics | 1 minute |
3.3 Marketing & advertising cookies Consent required
These cookies are used to track visitors across websites in order to display relevant and engaging advertisements. They are placed by our advertising partners. We only place these cookies once you have given your consent.
| Cookie name | Provider | Purpose | Duration |
|---|---|---|---|
| _fbp | Meta (Facebook) | Used by Facebook to deliver advertisements | 3 months |
| IDE | Google DoubleClick | Used for targeting and advertising | 1 year |
| test_cookie | Google DoubleClick | Checks if the browser supports cookies | 15 minutes |
| __gads / __gpi | Google AdSense | Registers ad impressions and prevents the same ad from being shown too many times | 1 year |
| NID | Registers a unique ID to remember your preferences and personalise ads | 6 months |
3.4 Functional cookies Consent required
These cookies enable enhanced functionality and personalisation. They may be set by us or by third-party providers whose services we use on our pages.
| Cookie name | Provider | Purpose | Duration |
|---|---|---|---|
| elementor | Elementor | Stores the user’s visited pages to enable related content suggestions | Never (localStorage) |
| rcl_consent_given | reCAPTCHA | Records consent for reCAPTCHA usage on forms | 6 months |
| _GRECAPTCHA | Google reCAPTCHA | Provides risk analysis for spam and abuse prevention on contact forms | 6 months |
4. Third-party cookies
Some cookies on our website are set by third parties. We do not control these cookies and they are subject to the respective third parties’ own privacy and cookie policies. Key third parties whose cookies may be placed on your device (with your consent where required) include:
- Google LLC — Analytics, Ads, reCAPTCHA, Site Kit. Google Privacy Policy
- Meta Platforms, Inc. — Facebook pixel for advertising.Meta Privacy Policy
- CookieYes — Consent management platform. CookieYes Privacy Policy
- Cloudflare, Inc. — Performance and security. Cloudflare Privacy Policy
We conduct periodic reviews of the third-party cookies present on our site and update this policy accordingly.
5. Your consent & how to manage cookies
Important: We do not place any non-essential cookies on your device before you have given your consent. When you first visit our website, a cookie consent banner will appear, giving you clear choices to accept all, reject all, or customise your cookie preferences by category.
In line with the ICO’s requirements under UK GDPR and PECR:
- Consent is obtained through a clear, affirmative action — we do not use pre-ticked boxes or implied consent.
- The “Accept” and “Reject” options are given equal prominence on the consent banner.
- You can accept or reject cookies by individual category (analytics, marketing, functional).
- Refusing non-essential cookies will not prevent you from accessing our website.
- We record the date, time, and version of the consent banner shown when you made your choice.
Managing cookies through your browser
You can also manage or delete cookies at any time through your browser settings. Please note that blocking all cookies may affect the functionality of this website. Browser-specific guidance:
Opting out of advertising cookies
- Google: Google Ad Settings or Google Analytics Opt-out Browser Add-on
- Meta/Facebook: Facebook Ad Preferences
- Industry opt-out: Your Online Choices (EDAA)
6. Withdrawing your consent
You have the right to withdraw your cookie consent at any time. Withdrawing consent is as easy as giving it. You can do so by:
- Clicking the “Cookie Settings” link in the footer of our website to reopen your preferences panel at any time.
- Contacting us directly at hello@outernest.co.uk and requesting that your consent record be deleted.
Please note that withdrawing consent does not affect the lawfulness of any processing that took place before you withdrew consent. It also does not affect processing carried out on the basis of lawful processing grounds other than consent.
7. Your rights under UK GDPR
Where cookies process your personal data, you have the following rights under UK GDPR:
- Right of access — You can request a copy of the personal data we hold about you.
- Right to rectification — You can ask us to correct inaccurate personal data.
- Right to erasure — You can ask us to delete your personal data in certain circumstances.
- Right to restrict processing — You can ask us to limit how we use your data.
- Right to data portability — You can request a machine-readable copy of your data.
- Right to object — You can object to processing based on legitimate interests.
- Right to withdraw consent — See Section 6 above.
To exercise any of these rights, please contact us at hello@outernest.co.uk. We will respond within one calendar month in line with our obligations under UK GDPR.
8. International data transfers
Some of the third-party services we use (including Google and Meta) may transfer data outside the United Kingdom. Where such transfers occur, they are protected by appropriate safeguards including:
- UK adequacy regulations for transfers to certain countries recognised as providing adequate protection.
- Standard Contractual Clauses (SCCs) or International Data Transfer Agreements (IDTAs) approved for use under UK GDPR.
For further information on the specific safeguards used by each third party, please refer to their individual privacy policies linked in Section 4.
9. Changes to this policy
We review and update this Cookie Policy periodically to reflect changes in the cookies we use, changes in applicable law (including guidance from the ICO), or other operational changes. The “Last updated” date at the top of this page indicates when the policy was most recently revised.
Where changes are material, we will notify you via a prominent notice on our website and, if applicable, re-request your consent through our cookie consent banner.
Regulatory note: This policy has been updated to reflect the Data (Use and Access) Act 2025 (DUAA), which came into force on 5 February 2026, and the ICO’s finalised guidance on storage and access technologies published on 29 April 2026. We will continue to monitor ICO guidance and update this policy as further provisions of the DUAA are commenced.
10. Contact us & complaints
If you have any questions about this Cookie Policy or how we handle your personal data, please contact us:
Outernest
Email: hello@outernest.co.uk
Website: https://outernest.co.uk/contact/
If you are not satisfied with our response, or believe we are processing your personal data unlawfully, you have the right to lodge a complaint with the UK’s supervisory authority:
Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO)
Website: ico.org.uk
Helpline: 0303 123 1113
Address: Wycliffe House, Water Lane, Wilmslow, Cheshire, SK9 5AF
From 19 June 2026: In accordance with the Data (Use and Access) Act 2025, Outernest will have a formal data protection complaints procedure in place. If you have a complaint about how we handle your data, please email us at hello@outernest.co.uk with the subject line “Data Protection Complaint” and we will acknowledge your complaint within 5 working days.