Cookies

Last updated: July 28, 2026

Do we use cookies?

Yes, but the set is small. Most of what looks like "saved progress" on Knotwise actually lives in your browser's localStorage rather than a cookie. Cookies are reserved for the handful of things that genuinely need them.

What can't be turned off

Three required cookies, all served first-party by knotwise.games:

1. Sign-in session. Issued by our auth provider after a successful login. Without it, your account state would be lost on every page change.
2. CSRF token. A short-lived value used during the sign-in flow to prevent cross-site request forgery.
3. Consent record. Stored locally so we remember your analytics choice.

These three can't be disabled through this page. You can still block or delete them in your browser, but sign-in and the cookie banner will stop behaving correctly.

What's optional

Two optional categories: analytics and advertising.

Google Analytics 4 — used to count visits, measure which puzzles get played, and see where players drop off.

Analytics storage is off by default for everyone. A consent banner appears on your first visit, and analytics cookies are enabled only after you opt in there or here. Before you opt in, Google Analytics may receive cookieless consent and basic-measurement signals for aggregate measurement and modelling, but it cannot read or write analytics cookies.

Advertising

Knotwise shows ads from Google AdSense to help fund the free daily puzzles. Google may set cookies to serve ads, limit how often you see the same ad, and — where permitted — personalise what you see.

• Subscribers see no ads. While you have an active subscription, the ad code is not loaded at all, so AdSense sets no cookies on your visits.
• EEA, UK, and Switzerland. Ad cookies and personalisation are off until you consent. Google's own consent prompt (a certified consent-management platform) handles this separately from the analytics banner above, so you may see two prompts on your first visit.
• Everywhere else. Ads may be shown by default, but Knotwise initially sends denied advertising-storage, user-data, and personalisation signals. You can also control or opt out of personalised advertising from Google's Ad Settings.

We do not run a Facebook Pixel or any cross-site profile-building of our own beyond the Google services described here.

Changing your mind

The "Manage cookie preferences" button below opens the consent banner. Whatever you choose there overrides any earlier decision immediately, without a reload.

You can also clear cookies and site data for knotwise.games in your browser — analytics storage will return to its off-by-default state and the consent banner will appear again on your next visit.

When this page changes

If we add or drop a vendor, or change either of the categories above, the "Last updated" date at the top of this page will move. Anything material — for example, adding a new analytics provider — will also re-prompt for consent rather than rely on a silent edit.

Questions

Email contact@knotwise.games and we'll get back to you.