Last updated: September 10, 2026.
A cookie is a small text file a website stores in your browser. Some make a site work, others measure how it is used, and others support advertising. This page lists what The Bug Identifier actually uses, so you can decide what to allow.
Categories we use
| Category | Set by | Purpose | Can you refuse it? |
|---|---|---|---|
| Essential | The Bug Identifier | Load the site, keep the identifier working, apply the daily free-scan limit | Blocking these stops the identifier from working |
| Analytics and session recording | Microsoft Clarity | Record how pages are used, build heatmaps, tell a returning visit from a new one | Yes, see the detail below |
| Advertising | Google and its partners | Serve ads, limit how often the same ad is shown, measure ad performance | Yes, see the opt-out links below |
Analytics cookies in detail
We use Microsoft Clarity to see how people actually use these pages. It records your visit as a session replay, which covers the pages you open, where you move your pointer, what you click and how far you scroll. It also turns many visits into heatmaps. We use it to find pages that confuse people or break on a phone.
| Cookie | Purpose | How long it lasts |
|---|---|---|
_clck | Keeps one Clarity id for the browser, so repeat visits join up | Up to a year |
_clsk | Joins the pages of a single visit into one recording | Short lived, roughly one day |
Clarity is run by Microsoft Corporation, and recordings are stored by Microsoft rather than by us. Microsoft explains what it does with the data in the Microsoft Privacy Statement. To refuse it, block cookies for this site using the browser steps further down, or block clarity.ms with a tracker blocking extension. Blocking Clarity does not affect the bug identifier, which keeps working normally.
Advertising cookies in detail
We use Google AdSense to display advertising, which is what pays for the site. Third-party vendors, including Google, use cookies to serve ads based on your prior visits to this website and other websites. Google’s use of advertising cookies enables it and its partners to serve ads to you based on your visits to this and other sites on the internet.
Google explains exactly which cookies it sets, and for how long, in its own how Google uses information from sites that use its services page. Because those cookies belong to Google rather than to us, that page is always more current than any list we could copy here.
How to opt out of personalised ads
- Google Ads Settings, to turn off ad personalisation across Google.
- aboutads.info, for the US industry-wide opt-out.
- youronlinechoices.eu, for the European equivalent.
Opting out does not remove advertising. It makes the ads you see less tailored to you.
Controlling cookies in your browser
Every major browser lets you view, delete, and block cookies. The setting is usually under Privacy or Site Settings:
- Chrome: Settings, then Privacy and security, then Third-party cookies.
- Safari: Settings, then Safari, then Advanced, then Block All Cookies.
- Firefox: Settings, then Privacy & Security, then Cookies and Site Data.
- Edge: Settings, then Cookies and site permissions.
Blocking all cookies will break the identifier, because the daily scan limit depends on one. Blocking only third-party cookies leaves the tool working while removing ad personalisation.
More information
Our privacy policy covers what happens to uploaded photos and the rest of the data question. For anything not answered here, email thebugidentifier@gmail.com.