Cookies Notice

Last Updated: February 12, 2025

BooksAffair uses cookies and similar technologies (such as local storage and session identifiers) to run our website and services, keep you signed in, remember your choices, and improve your experience—including book discovery, reviews, BookVerse lists, recommendations, and account security.

This notice explains what cookies we use, why we use them, and how you can manage your preferences. For how we collect and use your personal data more broadly, see our Privacy Policy.

1. What Are Cookies and Similar Technologies?

Cookies are small text files stored on your device when you visit a website. They allow the site to recognize your browser, remember your preferences, and keep you logged in. We may also use similar technologies such as session storage or local storage where needed for the Service to function. In this notice, “cookies” refers to cookies and these similar technologies unless we say otherwise.

2. Types of Cookies We Use

We use the following types of cookies:

  • Strictly necessary (essential): Required for the Service to work. They include session cookies that keep you signed in, cookies that protect against cross-site request forgery (CSRF), and cookies that support security and basic site operation. You cannot turn these off and still use the full Service.
  • Functional and preference: Remember your settings and choices (e.g. language, display preferences) so we can personalize your experience and honor your privacy and security settings.
  • Session and security: Support login, logout, and session management; help us detect and prevent abuse and maintain the security of your account (e.g. session tracking and timeout features).
  • Analytics and performance: Help us understand how the Service is used (e.g. which pages or features are used most) so we can improve performance and design. Where we use third-party analytics, that is described below.
  • Advertising (where applicable): Used to deliver relevant or interest-based ads on BooksAffair or on partner sites, and to measure ad effectiveness. You may have choices about these as described in this notice and in our Privacy Policy.
3. Why We Use Cookies

BooksAffair uses cookies for these main purposes:

  • Authentication and account security: To keep you signed in, manage your session (including timeouts for security), and support two-factor authentication (2FA) and related security features.
  • Security and fraud prevention: To help protect against CSRF, unauthorized access, and abusive or automated use of the Service.
  • Personalization: To remember your preferences and show you relevant content, including book recommendations, BookVerse lists, and other features based on your activity and settings.
  • Preference and privacy choices: To remember your privacy and visibility settings (e.g. profile visibility, follow permissions) and other choices you make in your account.
  • Platform improvement: To understand how the Service is used (e.g. search, reviews, lists, recommendations) and to test and improve features and performance.
  • Advertising (where applicable): To deliver ads that may reflect your interests and to measure ad performance, in line with your choices and our Privacy Policy.

If you disable or block essential cookies, parts of the Service—such as signing in, saving preferences, or using BookVerse and recommendations—may not work correctly.

4. First-Party Cookies

BooksAffair sets cookies on our own domain to:

  • Maintain your session and keep you logged in.
  • Store and verify your CSRF token so that form submissions and actions are secure.
  • Support session tracking and timeout (e.g. for security and inactivity handling).
  • Remember your preferences and privacy settings where you have chosen them.

These first-party cookies are necessary for the Service to function and to honor your account and security settings.

5. Third-Party Cookies and Technologies

We work with trusted third parties who may set or read cookies and similar technologies when you use our Service. These can include:

  • Analytics providers: To measure traffic, usage patterns, and performance so we can improve the Service.
  • Tag management (e.g. Google Tag Manager): To manage scripts that support analytics, advertising, or other features. These services may set their own cookies in line with their policies.
  • Advertising partners (where applicable): To deliver and measure ads on BooksAffair or on other sites. These partners may use cookies for interest-based advertising and measurement.
  • Social and sign-in providers: If you sign in with a third party (e.g. Google, LinkedIn), that provider may use cookies in accordance with their own policies when you use their sign-in flow.

We do not control these third-party cookies. Their use is governed by the respective provider’s privacy and cookie policies. You can often manage or opt out of certain third-party cookies via your browser or the provider’s tools.

6. Managing Your Cookie Preferences
  • Browser settings: Most browsers let you block, delete, or allow cookies (often in the Help or Settings section). Blocking all cookies may prevent you from signing in or using key features and may require you to re-enter preferences on each visit.
  • Device settings: Some devices have built-in controls for cookies or tracking that can override or complement your browser settings.
  • Account and privacy settings: You can manage many of your preferences (e.g. profile visibility, notifications) in your BooksAffair account settings. For how we use your data, see our Privacy Policy.

Note: Blocking or deleting cookies may affect your experience and some features may not work as intended.

7. Changes to This Notice

We may update this Cookies Notice from time to time. Changes will be posted on this page with an updated “Last Updated” date. We encourage you to review this notice periodically.

8. Contact Us

If you have questions about our use of cookies or similar technologies, please contact us using the details in our Privacy Policy.