Cookie Policy
Last updated August 1, 2026
Effective date: August 1, 2026
The plain-talk version
Cookies are small files a website stores in your browser. We use a few kinds: ones that keep the site secure and working, ones that show the ads that keep the site free, ones that count readers, and ones that come along with embedded videos and social buttons. In Europe and the UK, we ask before setting any that need your consent, and you can change your answer whenever you like.
1. What cookies are
Cookies and similar technologies (pixels, scripts, and local storage) let a website recognize a browser, remember a preference, deliver ads, or measure traffic. Some are set by us or our hosting provider (“first party”); most on this site are set by our partners (“third party”).
2. The cookies used on CountryBucket
| Category | Who sets them | What they do | Consent required (EEA/UK/CH) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Strictly necessary | Cloudflare | Security, bot protection, and delivering pages reliably (for example, __cf_bm) |
No |
| Advertising | Google (AdSense) and its certified ad partners | Serve and measure ads; where permitted, personalize them based on prior visits to this and other sites | Yes |
| Analytics | Google Analytics | Count visits and page views so we know what readers enjoy (for example, _ga) |
Yes |
| Embedded content | YouTube, Vimeo, Pinterest, Meta | Play embedded videos, enable the Pinterest save button, and connect to our Facebook page | Yes |
Cookie lifetimes range from the length of your visit to about two years, depending on the cookie. Each partner’s own policy lists its cookies in detail: Google, Cloudflare, Vimeo, Pinterest, Meta.
3. Your choices
Consent tool (EEA, UK, and Switzerland). Visitors in these regions see a consent message before non-essential cookies are set. You can accept, decline, or customize, and you can change your choice at any time using the privacy settings link in the site footer. If you decline advertising cookies, you will still see ads, but they will be non-personalized.
U.S. state opt-outs. Residents of states with privacy laws can opt out of targeted advertising as described on Your Privacy Choices. We also honor the Global Privacy Control browser signal.
Ad settings. Adjust or opt out of Google ad personalization at adssettings.google.com, and industry-wide at aboutads.info/choices or youronlinechoices.eu.
Analytics. Install the Google Analytics opt-out browser add-on.
Browser controls. Every major browser lets you block or delete cookies in its settings. Blocking strictly necessary cookies may keep parts of the site from working.
4. Changes and contact
When this policy changes, the effective date above will change with it. Questions go to legal@countrybucket.com. Our full Privacy Policy explains everything else about how information is handled.