Understanding Our Cookie Usage

1. Introduction to Cookies

Cookies are small text files that are placed on your computer, mobile device, or other internet-connected device when you visit our website. They are widely used to make websites work more efficiently, provide information to website owners, and enhance user experience.

This Cookie Policy explains how PatchPulse ("we," "us," or "our") uses cookies and similar tracking technologies on our website and platform. By continuing to use our website, you consent to our use of cookies as described in this policy.

Cookies allow us to recognize your device, store information about your preferences, and provide you with a more personalized and efficient browsing experience. They also help us analyze website traffic, understand user behavior, and improve our services.

2. Types of Cookies We Use

We use different types of cookies for various purposes on our website:

Essential Cookies (Always Active)

These cookies are strictly necessary for the operation of our website and cannot be disabled. They enable core functionality such as:

• Authentication: Keeping you logged in during your session and remembering your login status
• Security: Protecting against cross-site request forgery and other security threats
• Load Balancing: Distributing website traffic across our servers for optimal performance
• Cookie Consent: Remembering your cookie preferences and consent choices
• Session Management: Maintaining your session state and preventing data loss during navigation
• Form Functionality: Ensuring forms work properly and preventing duplicate submissions
• Shopping Cart: Maintaining items in your cart during the checkout process (if applicable)

Performance and Analytics Cookies

These cookies help us understand how visitors interact with our website by collecting and reporting information anonymously:

• Google Analytics: Tracks website usage, user behavior, and traffic sources
• Page Performance: Monitors page load times, error rates, and technical performance
• User Journey Tracking: Analyzes how users navigate through our website
• A/B Testing: Enables testing of different website versions to improve user experience
• Heat Mapping: Records user interactions to optimize page layouts and content
• Conversion Tracking: Measures the effectiveness of our marketing campaigns
• Error Monitoring: Identifies and tracks technical issues for resolution
• Feature Usage: Tracks which features are most popular and useful to users

Functionality Cookies

These cookies enhance your experience by remembering your preferences and providing personalized features:

• Language Preferences: Remembering your preferred language and regional settings
• User Interface: Storing your customization preferences for dashboards and layouts
• Accessibility Settings: Maintaining your accessibility preferences and accommodations
• Theme Preferences: Remembering your choice of light or dark mode
• Notification Settings: Storing your preferences for different types of notifications
• Form Data: Temporarily storing form information to prevent data loss
• Recently Viewed: Keeping track of recently viewed content for easy access

Marketing and Advertising Cookies

These cookies are used to deliver relevant advertisements and measure the effectiveness of marketing campaigns:

• Behavioral Targeting: Tracking user interests and behavior for personalized advertising
• Campaign Tracking: Measuring the effectiveness of our advertising campaigns
• Retargeting: Showing relevant ads to users who have previously visited our website
• Social Media Integration: Enabling sharing and interaction with social media platforms
• Cross-Device Tracking: Recognizing users across different devices for consistent experience
• Conversion Attribution: Tracking which marketing channels lead to conversions
• Audience Segmentation: Categorizing users for targeted marketing campaigns
• Frequency Capping: Limiting the number of times you see the same advertisement

3. Third-Party Cookies and Services

We work with trusted third-party service providers who may place cookies on your device. These partners help us provide better services and analyze website performance:

Google Analytics and Google Services

We use Google Analytics to understand how visitors use our website:

• Cookie Names: _ga, _gid, _gat, _gtag, _gcl_au
• Purpose: Website analytics, user behavior tracking, and performance monitoring
• Duration: From session cookies to up to 2 years
• Data Collected: Page views, session duration, bounce rate, traffic sources
• Privacy Policy: Google Privacy Policy
• Opt-out: Google Analytics Opt-out Browser Add-on

Customer Support and Communication Tools

We may use third-party tools for customer support and communication:

• Live Chat Services: Enabling real-time customer support and assistance
• Help Desk Systems: Managing support tickets and customer inquiries
• Email Marketing: Delivering newsletters and promotional communications
• Survey Tools: Collecting feedback and conducting user research
• Video Conferencing: Facilitating online meetings and demonstrations

Content Delivery and Performance

We use content delivery networks and performance optimization services:

• CDN Services: Delivering website content faster through global networks
• Image Optimization: Automatically optimizing images for better performance
• Caching Services: Improving website speed and reducing server load
• Security Services: Protecting against DDoS attacks and other threats

4. Cookie Duration and Persistence

Cookies can be classified based on how long they remain on your device:

Session Cookies

These temporary cookies are deleted when you close your browser and are used for:

• Maintaining your login session while browsing our website
• Storing temporary data during form completion
• Managing shopping cart contents during your visit
• Ensuring security during your browsing session
• Maintaining preferences during your current visit

Persistent Cookies

These cookies remain on your device for a specified period or until manually deleted:

• Authentication Cookies: 30 days (remember login status)
• Preference Cookies: 1 year (language, theme, settings)
• Analytics Cookies: Up to 2 years (Google Analytics)
• Marketing Cookies: 30 days to 1 year (advertising and retargeting)
• Functional Cookies: 6 months to 1 year (enhanced features)
• Security Cookies: 24 hours to 30 days (fraud prevention)
• Performance Cookies: 30 days (website optimization)

5. Managing Your Cookie Preferences

Cookie Consent Banner

When you first visit our website, you'll see a cookie consent banner that allows you to:

• Accept All: Consent to all cookies for the best user experience
• Reject All: Decline non-essential cookies (essential cookies will still be used)
• Customize: Choose which categories of cookies you want to allow
• Learn More: Access detailed information about our cookie practices

Cookie Preference Center

You can manage your cookie preferences at any time through our preference center, which allows you to:

• Enable or disable specific cookie categories
• View detailed information about each cookie type
• Understand the purpose and duration of each cookie
• Save your preferences for future visits
• Update your choices whenever you want

Browser Settings

You can also control cookies through your browser settings:

• Google Chrome: Settings > Privacy and security > Cookies and other site data
• Mozilla Firefox: Options > Privacy & Security > Cookies and Site Data
• Safari: Preferences > Privacy > Manage Website Data
• Microsoft Edge: Settings > Cookies and site permissions > Cookies and site data
• Internet Explorer: Tools > Internet Options > Privacy > Advanced

6. Third-Party Opt-Out Options

For specific third-party services, you can opt out directly through their platforms:

• Google Analytics: Google Analytics Opt-out Browser Add-on
• Google Ads: Google Ad Settings
• Facebook: Facebook Ad Preferences
• Digital Advertising Alliance: DAA Opt-out Tool
• Network Advertising Initiative: NAI Opt-out Tool
• European Interactive Digital Advertising Alliance: Your Online Choices

7. Impact of Disabling Cookies

While you have the right to disable cookies, doing so may affect your experience on our website:

Essential Cookies Disabled

• You may not be able to log in or access your account
• Security features may not function properly
• Some website features may become unavailable
• Form submissions may not work correctly

Analytics Cookies Disabled

• We cannot track website performance or user behavior
• Website improvements may be less targeted to user needs
• Error detection and resolution may be slower
• A/B testing and optimization efforts may be limited

Functionality Cookies Disabled

• Your preferences may not be remembered between visits
• You may need to re-enter information more frequently
• Personalization features may not work
• Language and regional settings may reset

Marketing Cookies Disabled

• Advertisements may be less relevant to your interests
• You may see more repetitive advertisements
• Social media integration may be limited
• Campaign effectiveness measurement may be affected

8. Mobile Devices and Apps

If you access our services through mobile devices or applications, we may use similar technologies:

• Mobile Cookies: Similar to web cookies but designed for mobile browsers
• Local Storage: HTML5 local storage for improved performance
• Device Identifiers: Unique identifiers for mobile devices and applications
• Push Notifications: Tokens for delivering push notifications
• App Analytics: Usage tracking within mobile applications
• Crash Reporting: Automatic crash and error reporting for app improvement

9. Data Protection and Privacy

We are committed to protecting your privacy and handling cookie data responsibly:

• Data Minimization: We only collect cookie data necessary for specified purposes
• Anonymization: Personal identifiers are removed from analytics data where possible
• Secure Storage: Cookie data is stored securely and protected against unauthorized access
• Limited Retention: Cookie data is retained only for as long as necessary
• Third-Party Agreements: Our partners are contractually required to protect your data
• Regular Audits: We regularly review our cookie practices and third-party compliance
• Transparency: We provide clear information about our cookie usage
• User Control: You have control over your cookie preferences and data

10. International Transfers

Some of our third-party service providers may be located outside your country of residence. When cookie data is transferred internationally, we ensure appropriate safeguards are in place:

• Adequacy Decisions: Transfers to countries with adequate data protection laws
• Standard Contractual Clauses: Legal agreements ensuring data protection standards
• Privacy Shield: Participation in recognized privacy frameworks (where applicable)
• Binding Corporate Rules: Internal policies ensuring consistent data protection

11. Updates to This Cookie Policy

We may update this Cookie Policy from time to time to reflect changes in our practices, technology, legal requirements, or other factors. We will notify you of any material changes by:

• Website Notice: Posting a prominent notice on our website
• Email Notification: Sending notice to registered users
• Updated Date: Changing the "Last updated" date at the top of this policy
• Cookie Banner: Displaying updated consent options when you visit
• Platform Notification: Notifying users through our platform interface

We encourage you to review this Cookie Policy periodically to stay informed about our cookie practices.

12. Contact Us

If you have any questions about our use of cookies, this Cookie Policy, or wish to exercise your rights regarding cookies, please contact us: