Cookie Policy

1. What is a cookie?

A cookie is a small text file that a website asks your browser to store on your device. The next time you visit the same website, the browser sends the cookie back — allowing the site to remember information such as your language preference or whether you are logged in. Cookies vary in how long they live (session cookies are deleted when you close the browser; persistent cookies stay until they expire or you delete them) and who set them (first-party cookies are set by the site you are visiting; third-party cookies are set by another domain loaded inside that site).

This policy also covers similar local-storage technologies such as localStorage, sessionStorage, and tracking pixels, whether or not they are technically classified as cookies.

2. Cookies we use

Helmsmen Lab keeps cookie usage to the minimum necessary to run the site and serve customers. The table below lists every cookie or storage item we may set.

2.1 Strictly necessary

These are required for the site to function. They cannot be switched off because doing so would break basic operations like checkout. Under the EU ePrivacy Directive and GDPR, strictly-necessary cookies do not require consent.

2.2 Analytics — cookieless

We measure aggregated page views and basic engagement using a self-hosted instance of Plausible / Umami. This analytics tool was specifically chosen because it does not set any cookies and does not collect personal data. Instead, it generates a daily-rotating, salted hash from a coarse server-side fingerprint to deduplicate visitors, which is automatically deleted at the end of each day. Nothing on your device is used for cross-site tracking.

2.3 Cookies we do not use

For clarity, here is what we do not set on your device:

• No Google Analytics, Google Ads, or DoubleClick cookies.
• No Meta / Facebook Pixel.
• No TikTok pixel, X / Twitter pixel, LinkedIn Insight, Pinterest tag, or any social-network tracking.
• No cross-site advertising cookies of any kind.
• No third-party retargeting or programmatic-ad cookies.
• No fingerprinting or device-graph third parties.
• No "tag manager" loading dozens of other tags.

3. Your choices

Because we only use strictly-necessary cookies and cookieless analytics, there is nothing on this site that requires your consent to lawfully operate. However, you remain in control of cookies through your browser.

• Browser settings. Every major browser lets you view, block, or delete cookies. Search "manage cookies in [your browser]" or visit your browser's privacy preferences. Note that blocking the strictly-necessary cookie above may prevent you from completing a purchase.
• "Do Not Track" and "Global Privacy Control" signals. We honor the Global Privacy Control (GPC) signal as a valid opt-out request under California law. Because we do not sell or share personal information for cross-context behavioral advertising in the first place, sending a GPC signal does not change what we collect — but we record it as a valid choice.
• Private / incognito mode. Using your browser's private mode automatically discards cookies when you close the window.

4. Third-party pages we link to

Our checkout is hosted by Stripe, which uses its own cookies and trackers governed by Stripe's privacy policy. Outgoing links to other websites are governed by the cookie and privacy policies of those sites. We are not responsible for third-party practices on sites we do not control.

5. Updates to this policy

If we change the cookies or analytics we use, we will update this page and the "Last updated" date above. For material changes, we will give existing subscribers and customers at least 14 days' advance notice by email.

6. Contact

Questions about cookies, tracking, or this policy?

See also: Privacy Policy · Terms of Service · Refund Policy.