Cookie Policy
What CivilsTools stores in your browser, why, and how to get rid of it.
CivilsTools sets no cookies of its own — none at all. That is not a figure of speech: the application never writes a cookie. We keep you signed in using your browser's local storage, and we run no analytics, advertising or tracking cookies anywhere. That is why you have not been shown a cookie consent banner: there is nothing to consent to.
1. Why there is no consent banner
Consent banners exist because most sites load cookies that are not needed to deliver the service — analytics, advertising and cross-site tracking. We load none of those. The only things CivilsTools stores in your browser are strictly necessary to sign you in and show you the app, and strictly necessary storage does not require consent.
If that ever changes — if we ever add analytics or anything that isn't strictly necessary — we will ask for your consent first and update this page.
2. What CivilsTools stores in your browser
These are local storage entries, not cookies. They stay on your device, are readable only by civilstools.com, and are never transmitted automatically with every request the way a cookie is.
| Name | Type | Purpose | Lifetime |
|---|---|---|---|
ct_token |
Local storage | Strictly necessary. Your session token — this is what keeps you signed in. Without it you would have to re-enter your password on every page. | Until you log out or clear your browser data |
ct_show_onboarding |
Local storage | Strictly necessary (functional). A one-time flag so the welcome wizard shows once after signup and not again. | Until dismissed or cleared |
ct_lang, ct_catalog_cat, ct_admin_tab,
spdf:showThumbs, rerankEnabled, vd_colVis,
vd_colWidths, submittalSettings, vendorSettings |
Local storage | Functional. Interface preferences — your chosen language, which category or tab you last had open, column widths and visibility, and similar. They only make the app remember how you like it. | Until cleared |
searchHistory, petal_daily_draft_backup,
petal_local_db, sl_projects, vd_projects,
vd_hidden_projects |
Local storage | Functional / offline. Your recent searches and a local backup of in-progress work, so a refresh or a lost signal does not cost you what you typed. This stays on your device. | Until cleared |
| Offline cache | Service worker / Cache Storage | Strictly necessary. Stores the app's own files so it keeps working on site with no signal, and syncs when you reconnect. | Refreshed on each app update |
3. Third-party cookies
| Provider | When | Purpose |
|---|---|---|
| Cloudflare | Any page load | Strictly necessary (security). Cloudflare protects the site from bots
and attacks and may set a short-lived security cookie such as __cf_bm to
tell humans from automated traffic. It is not used to track you or to profile you for
advertising. |
| Stripe | Only on the payment page, if you subscribe | Strictly necessary. Fraud prevention and processing your payment. Governed by Stripe's privacy policy. |
We do not load Google Analytics, Google Tag Manager, Meta/Facebook Pixel, LinkedIn Insight, TikTok Pixel, Hotjar, Mixpanel, Segment, or any other analytics or advertising tag. There is no advertising on CivilsTools.
4. How to see and clear it
In any modern browser, open Developer Tools → Application (or Storage) → Local Storage and Cookies for civilstools.com. You can inspect and delete everything there, or use your browser's "Clear browsing data" for the site. The table above names the entries we set; you can always see the definitive list for yourself in that panel.
What breaks if you clear it: deleting ct_token signs you out —
log back in and you are fine. Nothing you have saved is lost, because your work lives on the
server, not in your browser. Blocking storage entirely will prevent you staying signed in;
private/incognito windows can have the same effect.
5. Changes
If we add any new storage or any cookie, we will update this page and change the version above — and if it is not strictly necessary, we will ask your consent before setting it.
6. Contact
Questions about this policy: [email protected]. See also our Privacy Policy.