How Prism Writing LLC uses cookies and tracking technologies
Last updated: February 1, 2026
1. What Are Cookies
Cookies are small text files that are placed on your computer or mobile device when you visit a website. They are widely used to make websites work more efficiently and to provide information to site owners.
Cookies are stored by your web browser and can contain information such as your preferences, session identifiers, and authentication tokens. They allow websites to remember your actions and preferences over a period of time so you do not have to keep re-entering them whenever you return to a site or browse from one page to another.
In addition to cookies, we may use similar technologies such as web beacons (also known as pixel tags or clear GIFs), local storage, and session storage. References to "cookies" in this policy include these similar technologies unless otherwise specified.
2. How We Use Cookies
Prism Writing LLC uses cookies to:
Ensure our website functions properly
Remember your preferences and settings
Analyze how you use our website
Improve your user experience
Provide relevant content and advertisements
Maintain your authenticated session when you are logged in
Protect against cross-site request forgery (CSRF) and other security threats
Remember your cookie consent preferences
Store your dark mode and theme preferences across visits
We follow a privacy-first approach. We do not use cookies for behavioral advertising, cross-site tracking, or building individual advertising profiles. Our cookie usage is limited to what is necessary for the operation and improvement of our service.
3. Types of Cookies We Use
Essential Cookies
These cookies are necessary for the website to function and cannot be switched off. They are usually set in response to actions made by you such as setting your privacy preferences, logging in, or filling in forms. Without these cookies, services you have asked for cannot be provided.
Performance Cookies
These cookies collect information about how visitors use our website, such as which pages are visited most often and whether users receive error messages. This data helps us optimize our website performance and user experience. All information collected by these cookies is aggregated and therefore anonymous.
Functional Cookies
These cookies allow the website to remember choices you make and provide enhanced, more personal features. They may be set by us or by third-party providers whose services we have added to our pages. If you do not allow these cookies, some or all of these features may not function properly.
Analytics Cookies
We use analytics cookies to understand how visitors interact with our website. This includes information about the number of visitors, how they found our site, and the pages they visited. We use this data for internal reporting and to improve the site. All analytics data is aggregated and does not identify individual visitors.
4. Specific Cookies We Use
The following table lists every specific cookie used on our website, its purpose, duration, and category.
Cookie Name
Purpose
Duration
Type
__next-auth.session-token
Maintains your authenticated session after login. Contains an encrypted token identifying your session.
30 days
Essential
__next-auth.csrf-token
Protects against cross-site request forgery attacks during authentication.
Session
Essential
__next-auth.callback-url
Remembers which page to return you to after authentication completes.
Session
Essential
cookie-consent
Stores your cookie consent preferences so we do not re-prompt on every visit.
365 days
Essential
theme
Stores your preferred color scheme (light, dark, or system) across visits.
365 days
Functional
reading-preferences
Stores your reading preferences including font size, line spacing, and content density settings.
365 days
Functional
content-rating
Stores your content maturity rating preference (GENERAL, TEEN, MATURE) and age verification status.
365 days
Functional
_vercel_insights
Vercel Web Analytics for anonymous, aggregated page view and performance data.
Session
Analytics
_vercel_speed_insights
Vercel Speed Insights for measuring Core Web Vitals performance metrics.
Session
Analytics
newsletter-dismissed
Remembers if you have dismissed the newsletter sign-up prompt so it does not reappear.
30 days
Functional
This table is updated whenever we add, modify, or remove cookies. The "Last updated" date at the top of this policy reflects the most recent change.
5. Third-Party Cookies
We may use third-party services that set cookies on our website, including:
Google Analytics: To analyze website usage and improve performance. Google Analytics uses cookies to collect anonymized data about page views, session duration, and traffic sources. Data is processed in accordance with Google's privacy policy.
Vercel Analytics: Our hosting provider collects anonymous performance metrics including page load times, Core Web Vitals, and error rates. No personal data is collected.
Payment Processors: When you make a donation through third-party platforms (GoFundMe, Buy Me a Coffee), those platforms may set their own cookies. We do not control these cookies.
Authentication Providers: If you log in using Google OAuth, Google may set authentication-related cookies. These are governed by Google's own cookie and privacy policies.
Social Media Platforms: If social sharing buttons are present, platforms like X (Twitter), Facebook, or LinkedIn may set cookies when you interact with them. These cookies are governed by each platform's respective cookie policy.
We regularly review our third-party integrations and remove any that set cookies beyond what is necessary for their stated function. We do not permit third-party cookies that are used for behavioral advertising or cross-site user tracking.
6. Cookie Duration
Cookies may be either:
Session Cookies: These are temporary and are deleted when you close your browser. We use session cookies for CSRF protection and temporary authentication state.
Persistent Cookies: These remain on your device for a set period or until you delete them. We use persistent cookies for remembering your preferences and login status. Our longest-lived persistent cookie (consent preferences) expires after 365 days.
We follow the principle of minimal cookie duration: every cookie is set to expire after the shortest period that still allows it to fulfill its purpose. We do not set cookies with indefinite or unnecessarily long lifetimes.
7. Cookie Consent Mechanism
When you first visit our website, we display a cookie consent banner that allows you to choose which categories of cookies you accept. Our consent mechanism works as follows:
How Consent Works
Opt-in model: Non-essential cookies (functional, analytics) are not set until you actively consent. Essential cookies are set regardless of consent because they are required for the site to function.
Granular control: You can accept or reject cookies by category (Essential, Functional, Analytics) rather than a simple all-or-nothing choice.
Easy withdrawal: You can change your consent preferences at any time by clicking the "Cookie Settings" link in our website footer or by visiting this page.
No cookie walls: We do not require you to accept non-essential cookies in order to access our content. All articles and features remain available regardless of your cookie preferences.
Consent records: We maintain records of when and how consent was given or withdrawn to demonstrate compliance with applicable regulations.
8. Opting Out of Specific Cookie Categories
You have several options for controlling cookie usage on our site:
Through Our Cookie Settings
Use the "Cookie Settings" link in our footer to access our cookie preference center, where you can:
Toggle Functional Cookies on or off — disabling these will reset your theme, font, and display preferences on each visit.
Toggle Analytics Cookies on or off — disabling these means your visit will not be counted in our aggregate analytics, but the site will function identically.
Essential Cookies cannot be disabled because they are required for core functionality (authentication, security, consent storage).
Through Browser Settings
Most web browsers allow you to control cookies through their settings. You can:
View what cookies are stored on your device
Delete cookies individually or all at once
Block third-party cookies
Block cookies from particular sites
Block all cookies from being set
Browser-Specific Instructions
Chrome: Settings → Privacy and Security → Cookies and other site data
Firefox: Preferences → Privacy & Security → Cookies and Site Data
Safari: Preferences → Privacy → Manage Website Data
Edge: Settings → Cookies and site permissions → Cookies and site data
Brave: Settings → Privacy and security → Cookies and other site data
Do Not Track: We honor the Do Not Track (DNT) browser signal. When DNT is enabled, we disable all non-essential cookies and analytics tracking.
Global Privacy Control (GPC): We recognize and respect the Global Privacy Control signal as a valid opt-out mechanism.
9. GDPR and CCPA Compliance
European Union — GDPR
If you are located in the European Economic Area (EEA), the United Kingdom, or Switzerland, the following additional protections apply to our use of cookies:
Legal basis: We rely on your consent (Article 6(1)(a) GDPR) for non-essential cookies. Essential cookies are processed under our legitimate interest in providing a functional, secure website (Article 6(1)(f) GDPR).
Prior consent: Non-essential cookies are not placed until you have provided affirmative consent via our cookie banner.
Right to withdraw: You may withdraw your consent at any time through the Cookie Settings link, with no adverse consequences to your use of the site.
Data minimization: We collect only the minimum data necessary for each cookie's stated purpose.
Data transfers: Some cookies involve data processing by services located outside the EEA (e.g., Vercel in the US). Where this occurs, adequate safeguards are in place, including Standard Contractual Clauses approved by the European Commission.
Data Protection Officer: For GDPR-related cookie inquiries, contact us at privacy@prismwriting.com.
California — CCPA / CPRA
If you are a California resident, the California Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA) and California Privacy Rights Act (CPRA) provide additional rights regarding cookies and tracking:
No sale of data: We do not sell personal information collected through cookies. We do not share cookie data with third parties for cross-context behavioral advertising.
Right to opt out: You have the right to opt out of the "sale" or "sharing" of personal information. Since we do not sell or share data, this effectively does not apply, but we honor opt-out requests as a precaution.
Right to know: You can request a list of the categories of personal information we have collected about you through cookies in the preceding 12 months.
Right to delete: You may request deletion of personal information collected through cookies. Essential cookie data will be deleted when you clear your browser cookies or when the cookie expires.
Non-discrimination: We will not discriminate against you for exercising your CCPA rights. The same content and features are available regardless of your cookie preferences.
10. Cookie-Free Alternatives
We believe everyone should be able to access our content regardless of their cookie preferences. We offer the following alternatives for users who prefer to minimize or avoid cookies:
Read without logging in: All published articles, educational content, and the Knowledge Graph are fully accessible without creating an account or accepting any cookies beyond essential security cookies.
Use reader mode: Most browsers offer a "reader mode" that strips the page to its core text content, bypassing most JavaScript-based cookies and tracking.
RSS feeds: Subscribe to our RSS feed to receive content updates without visiting the website directly. RSS readers do not execute our cookies.
Newsletter: Subscribe to our email newsletter to receive key content directly in your inbox without requiring any cookies.
Privacy-focused browsers: Browsers like Brave, Tor Browser, or Firefox with Enhanced Tracking Protection provide built-in cookie blocking that works well with our site.
If you decline all non-essential cookies, the only impact is that your preferences (theme, font size, dismissed prompts) will not be remembered between sessions, and your visits will not be counted in our anonymous analytics. All content remains fully accessible.
11. Impact of Disabling Cookies
If you choose to disable cookies, some features of our website may not function properly, including:
Remembering your login status (you will need to log in on each visit)
Saving your theme and display preferences
Remembering your cookie consent choices (the banner will reappear)
Content maturity rating preferences (age-gated content may require re-verification)
Analytics and performance monitoring (your visits will not be counted)
Important: Disabling essential cookies entirely (e.g., through your browser settings) may prevent authentication from working. If you need to log in to the site, session and CSRF cookies must be allowed for prismwriting.com.
12. Cookie Audit Schedule
We conduct regular audits of our cookie practices to ensure compliance and minimize data collection:
Quarterly review: Every three months, we audit our cookie inventory to identify and remove any cookies that are no longer necessary or that have been added by updated third-party scripts without our knowledge.
Annual comprehensive audit: Once per year, we conduct a full review of our cookie policy that includes scanning all pages for cookies, verifying cookie durations and purposes, ensuring the cookie table above is accurate, and reviewing third-party integrations.
Change-triggered audit: Whenever we add a new third-party service, update our authentication system, or make significant changes to our website infrastructure, we conduct a targeted cookie audit for the affected area.
Compliance check: We review changes to cookie-related regulations (GDPR, CCPA/CPRA, ePrivacy) on a semi-annual basis and update our practices as required.
Results of cookie audits are documented internally. If an audit identifies cookies that were set without proper disclosure, we remediate within 10 business days by updating this policy and, if required, resetting consent for affected visitors.
13. Consent
By affirmatively accepting non-essential cookies through our cookie banner, you consent to their use as described in this policy. Essential cookies do not require consent because they are strictly necessary for the website to function.
You can withdraw your consent at any time by adjusting your cookie preferences through the Cookie Settings link in our footer, clearing your browser cookies, or contacting us directly. Withdrawal of consent does not affect the lawfulness of processing based on consent before its withdrawal.
14. Updates to This Policy
We may update this Cookie Policy from time to time to reflect changes in our practices or for legal, regulatory, or operational reasons. We will notify you of any material changes by updating the "Last updated" date at the top of this policy.
If we make significant changes to our cookie practices (such as adding a new category of cookies or a new third-party integration), we will reset your consent preferences and re-display the cookie banner so that you can make an informed choice about the updated practices.
15. Contact Us
If you have any questions about our use of cookies, please contact us: