In short
- We don't use advertising or tracking cookies.
- PublishMe's built-in analytics counts readers without cookies.
- If a publisher adds Google or Meta tools to their site, those tools may set their own cookies.
01What cookies are
Cookies are small text files that a website saves in your browser so it can remember something between visits, such as that you’re signed in. Similar technologies, such as local storage, are covered by this policy too.
02Cookies PublishMe sets
All of these are essential or preference cookies set by PublishMe itself. None are used for advertising or to follow you across other websites.
| Cookie | Where | Purpose | How long |
|---|---|---|---|
pm_session | PublishMe admin | Keeps you signed in. | 30 days, renewed while you use the admin. Removed when you sign out. |
pm_admin_lang | PublishMe admin | Remembers the language you chose for the admin. | 1 year |
pm_admin_theme | PublishMe admin | Remembers whether you chose the light or dark look for the admin. | 1 year |
pm_ref | Sign-up | Remembers the referral code from the link you arrived through, so the referral is credited. | 24 hours |
pm_plan | Sign-up | Remembers the plan and billing period you picked on the pricing page, so billing can preselect them. | 24 hours |
pm_consent | Sites we host (readers) | Remembers your choice on the cookie banner (granted or denied), so we don't ask again. Set only on sites whose publisher turned the banner on; until you accept, Google Analytics, Meta Pixel and AdSense are not loaded. | 180 days, or until you change it from the Cookie settings button |
pm_theme, pm_brand, pm_sign | Sites we host | Set only when a publisher previews a theme or unsaved design changes in their own browser (pm_sign is the expiring proof that lets the preview run). | Until the preview ends or the browser closes (pm_sign expires on its own within 8 hours) |
03Storage in your browser
Besides cookies, PublishMe uses your browser’s session and local storage for the items below. They stay in your browser: they aren’t cookies and aren’t sent with every request.
| Key | Where | Kind | Purpose | How long |
|---|---|---|---|---|
pm:v:{language}:{story} | Sites we host (readers) | Session storage | Marks that this story was already counted in this tab, so reloading or going back doesn't count it twice. | Until you close the tab |
pm:ref | Sites we host (readers) | Session storage | Holds the website address (host name only, such as news.example.com) of the site that sent you, so reading further stories is credited to it. Empty if you arrived directly. | Until you close the tab |
pm:recent-searches | Sites we host (readers) | Local storage | Your last few searches on the site, shown as suggestions. Stays on your device; clear it from the search box. | Until you clear it or your browser data |
pm-epaper-draw | PublishMe admin | Local storage | Remembers whether area drawing is on in the ePaper page editor. | Until you clear your browser data |
04Analytics without cookies
The view counts publishers see in their PublishMe analytics are collected without cookies and without storing readers’ IP addresses. To credit a story to the site that sent the reader, the host name of that site (not the full address) is kept in the tab’s session storage until the tab is closed and sent with the view count. Readers aren’t tracked across sites or profiled.
05Cookies from publishers' tools
Publishers can add Google Analytics, Google AdSense, Meta Pixel and embedded content such as YouTube videos or social posts. Those services may set their own cookies on readers’ browsers, under their own policies. Each publisher decides which tools to use on their site and is responsible for any notice or consent the law requires.
06Managing cookies
You can block or delete cookies in your browser settings. If you block PublishMe’s essential cookies, you won’t be able to sign in to the admin. Public news sites still work without them.
07Contact
Questions about cookies: [email protected]. More about how we handle data is in our Privacy Policy.
Questions about this page? Write to [email protected].