What we store,
and why.

We use a small set of strictly necessary cookies and browser local storage. With your consent we add one analytics cookie to understand usage. We don't use advertising cookies or cross-site trackers.

These are needed for the helper to work at all:

• Session cookie — keeps you signed in between page loads. Expires when you close the browser, or in 30 days if you tick “keep me signed in”.
• CSRF token — protects against form- submission hijacking. 1-hour lifetime.
• Consent record — remembers your cookie choices so we don't ask again. 6-month lifetime.

For performance, these keys live in your browser — not on our server — and are never sent elsewhere:

• ast_credits_balance — your credit balance (demo build; real account has this on our server).
• ast_credits_seeded — flag that says you've been granted trial credits.
• ast_used_count — how many times you've used a tool as a guest, so we can ask you to sign in.

You can clear these any time in your browser's site data panel — the helper will treat you as a new visitor afterwards.

If you accept analytics, we set one cookie named _ast_ga that records:

• Which page you're on.
• Whether the helper returned a result successfully.
• Anonymised device type and region (country-level).

We use the results to prioritise fixes and new tools. No advertising identifiers, no personal data, no third-party sharing. The cookie expires after 26 months.

• Advertising cookies.
• Cross-site trackers (Facebook Pixel, Google Ads, etc).
• Session replay tools that record your typing.
• Third-party identity graphs.

Three places to change your mind:

1. Use the “Cookies” link in the footer to reopen the consent banner.
2. Clear site data in your browser (settings → privacy → site data).
3. Email support@astheating.com and ask us to opt you out — we'll record the preference server-side.

When active, these services may set their own cookies on AST-served pages:

• Stripe (checkout, when launched) — fraud prevention cookies. Stripe's own privacy policy applies.
• Our hosting CDN — security cookies; no tracking.
• Analytics provider — see Analytics section above. Chosen to support anonymised, cookie-less modes where available.

If we add, remove or change cookies, we update this page and re-surface the consent banner. Material changes are announced at least 14 days in advance.

Cookie questions: support@astheating.com. See also: Privacy policy.