Cookie Policy
Last updated: 9 October 2026
This policy explains how Pianoers.com uses cookies and similar technologies, which ones you may meet on this site, and how to control them. It goes with our Privacy Policy, which explains how we use personal information more generally.
What are cookies?
Cookies are small text files that a website saves on your device. "Local storage" works in a similar way: it lets a website save a small piece of data in your browser. We call both of these "cookies" below unless the difference matters. Cookies from the site you're visiting are first-party cookies. Cookies from another company, such as YouTube or Google, are third-party cookies.
The cookies you may meet here
Set by Pianoers.com
These make site features work. They stay in your browser and aren't sent to us.
| Name | What it does | How long |
|---|---|---|
pz-sound (local storage) | Remembers whether you turned the piano sound on or off. | Until you clear it |
pz-history (local storage) | Remembers which articles you've read and how far, so we can show "Continue reading". | Until you clear it |
pz-ear-best (local storage) | Saves your best score in the "Name that note" game. | Until you clear it |
pz-buybar-closed (local storage) | Remembers that you closed the "recommended piano" bar. | Until you clear it |
Sign-in and comments (Ghost)
These are set only if you sign in to your account on this site or comment.
| Name | What it does | How long |
|---|---|---|
ghost-members-ssr and ghost-members-ssr.sig | Keep you signed in. | About 6 months, or until you sign out |
Analytics
| Name | Set by | What it does | How long |
|---|---|---|---|
_ga | Google Analytics | Gives each browser a random ID so Google can count visits and sessions. | About 13 months |
_ga_4J8LKV62M8 | Google Analytics | Keeps track of a visit (session) for our Google Analytics property. | About 13 months |
| Ghost analytics (local storage) | Pianoers.com | Counts page views on our own server using a random ID. It uses no cookies and doesn't follow you to other sites. | Until you clear it |
Conversion measurement
| Name | Set by | What it does | How long |
|---|---|---|---|
_gcl_au and _gcl_ls (local storage) | Help measure whether a visit leads on to a click, using Google's conversion tools. The tag also contacts Google advertising servers such as doubleclick.net. | About 90 days |
Embedded videos
Some articles include YouTube videos. When a page with a video loads, YouTube (owned by Google) can set cookies and receive your IP address. It may use them to remember your preferences, protect against abuse and personalise what it shows you.
| Name | Set by | What it does | How long |
|---|---|---|---|
YSC | YouTube | Identifies your view of the video during the session. | Session |
VISITOR_INFO1_LIVE | YouTube | Estimates bandwidth and stores player settings. | About 6 months |
__Secure-YNID and __Secure-ROLLOUT_TOKEN | YouTube / Google | Store preferences and help deliver features and security. | About 6 months |
YouTube may set other cookies from time to time, such as PREF and NID. See Google's cookie information.
Affiliate links
If you click an affiliate link to a store or course, that seller or its affiliate network (for example Amazon, ClickBank or Impact) sets cookies on its own site so it can credit us with a commission. We don't control those cookies and the exact names vary, so see the seller's own cookie policy.
How to control cookies
We don't currently show a cookie banner, so the analytics, conversion-measurement and (on pages with videos) YouTube cookies above load when you visit. You can block or delete them at any time, and the site works without them:
- Browser settings. Every major browser lets you block or delete cookies and site data. Look for "Cookies and site data" or "Privacy" in the settings. Blocking third-party cookies stops most of the Google and YouTube cookies.
- Google Analytics. Install Google's Analytics opt-out browser add-on.
- Ad and tracking settings. Use Google's My Ad Center to control personalised ads, or a browser extension that blocks trackers.
- Local storage. Clear "site data" for pianoers.com in your browser to remove the features' saved settings.
If you block the features' own storage, things like "Continue reading" and your game score will not be remembered, but you can still read everything.
Changes to this policy
If we change the cookies we use, we'll update this page and the date at the top.
Contact
Questions about cookies: [email protected]