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Last Updated: January 1, 2026 | Effective Date: January 1 2026

1. Introduction

Welcome to SmartTrendsAI.com (“we,” “us,” or “our”). This Cookie Policy explains how we use cookies and similar tracking technologies on our website (https://smarttrendsai.com) to provide, improve, and understand our services.

This Cookie Policy applies to all visitors and users of our website, regardless of location. We comply with:

• GDPR (General Data Protection Regulation) – European Union & United Kingdom
• CCPA/CPRA (California Consumer Privacy Act) – United States
• PIPEDA (Personal Information Protection and Electronic Documents Act) – Canada
• ePrivacy Directive (Cookie Law) – European Union
• Other applicable privacy laws worldwide

Important for Affiliate Marketing: SmartTrendsAI.com is an informational blog about AI tools that participates in affiliate marketing programs. We use cookies to track affiliate referrals and earn commissions when you purchase products through our links. This Cookie Policy includes detailed information about our affiliate tracking cookies and your rights regarding them.

2. What Are Cookies?

Cookies are small text files that are placed on your device (computer, smartphone, tablet) when you visit a website. They are widely used to make websites work more efficiently and provide information to website owners.

2.1 Types of Cookie Technologies

Cookies: Small text files stored by your browser that contain information about your visit, preferences, and session data.

Local Storage: Similar to cookies but can store larger amounts of data and persist longer. Used by modern web applications for performance and functionality.

Session Storage: Temporary storage that lasts only for the duration of your browsing session and is deleted when you close your browser.

Pixels/Web Beacons: Tiny invisible images embedded in web pages or emails that track when content is viewed or opened.

Scripts: Code that runs in your browser to enable interactive features, track usage, or load external content.

2.2 First-Party vs. Third-Party Cookies

First-Party Cookies: Set by SmartTrendsAI.com directly. Used for essential functions like remembering your cookie preferences, language settings, and session management.

Third-Party Cookies: Set by external services we use (Google Analytics, affiliate networks, social media platforms). These allow third parties to track your activity across multiple websites.

2.3 Session vs. Persistent Cookies

Session Cookies: Temporary cookies that expire when you close your browser. Used for basic functionality like maintaining your logged-in state during a visit.

Persistent Cookies: Remain on your device for a set period (hours, days, or years) and are activated each time you visit our website. Used for remembering preferences and tracking over time.

3. Types of Cookies We Use

We categorize cookies based on their purpose and obtain your consent where required by law:

3.1 Functional Cookies (Always Active – No Consent Required)

These cookies are essential for the website to function properly. They enable basic features like page navigation, access to secure areas, and remember your preferences. The website cannot function properly without these cookies, so they are always active and do not require consent under privacy regulations.

What we use them for:

• Maintaining your session when navigating between pages
• Remembering your cookie consent preferences
• Enabling secure login and authentication
• Loading website fonts and design elements
• Protecting against security threats (DDoS, malicious traffic)
• Ensuring proper page functionality and rendering

Services using functional cookies: WordPress, Kadence Blocks, Elementor Kit, CloudFlare, Complianz, Google Fonts, and various WordPress plugins.

3.2 Statistics/Analytics Cookies (Require Consent)

These cookies help us understand how visitors interact with our website by collecting and reporting information anonymously. We use this data to improve our content, identify popular articles, and optimize user experience.

What we use them for:

• Counting website visits and traffic sources
• Understanding which pages are most popular
• Measuring how long visitors spend on each page
• Identifying which devices and browsers people use
• Tracking navigation patterns to improve site structure
• Analyzing e-commerce cart and checkout behavior

Services using statistics cookies: Google Analytics, WooCommerce, Elementor.

Your consent: We ask for your permission before placing statistics cookies. You can accept or reject them via our cookie banner when you first visit.

3.3 Marketing/Affiliate Cookies (Require Consent) 🎯

These cookies track affiliate links and advertising. We use affiliate marketing to earn commissions when you purchase products through our recommendations. These cookies help attribute sales to our referrals and allow us to support our free content creation.

What we use them for:

• Tracking when you click affiliate links to AI tools and services
• Attributing purchases back to our referrals (for commission payment)
• Measuring the effectiveness of our recommendations
• Understanding which products interest our audience
• Enabling social media sharing functionality
• Tracking video views on embedded YouTube content
• Analyzing marketing campaign performance

Services using marketing cookies: Impact.com (affiliate network), PartnerStack (SaaS affiliate network), YouTube, Facebook, LinkedIn, Google campaign tracking.

Your consent: We ask for your explicit permission before placing marketing/affiliate cookies. You can accept or reject them via our cookie banner. Important: Rejecting marketing cookies does not prevent you from using affiliate links – it only prevents tracking cookies from being set before you click.

4. Affiliate Marketing Cookies (Important) 🎯

As an AI tools review website, affiliate marketing is our primary revenue source. This section provides complete transparency about how affiliate tracking works and what cookies are involved.

4.1 How Affiliate Marketing Works

When you click a product link on SmartTrendsAI.com:

1. Affiliate Cookie is Set: Before redirecting you to the merchant’s website, our affiliate network (Impact.com or PartnerStack) sets a tracking cookie on your device
2. You Visit Merchant: You’re redirected to the merchant’s website (e.g., ChatGPT, Jasper AI, Midjourney) where you can learn more and make a purchase decision
3. Cookie Persists: The affiliate cookie remains on your device for 60-90 days (depending on the network)
4. Purchase Tracked: If you make a purchase within the cookie period, the merchant’s system checks for our affiliate cookie
5. Commission Earned: If our cookie is present, the merchant pays us a commission (typically 10-30% of the sale price or a fixed amount)
6. No Extra Cost: The price you pay is the same whether you use our affiliate link or not – merchants pay us from their own budget

4.2 Affiliate Networks We Use

Impact.com (Impact Radius)

• Purpose: Affiliate network connecting us with major AI tool providers
• Cookie Duration: 90 days
• Cookies Set: impact-cookie, irclickid, i_id
• Data Collected: Click timestamp, device type, IP address, referral source, purchase information (if you buy)
• Privacy Policy: https://impact.com/privacy-policy/
• Merchants: Jasper AI, many AI tools and SaaS providers

PartnerStack

• Purpose: SaaS-specific affiliate network for software products
• Cookie Duration: 60-90 days (varies by merchant)
• Cookies Set: ps_partner_key, ps_click, ps_session
• Data Collected: Click timestamp, referral source, user identifier, conversion data
• Privacy Policy: https://www.partnerstack.com/privacy
• Merchants: Various SaaS companies and AI tools

4.3 What Information Affiliate Cookies Collect

Affiliate tracking cookies collect the following information:

• Click Data: When you clicked the link, which link you clicked, which page you clicked from
• Device Information: Browser type, device type (mobile/desktop), operating system
• Referral Source: How you arrived at our site (Google search, direct visit, social media, etc.)
• IP Address: Your approximate location (city/country level) for fraud prevention
• Purchase Data (if you buy): Order ID, purchase amount, product purchased, purchase date

What affiliate cookies DO NOT collect:

• ❌ Your name or email address (unless you voluntarily provide it to the merchant)
• ❌ Payment information or credit card details
• ❌ Passwords or login credentials
• ❌ Personal messages or communications
• ❌ Content you create or store

4.4 Your Rights Regarding Affiliate Cookies

Right to Opt-Out: You can reject marketing/affiliate cookies via our cookie banner or browser settings. This prevents affiliate cookies from being set before you click links.

Right to Delete: You can delete existing affiliate cookies at any time through your browser settings (instructions in Section 6).

Right to Information: You have the right to know which affiliate cookies are active and access their data (contact us at [email protected]).

California Residents (CCPA): Under California law, sharing data with affiliate networks may be considered a “sale” of personal information. You have the right to opt-out. See our Privacy Policy CCPA section or use the “Do Not Sell or Share My Personal Information” link in our footer.

4.5 Editorial Independence

Our affiliate relationships do not influence our reviews or recommendations:

• ✅ We only recommend tools we’ve personally tested and believe provide value
• ✅ Negative reviews are published if products don’t meet our standards
• ✅ Commission rates don’t determine our rankings or recommendations
• ✅ We clearly disclose both pros and cons of every tool
• ✅ Non-affiliate alternatives are mentioned when they’re better options

5. Complete Cookie List

Based on our comprehensive website scan (January 2026), here are all cookies currently used on SmartTrendsAI.com:

5.1 Functional Cookies (Always Active – No Consent Required)

These cookies are essential for the website to function properly. They enable basic features like page navigation, access to secure areas, and remember your preferences. The website cannot function properly without these cookies.

Service/Plugin	Cookie Name	Purpose	Duration
WordPress Core	wordpress_*, wp-*	Session management, login authentication, user preferences	Session / 1 year
WordPress Core	wp-autosave-1	Automatically saves draft content to prevent data loss	Session
WordPress Admin	wp_navbar_collapsed	Remembers admin navigation bar collapsed/expanded state	Session
WordPress Customizer	customizerVisitCount	Tracks visits to WordPress Customizer for onboarding	Session
WordPress Admin	helpVisible	Remembers if help panel is visible or hidden	Session
WordPress Admin	selectedTab	Remembers currently selected admin tab	Session
WordPress Media	previousUploadTap	Remembers last media upload method selected	Session
Kadence Blocks	kadence_blocks_*	Page builder block functionality and layout rendering	Session
Elementor Kit	e_kit-elements-defaults	Stores default settings for Elementor Kit elements	Session
Gutenberg	gt-current-screen-smarttrendsai.com	Remembers current screen in Gutenberg block editor	Session
Theme/Styling	undefined-style	Temporary style storage for theme customization	Session
Starter Templates	starter-templates-onboarding	Tracks onboarding process for Starter Templates plugin	Session
Starter Templates	st-scroll-position	Remembers scroll position on template selection pages	Session
CloudFlare	__cfduid, cf_*	CDN delivery, DDoS protection, security features	30 days
CloudFlare	_cfuvid	Unique visitor ID for bot detection and security	Session
CloudFlare	__cf_*__	CloudFlare security and performance optimization	Varies
Complianz	cmplz_*	Cookie consent banner preferences and choices	1 year
Complianz	cmplz_task_filter	Complianz admin task filter preferences	365 days
Custom Post Type UI	cptui_panel_pt_additional_labels	Remembers panel state in Custom Post Type UI settings	Session
Signals Plugin	signals_csmm_menu	Remembers Signals plugin menu state and preferences	Session
Google Fonts	google-fonts-*	Loads custom fonts for website design and typography	1 year

5.2 Statistics/Analytics Cookies (Require Consent)

These cookies help us understand how visitors interact with our website by collecting and reporting information anonymously. We use this data to improve our content and user experience.

Service	Cookie Name	Purpose	Duration
Google Analytics	_ga	Distinguishes unique users and tracks sessions	2 years
Google Analytics	_gid	Distinguishes users and stores information about page visits	24 hours
Google Analytics	_gat	Throttles request rate to limit data collection	1 minute
WooCommerce	woocommerce_*	E-commerce analytics, cart tracking, purchase behavior analysis	Session / 1 year
Elementor	elementor_*	Anonymous page builder usage statistics	Session

5.3 Marketing/Affiliate Cookies (Require Consent) 🎯

These cookies track affiliate links and advertising. We use affiliate marketing to earn commissions when you purchase products through our recommendations at no additional cost to you. These cookies help us attribute sales to our referrals.

Service	Cookie Name	Purpose	Duration
Impact.com (Affiliate Network)	impact-cookie	Tracks affiliate link clicks for commission attribution when you purchase products through our links	90 days
Impact.com	irclickid	Unique click identifier for affiliate tracking and conversion reporting	90 days
Impact.com	i_id	User identifier for affiliate network attribution across multiple visits	90 days
PartnerStack (SaaS Affiliate Network)	ps_partner_key	Partner attribution for SaaS product referrals and commission tracking	60 days
PartnerStack	ps_click	Click tracking for affiliate conversions and performance reporting	90 days
PartnerStack	ps_session	Session management for affiliate tracking within current visit	Session
YouTube (Google)	VISITOR_INFO1_LIVE	Tracks video viewing behavior and estimates bandwidth for embedded videos	180 days
YouTube	YSC	YouTube session cookie for tracking video views and player preferences	Session
Facebook	fr	Facebook tracking for social sharing buttons and advertising analytics	90 days
Facebook	_fbp	Facebook Pixel for tracking user behavior and advertising effectiveness	90 days
LinkedIn	lidc	LinkedIn routing cookie for sharing buttons and analytics	24 hours
LinkedIn	bcookie	LinkedIn browser identification for social features and analytics	2 years
Google Analytics (Campaign Tracking)	utm_source	Tracks traffic source for affiliate campaign attribution	Session
Google Analytics	utm_medium	Tracks marketing medium (affiliate, email, social) for performance analysis	Session
Google Analytics	utm_campaign	Tracks specific campaign names for marketing effectiveness reporting	Session

5.4 Third-Party Services & Privacy Policies

The third-party services listed above have their own privacy policies and cookie management systems. For more information about how they process data:

• Impact.com: Impact.com Privacy Policy
• PartnerStack: PartnerStack Privacy Policy
• Google Analytics: Google Privacy Policy | Google Analytics Opt-Out
• YouTube: Google Privacy Policy
• Facebook: Facebook Privacy Policy | Facebook Cookie Settings
• LinkedIn: LinkedIn Privacy Policy | LinkedIn Cookie Settings
• CloudFlare: CloudFlare Privacy Policy
• WooCommerce: Automattic Privacy Policy

6. How to Manage Cookies

You have several options to manage, disable, or delete cookies:

6.1 Cookie Consent Banner

When you first visit SmartTrendsAI.com, you’ll see a cookie consent banner with options to:

• Accept All: Allow all cookies (Functional, Statistics, Marketing)
• Reject All: Allow only essential Functional cookies
• Customize: Choose which categories to accept

You can change your preferences at any time by clicking the cookie settings icon in the corner of our website or by clearing your cookies and revisiting the site.

6.2 Browser Settings (All Cookies)

You can configure your browser to block all cookies, accept only first-party cookies, or delete cookies when you close your browser:

Google Chrome

1. Click the three dots menu (⋮) → Settings
2. Privacy and security → Cookies and other site data
3. Choose: “Block all cookies” or “Block third-party cookies”
4. To delete existing cookies: “See all cookies and site data” → “Remove all”

Mozilla Firefox

1. Click the menu button (≡) → Settings → Privacy & Security
2. Under “Cookies and Site Data”: Choose “Delete cookies and site data when Firefox is closed”
3. Or click “Manage Data” to delete specific cookies
4. Set “Enhanced Tracking Protection” to “Strict” to block many third-party cookies

Safari (Mac)

1. Safari → Preferences → Privacy
2. Check “Block all cookies” or “Prevent cross-site tracking”
3. Click “Manage Website Data” to delete existing cookies

Microsoft Edge

1. Click the three dots menu (⋯) → Settings
2. Privacy, search, and services → Cookies and site permissions
3. Manage and delete cookies and site data → Choose your preference
4. Turn on “Block third-party cookies”

Safari (iPhone/iPad)

1. Settings → Safari
2. Turn on “Block All Cookies” or “Prevent Cross-Site Tracking”
3. Tap “Advanced” → “Website Data” → “Remove All Website Data”

Chrome (Android)

1. Chrome app → Three dots menu (⋮) → Settings
2. Site settings → Cookies
3. Choose “Block third-party cookies” or “Block all cookies”

6.3 Third-Party Opt-Out Tools

Several organizations provide opt-out tools for advertising and tracking cookies:

• Google Analytics Opt-Out: Browser Add-On
• Network Advertising Initiative: Opt-Out Tool
• Digital Advertising Alliance: Consumer Choice Page
• European Interactive Digital Advertising Alliance: Your Online Choices

6.4 Mobile Device Settings

iPhone/iPad (iOS):

1. Settings → Privacy & Security → Tracking
2. Turn off “Allow Apps to Request to Track”
3. Settings → Privacy & Security → Apple Advertising → Turn off “Personalized Ads”

Android:

1. Settings → Google → Ads
2. Turn on “Opt out of Ads Personalization”
3. Or reset your advertising ID

7. Your Rights by Region

Depending on your location, you have specific rights regarding cookies and personal data:

7.1 European Union & United Kingdom (GDPR/UK GDPR)

Under GDPR, you have the following rights:

• Right to Information: Know what cookies we use and why (provided in this policy)
• Right to Consent: Choose which non-essential cookies to accept
• Right to Withdraw Consent: Change your mind at any time via cookie banner or browser settings
• Right of Access: Request information about what data cookies have collected about you
• Right to Rectification: Correct inaccurate data
• Right to Erasure (“Right to be Forgotten”): Request deletion of your data
• Right to Restriction: Limit how we process your data
• Right to Data Portability: Receive your data in a structured format
• Right to Object: Object to processing for direct marketing
• Right to Lodge Complaint: Contact your Data Protection Authority

Contact: Email us at [email protected] or contact your local Data Protection Authority

7.2 United States – California (CCPA/CPRA)

California residents have specific rights under CCPA/CPRA:

• Right to Know: What personal information we collect and how we use it
• Right to Delete: Request deletion of personal information (with exceptions)
• Right to Opt-Out of Sale/Sharing: Opt-out of “sales” or “sharing” of personal information (including affiliate tracking)
• Right to Correct: Request correction of inaccurate personal information
• Right to Limit Use of Sensitive Information: (Not applicable – we don’t collect sensitive data via cookies)
• Right to Non-Discrimination: Equal service regardless of exercising rights

Do Not Sell or Share: Click “Do Not Sell or Share My Personal Information” in our footer or email [email protected]

Note: Under CCPA, sharing data with affiliate networks may be considered a “sale” of personal information. When you reject marketing cookies, we won’t set affiliate tracking cookies on your device.

7.3 Other U.S. States

Residents of Virginia (VCDPA), Colorado (CPA), Connecticut (CTDPA), and Utah (UCPA) have similar rights to California residents, including rights to access, delete, correct, and opt-out of targeted advertising.

Contact: Email [email protected] to exercise your rights

7.4 Canada (PIPEDA)

Canadian residents have the following rights:

• Right to Consent: Meaningful consent before collecting personal information
• Right to Access: Access personal information held by us
• Right to Challenge: Challenge accuracy and completeness of information
• Right to Withdraw Consent: Withdraw consent at any time (with reasonable notice)
• Right to Complain: File complaint with the Privacy Commissioner of Canada

Contact: Email [email protected] or the Office of the Privacy Commissioner of Canada

7.5 Other Regions

Australia (Privacy Act 1988): Right to access and correct personal information, and complain to the Office of the Australian Information Commissioner (OAIC)

New Zealand (Privacy Act 2020): Right to access, correct, and request deletion of personal information, and complain to the Privacy Commissioner

Brazil (LGPD): Rights similar to GDPR including access, correction, deletion, and portability. Contact the National Data Protection Authority (ANPD)

South Africa (POPIA): Rights to access, correct, and object to processing. Contact the Information Regulator

8. Third-Party Services & Links

8.1 Third-Party Services We Use

SmartTrendsAI.com integrates with various third-party services that may set their own cookies:

• Google Analytics: Website traffic analysis
• Impact.com: Affiliate link tracking and commission management
• PartnerStack: SaaS affiliate program management
• CloudFlare: CDN, security, and DDoS protection
• YouTube: Embedded video player
• Facebook: Social sharing buttons
• LinkedIn: Social sharing buttons
• WooCommerce: E-commerce functionality (if applicable)

Each service has its own privacy policy and cookie practices. We recommend reviewing their policies (links in Section 5.4) to understand how they collect and use data.

8.2 Links to External Websites

SmartTrendsAI.com contains links to third-party websites (AI tool providers, merchants, resources). When you click these links:

• You leave our website and are subject to the third party’s privacy policy and cookie policy
• We have no control over cookies set by these third parties
• We are not responsible for their privacy practices

Affiliate Links: Many links on our site are affiliate links. When you click an affiliate link and visit a merchant’s website, that merchant may set their own tracking cookies according to their privacy policy. These cookies are outside our control.

8.3 Social Media Embeds

We may embed content from social media platforms (YouTube videos, Twitter/X tweets, LinkedIn posts, etc.). These embeds may set cookies when you interact with them, even if you don’t click them. These cookies are controlled by the respective platforms.

How to minimize social media tracking:

• Reject marketing cookies via our cookie banner
• Use browser extensions like Privacy Badger or uBlock Origin
• Log out of social media accounts when not using them
• Use private/incognito browsing mode

9. Policy Updates

9.1 Changes to This Policy

We may update this Cookie Policy from time to time to reflect:

• Changes in the cookies we use
• New features or services on our website
• Changes in applicable privacy laws
• New affiliate programs or partnerships
• Feedback from users or regulatory authorities

When we update this policy:

• The “Last Updated” date at the top will change
• Significant changes will be highlighted in a notice on our website
• Your continued use of our website after changes constitutes acceptance
• For material changes, we may seek renewed consent via cookie banner

9.2 Version History

• January 1 , 2026: Comprehensive update with complete cookie list from website scan, detailed affiliate cookie disclosure, all regional compliance sections
• Previous versions: Multiple regional policies consolidated into single unified policy

9.3 Regular Reviews

We conduct regular reviews of our cookie usage:

• Quarterly: Cookie scan to identify new cookies
• Semi-Annually: Privacy policy alignment check
• Annually: Full compliance audit against current regulations
• As Needed: When adding new services or features

10. Contact Information

10.1 Questions About This Policy

If you have questions about this Cookie Policy, our cookie practices, or wish to exercise your rights, please contact us:

We aim to respond within:

• General inquiries: 3-5 business days
• Data subject requests (GDPR/CCPA): 30 days (may extend to 60 days for complex requests)
• Urgent privacy concerns: 24-48 hours

10.2 Supervisory Authorities

You have the right to lodge a complaint with a supervisory authority if you believe we’ve violated your privacy rights:

European Union/EEA: Contact your local Data Protection Authority. Find your DPA

United Kingdom: Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) – https://ico.org.uk/

United States: State Attorney General’s office (for state privacy laws) or Federal Trade Commission (FTC)

Canada: Office of the Privacy Commissioner of Canada – https://www.priv.gc.ca/

Australia: Office of the Australian Information Commissioner (OAIC) – https://www.oaic.gov.au/

10.3 Related Policies

For comprehensive information about how we handle your data, please also review:

• Privacy Policy: Complete privacy practices and data handling
• Terms & Conditions: Website terms of use and affiliate disclosure
• Affiliate Disclosure: Detailed affiliate marketing information