Legal · v1.0.0

Cookie policy

Effective 23 May 2026

This policy explains how CineForge uses cookies and similar technologies. It sits alongside our Privacy Policy and should be read together with it.

What cookies are

A cookie is a small text file that a website places on your device when you visit it. Cookies let the website remember you between pages and visits — for example, to keep you signed in. Some technologies that aren’t strictly cookies (such as local storage or session tokens) work similarly; this policy uses “cookies” to refer to all of them.

We group cookies into two categories: strictly necessary (the service won’t work without them, and they don’t require consent under PECR) and optional (analytics and similar; we set these only with your consent).

Cookies we set

CineForge itself sets a small number of strictly necessary cookies to keep the service running. These cannot be disabled without breaking the service.

Name	Purpose	Expiry	Category
__session	Authentication. Set by Clerk on sign-in to keep you signed in across pages. Cleared on sign-out.	Session or 7 days (persistent sign-in)	Strictly necessary
__client_uat	Authentication metadata used by Clerk to validate session state.	1 year	Strictly necessary
__stripe_mid, __stripe_sid	Fraud prevention on payment pages. Set by Stripe on the billing page only.	1 year (mid), 30 minutes (sid)	Strictly necessary
cf-consent	Records your cookie consent choices so we don't ask again on every page.	6 months	Strictly necessary

We may add optional analytics cookies in future. If we do, we will update this policy at least 30 days before the change takes effect, and we will not set any optional cookie before you have given consent through the cookie banner.

Third-party cookies

Some cookies are set by our sub-processors rather than CineForge directly. We use these only where the service genuinely depends on them:

Clerk (authentication provider) — sets the session and authentication cookies listed above.
Stripe (payment processor) — sets fraud-prevention cookies on the billing page only.
Vercel (hosting) — may set short-lived cookies for load balancing and edge routing. These do not identify you.

Each of these sub-processors is named individually in our sub-processor list.

Managing your cookies

You can clear and block cookies through your browser settings. Most browsers also let you set per-site preferences. If you block our strictly necessary cookies, the service will not work — you will not be able to sign in.

When we introduce optional cookies, the cookie banner will offer a clear “accept” or “reject” choice on equal footing, per ICO guidance. You will be able to change your choice at any time from the footer link “Cookie preferences.”

Changes to this policy

We may update this policy from time to time. If we make material changes — for example, adding a new category of cookies or a new third-party processor — we will email registered users at least 30 days before the change takes effect. The current version and effective date are shown at the top of this page.

Contact

For questions about this policy or about cookies generally, email hello@cineforge.co.uk or write to:

Core Media Group Ltd
6 North Parade
Bath BA1 1LF
United Kingdom

This document is version 1.0.0, effective 23 May 2026. We will notify registered users by email at least 30 days before any material change takes effect.

Questions? Email hello@cineforge.co.uk.