What are cookies?
Cookies are small text files saved to your browser when you visit a website. They let the site remember things about your visit, like whether you're logged in, what language you prefer, or which pages you've already seen.
Some cookies are set by WordSensei directly (first-party cookies). Others are set by third-party services we use, like Google Analytics or our ad networks. These are called third-party cookies.
WordSensei is a free, ad-supported platform — advertising is what pays for the servers and keeps every game free to play. We use cookies in three categories: essential (the site won't work without them), analytics (to help us improve), and advertising. Ads are always part of the site, but you control whether they're personalized: you can opt out of analytics and personalized-advertising cookies at any time, and you'll see non-personalized ads instead.
How we use cookies
Here are the three categories and what each one does.
Essential cookies
These are set by WordSensei directly. They're required for the site to work and can't be disabled. They don't track you across other sites or collect personal data beyond what's needed to keep your session running.
| Cookie name | Type | Purpose | Duration |
|---|---|---|---|
| ws_session | Essential | Keeps you logged into your account | 30 days |
| ws_csrf | Essential | Prevents cross-site request forgery attacks | Session |
| ws_prefs | Essential | Stores your preferences (language, sound settings) | 1 year |
| ws_consent | Essential | Records your cookie consent choices | 1 year |
| ws_game_state | Essential | Saves your current game progress during a session | Session |
Analytics cookies
We use Google Analytics 4 to understand how people navigate WordSensei. The data is aggregated: we see trends, not individuals. IP addresses are anonymised before they're stored. You can opt out at any time.
| Cookie name | Type | Purpose | Duration |
|---|---|---|---|
| _ga | Analytics | Identifies unique visitors for Google Analytics | 2 years |
| _ga_* | Analytics | Stores session state for Google Analytics 4 | 2 years |
| _gid | Analytics | Distinguishes users within a 24-hour window | 24 hours |
| _gat | Analytics | Throttles request rate to Google Analytics | 1 minute |
To opt out of Google Analytics specifically, you can install the Google Analytics Opt-out Browser Add-on.
Advertising cookies
WordSensei is funded by advertising — it's how the platform stays free for every learner, and ads are shown to all visitors as part of the service. Ads are served by Google and other ad networks. Their cookies track whether you've seen an ad, whether you clicked it, and what sites you've visited so ads can be more relevant to you. They may persist after you leave WordSensei.
Your consent controls personalization, not whether ads appear: decline these cookies and our partners serve non-personalized ads based only on general context, such as the page you're viewing.
Advertising cookies are set by our ad partners, not WordSensei directly. Their behaviour is governed by their own privacy policies. We have limited control over how they work, but we can tell you which partners we use and link you to their opt-out pages.
| Cookie / Provider | Type | Purpose | Duration |
|---|---|---|---|
| IDE (Google) | Advertising | Used by Google DoubleClick to register and report ad interactions | 1 year |
| DSID (Google) | Advertising | Identifies a logged-in Google user for targeting purposes | 2 weeks |
| test_cookie (Google) | Advertising | Checks if the browser supports cookies | 15 minutes |
| _gcl_au (Google) | Advertising | Used by Google AdSense to experiment with advertisement efficiency | 90 days |
| NID (Google) | Advertising | Stores user preferences and information for Google ads | 6 months |
Full cookie list at a glance
All cookies used on WordSensei in one place.
| Cookie | Category | Provider | Expires |
|---|---|---|---|
| ws_session | Essential | WordSensei | 30 days |
| ws_csrf | Essential | WordSensei | Session |
| ws_prefs | Essential | WordSensei | 1 year |
| ws_consent | Essential | WordSensei | 1 year |
| ws_game_state | Essential | WordSensei | Session |
| _ga | Analytics | 2 years | |
| _ga_* | Analytics | 2 years | |
| _gid | Analytics | 24 hours | |
| _gat | Analytics | 1 minute | |
| IDE | Advertising | 1 year | |
| DSID | Advertising | 2 weeks | |
| _gcl_au | Advertising | 90 days | |
| NID | Advertising | 6 months | |
| test_cookie | Advertising | 15 minutes |
Managing your cookie preferences
You have several ways to control cookies on WordSensei. Essential cookies can't be disabled, and ads are always part of the free service — but analytics cookies and ad personalization are entirely your choice.
Cookie banner
When you first visit WordSensei, a banner lets you accept or decline non-essential cookies. You can change your choices at any time by clearing your browser cookies and revisiting the site.
Browser settings
Every browser has built-in cookie controls. Check your browser's help docs for instructions on blocking or deleting cookies from specific sites.
Google Analytics opt-out
Install the Google Analytics Opt-out Add-on to stop all sites from sending data to Google Analytics.
Ad preferences
Manage Google ad settings at adssettings.google.com. Opt out of all interest-based ads at aboutads.info.
Blocking essential cookies will prevent WordSensei from working correctly: you won't be able to log in or save your progress. Blocking analytics and advertising cookies has no effect on the games themselves — you'll simply see non-personalized ads instead of personalized ones.
Manage your consent
Use the controls below to update your cookie preferences. Changes take effect immediately. Refreshing the page after saving will apply your updated settings.
For EU users, your initial consent was collected when you first visited the site. This page lets you update that at any time. For questions about how consent data is stored, email contact.wordsensei@gmail.com.
Questions about cookies?
We're happy to explain anything.
If you have questions about specific cookies, want to report a cookie being set that isn't on this list, or want to exercise your data rights, reach out directly. We respond within 30 days.