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, such as Google. These are called third-party cookies.
Not everything a site stores in your browser is a cookie. Browsers also offer local storage, which keeps a small amount of data on your device without sending it back to the server on every request. We use local storage for one thing only, and it is listed below alongside the cookies so that nothing is hidden from you.
WordSensei is a free, ad-supported platform, and advertising is what pays for the servers. Essential cookies are always present, because the site cannot sign you in or protect its forms without them. Everything else is optional and stays switched off until you allow it. Where optional cookies are in use, this page lists them and you can change your mind at any time.
How we use cookies
Here are the 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.
| Name | Type | Purpose | Duration |
|---|---|---|---|
| wordsensei-session | Essential | Keeps you signed in | 2 hours of inactivity |
| XSRF-TOKEN | Essential | Protects forms against cross-site request forgery | Session |
| ws_cookie_consent | Essential | Records your cookie choices. This one is not a cookie: it is kept in your browser's local storage and is never sent to our servers | Until you clear site data |
Those are the only things WordSensei stores in your browser by itself. The session cookie is refreshed each time you use the site, so the duration above counts from your last activity rather than from when you signed in.
Because your consent choice lives in local storage rather than in a cookie, clearing your site data for wordsensei.com resets it. The next time you visit, you will be asked again and nothing optional runs until you answer.
Full cookie list at a glance
Everything WordSensei stores in your browser, in one place.
| Name | Category | Provider | Expires |
|---|---|---|---|
| wordsensei-session | Essential | WordSensei | 2 hours of inactivity |
| XSRF-TOKEN | Essential | WordSensei | Session |
| ws_cookie_consent | Essential | WordSensei (local storage) | Until you clear site data |
Where the table says "set by Google", it is because Google chooses those names and lifetimes and updates them from time to time. We would rather send you to Google's own current list than print a copy here that quietly goes stale.
Managing your cookie preferences
You have several ways to control cookies on WordSensei. Essential cookies can't be disabled. Everything else is optional, stays off until you allow it, and can be switched back off whenever you like.
Cookie banner
When you first visit WordSensei, a banner lets you accept or decline optional cookies. You can change that answer at any time in the consent manager in the next section, and refusing is as quick as accepting.
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.
Blocking essential cookies will prevent WordSensei from working correctly: you won't be able to sign in or submit forms. Blocking analytics and advertising cookies has no effect on the games themselves. You'll simply see non-personalised ads instead of personalised ones.
Manage your consent
Use the controls below to update your cookie preferences. Changes take effect immediately. Optional categories stay off until you turn them on, and refusing takes exactly one click, the same as accepting.
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.