Cookie Policy
Last updated: June 11, 2026
What are cookies?
Cookies are small text files stored on your device by your browser when you visit a website. They let sites remember who you are, keep you signed in, and — in some cases — measure how the site is used. Similar technologies (local storage, session storage, pixels) serve comparable purposes. In this policy, “cookies” refers to all of these.
How we use cookies
We use cookies sparingly, and only in ways we believe are proportionate to what our users need. We organize cookies into two groups:
- Essential cookies. Required for the Service to work. Without them, features like sign-in and payment security cannot function. These do not require consent under EU law.
- Optional cookies. Used for analytics, improvements, or marketing. These require your consent in the EU/UK and are set only after you accept them via our cookie banner. You can change your choice at any time.
Essential cookies we use
| Cookie | Set by | Purpose | Duration | Category |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| __session | Clerk | Authenticates the signed-in user and keeps the session active. | Session | Essential |
| __client_uat | Clerk | Tracks last successful authentication for security. | 1 year | Essential |
| __stripe_mid | Stripe | Fraud prevention when loading Stripe Checkout or Billing Portal. | 1 year | Essential |
| perch_consent_v1 | Perch | Remembers your cookie preferences so we don't ask again. | 12 months | Essential |
Optional cookies we use
| Cookie | Set by | Purpose | Duration | Category |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| ph_* / __ph_* (PostHog) | PostHog | Aggregated product analytics — which features are used, to improve the product. Set only after you opt in to Analytics via our cookie banner. | Up to 1 year | Analytics |
| _gcl_* (Google Ads) | Ad conversion measurement — tells us when a visit from one of our ads leads to a sign-up, so we can measure advertising effectiveness. Set only after you opt in to Marketing via our cookie banner. | Up to 90 days | Marketing |
Third-party services that may set cookies
The Perch Service depends on third-party infrastructure. These providers may set their own cookies when you use features that rely on them. Links to their policies:
- Clerk (authentication) — Clerk Privacy Policy
- Stripe (payments) — Stripe Cookie Policy
- Vercel (hosting) — Vercel Privacy Policy
- Cloudflare (DNS) — Cloudflare Cookie Policy
Managing cookies
You can manage cookies in the following ways:
- Our cookie banner — appears on your first visit and remembers your choice. You can change your preferences anytime by clicking “Cookie settings” in our footer.
- Your browser — most browsers let you block or delete cookies via settings. Blocking essential cookies will make sign-in stop working.
- Do Not Track / Global Privacy Control — we respect the GPC signal in browsers that send it. When received, we treat it as an opt-out of any optional cookies.
Changes to this Policy
We’ll update this page if our cookie use changes. Material changes will be announced in-app or via email.
Contact
Questions? Email privacy@onperch.co or see our Privacy Policy.