Cookie Policy
Effective Date: September 1, 2026
1. How we use cookies
Cookies are small files a website stores in your browser. We group ours into three categories. Essential cookies are always on because the site cannot work without them. Product analytics and Session replay are off until you turn them on — nothing in those categories is set until you allow it. You can change your choices at any time, and we honor the Global Privacy Control browser signal automatically.
2. Cookies we use
This table is generated from the same configuration that controls the cookie banner, so it always reflects exactly what the site can set.
| Cookie | Category | Provider | Type | Purpose | Duration |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| next-auth.session-token | Essential | CertiHomes (NextAuth) | First-party | Keeps you signed in. | Session (up to 30 days) |
| next-auth.csrf-token | Essential | CertiHomes (NextAuth) | First-party | Security token that protects the sign-in form against cross-site request forgery. | Session |
| next-auth.callback-url | Essential | CertiHomes (NextAuth) | First-party | Returns you to the page you started from after you sign in. | Session |
| ref | Essential | CertiHomes | First-party | Remembers a referral/affiliate link so a partner receives credit. | 30 days |
| ai_offer_started | Essential | CertiHomes | First-party | Times a limited-time offer. Signed; contains no personal data. | 30 days |
| ch_consent | Essential | CertiHomes | First-party | Remembers your cookie-consent choices. | 12 months |
| analytics_optout | Essential | CertiHomes | First-party | Remembers that you turned analytics off. | 12 months |
| _ga | Product analytics | Google Analytics | Third-party | Aggregate analytics — distinguishes browsers. Set only after you allow analytics. | 2 years |
| _ga_* | Product analytics | Google Analytics | Third-party | Aggregate analytics — keeps per-property session state. Set only after you allow analytics. | 2 years |
| cid | Product analytics | CertiHomes analytics | First-party | Anonymous id for our own product analytics. Set only after you allow analytics. | 2 years |
| _cerv | Session replay | Crazy Egg | Third-party | Heatmaps and session recordings that help us find broken flows. Set only after you allow session replay, and never on a page about a minor. | Up to 5 years |
| _ceir | Session replay | Crazy Egg | Third-party | Heatmaps and session recordings that help us find broken flows. Set only after you allow session replay, and never on a page about a minor. | Up to 5 years |
| _CEFT | Session replay | Crazy Egg | Third-party | Heatmaps and session recordings that help us find broken flows. Set only after you allow session replay, and never on a page about a minor. | Up to 5 years |
"Type" shows whether a cookie is set by CertiHomes (first-party) or involves a third-party provider. Session-replay cookie names can vary by the provider's product version and are confirmed before launch.
3. Other data shared with third parties (no cookie)
A few features send a network request to a third party without setting a cookie. We list them here for transparency, because your IP address is shared with these providers:
- ipwho.is (ipwho.is) — Estimates your city/state from your IP so results are locally relevant, over an encrypted (HTTPS) connection. Sets no cookie; your IP address is sent.
- tiles.openfreemap.org (OpenFreeMap) — Serves the campus-map tiles. Sets no cookie and uses no API key; your IP and the map area you view are sent.
- youtube-nocookie.com / i.ytimg.com (YouTube (privacy-enhanced mode)) — Video thumbnails, and playback only after you click play. No YouTube cookie is set until you actually play a video.
4. Managing your choices
- Use to turn analytics or session replay on or off at any time.
- Turn on Global Privacy Control in your browser or a browser extension — we detect it and turn off non-essential tracking automatically, with no action from you.
- Use your browser settings to block or delete cookies. Blocking essential cookies may stop parts of the site from working.
5. More information
For the full picture of what we collect and your rights, see our Privacy Policy.