Cookie Policy
Last Updated: March 23, 2026
This Cookie Policy explains how ParseSphere ("we," "us," or "our") uses cookies and similar technologies when you visit parsesphere.com and use our Service. It should be read together with our Privacy Policy.
1. What Are Cookies?
Cookies are small text files placed on your device by a website you visit. They are widely used to make websites work efficiently, remember your preferences, and provide information to the site operators.
Local storage works similarly but allows websites to store larger amounts of data in your browser. It does not expire automatically like cookies and remains until you or the website clears it.
2. Cookies and Local Storage We Use
2.1 Essential Cookies
These cookies are strictly necessary for the Service to function. You cannot opt out of essential cookies because the Service will not work without them.
| Provider | Cookie name(s) | Purpose | Duration |
|---|---|---|---|
| Clerk (authentication) | __clerk_db_jwt, __session, __client_uat | Keeps you logged in and manages your session securely. These cookies are set on our domain by our authentication provider. | Session |
| Stripe (payments) | __stripe_mid, __stripe_sid | Set by Stripe during checkout for fraud prevention and payment processing. Only active on payment pages. See Stripe's cookie policy. | Per Stripe policy |
2.2 Analytics Cookies (Requires Your Consent)
We use PostHog for product analytics to understand how the Service is used and improve it. Analytics cookies are not loaded until you explicitly accept them via our cookie consent banner.
| Provider | Cookie / storage name(s) | Purpose | Duration |
|---|---|---|---|
| PostHog | ph_<project_id>_posthog (cookie); ph_<project_id>_persistence, ph_<project_id>_session_props (local storage) | Assigns a cross-session identifier to understand usage patterns, feature adoption, and areas for improvement. PostHog is configured to anonymize IP addresses before storage. | Up to 365 days |
What PostHog collects: page views, feature usage, session duration, browser type, screen size, and general location (country/region level). PostHog does not collect your document content, chat messages, or file data.
2.3 Functional Storage (Local Storage)
We use your browser's local storage to save your preferences. These are not cookies and are not transmitted to our servers.
| Provider | Storage key(s) | Purpose | Duration |
|---|---|---|---|
| ParseSphere | theme, parsesphere-preferences, onboarding-state | Stores UI preferences (such as theme selection and dismissed onboarding tooltips) and cached application state. | Until you clear your browser storage |
3. Cookie Consent
When you first visit our Service, we present a cookie consent banner that allows you to:
- Accept non-essential cookies (analytics)
- Decline non-essential cookies
Essential cookies required for authentication and core functionality are always active and do not require consent.
You can change your cookie preferences at any time via the "Cookie Settings" link in the site footer.
Our cookie consent mechanism is designed to comply with the requirements of the EU ePrivacy Directive (2002/58/EC), GDPR, and equivalent UK and Swiss legislation. Specifically:
- Non-essential cookies are not pre-selected or pre-checked — you must actively opt in;
- The "Accept" and "Decline" options are presented with equal prominence — there is no visual design intended to steer your choice;
- Declining non-essential cookies does not restrict your access to any functionality of the Service (no "cookie wall");
- Your consent choice is recorded and can be changed at any time without account impact.
4. How to Manage Cookies
Browser Settings
You can configure your browser to refuse all or certain cookies, or to alert you when cookies are being set:
If you disable essential cookies (Clerk authentication), you will not be able to log in to the Service.
Clearing Local Storage
You can clear local storage through your browser's developer tools or settings. This will reset your UI preferences (theme, onboarding state) but will not affect your account or data.
5. Do Not Track (DNT)
We respect the Do Not Track signal. Our analytics provider (PostHog) is configured to honor DNT. If your browser sends a Do Not Track signal, PostHog will not collect analytics data from your session.
6. Global Privacy Control (GPC)
We honor Global Privacy Control (GPC) signals. If your browser sends a GPC signal (navigator.globalPrivacyControl), we treat it as a request to opt out of non-essential analytics cookies. Analytics (PostHog) will not be loaded, and your consent status will be set to "declined" automatically. You can still manually enable analytics cookies at any time via the cookie preferences panel.
7. Third-Party Cookie Policies
The third-party services that set cookies on our Service maintain their own cookie and privacy policies:
- Clerk (authentication): Privacy Policy
- Stripe (payments): Cookie Settings · Privacy Policy
- PostHog (analytics): Privacy Policy
We do not control the cookies set by these third parties. Refer to their policies for details on their practices.
8. Updates to This Cookie Policy
We may update this Cookie Policy from time to time to reflect changes in our practices or for legal, operational, or regulatory reasons. When we make changes, we will update the "Last Updated" date at the top of this page. We encourage you to review this policy periodically.
9. Contact Us
If you have any questions about our use of cookies, please contact us:
- Email: support@parsesphere.com
For broader privacy questions, please see our Privacy Policy.