Cookie Policy
Last updated: April 27, 2026
This Cookie Policy explains what cookies and similar storage technologies Hot Ranking uses, why we use them, and how you can control them. It supplements our Privacy Policy.
What is a cookie?
A cookie is a small text file stored on your device by your web browser. Cookies are widely used to make websites work, remember preferences, and provide analytics or advertising data. We also use related technologies like localStorage and sessionStorage, which behave similarly.
Cookies we use
1. Strictly necessary (always on)
These are required for the Site to work. You cannot opt out of them without breaking core functionality.
| Name | Purpose | Duration |
|---|---|---|
hr_fingerprint (localStorage) | Anonymous browser identifier used to prevent the same browser from voting twice on the same poll. | Persistent (until you clear it) |
hr_voted_* (localStorage) | Records which polls you've voted on so we can show you your previous result instantly without re-querying. | Persistent |
2. Analytics
We use lightweight, privacy-conscious analytics to understand which polls are popular, how users navigate the Site, and what we should fix. We do not use Google Analytics on Hot Ranking. Our analytics do not identify individuals and do not follow you across other sites.
3. Advertising (Google AdSense)
Hot Ranking displays advertising provided by Google AdSense. AdSense and its partners use cookies to:
- Show you ads relevant to your interests, based on prior visits to this and other websites.
- Measure ad performance and prevent the same ad from being shown to you too many times.
- Detect and prevent fraudulent ad clicks.
These cookies are set by Google, not by Hot Ranking. The full list and details are in Google's cookie disclosure.
How to control cookies
Through your browser
Every modern browser lets you block cookies, delete existing cookies, or set per-site rules. The exact steps vary, but here are the major browsers:
If you block our strictly-necessary storage, you may still vote, but the duplicate-vote-prevention will instead rely on a server-side fingerprint of your browser and IP â which is less precise and may occasionally lock you out of voting if many people share your network.
Opting out of personalized ads
You can opt out of personalized ads from Google specifically â ads will still show, but they won't be tailored based on your browsing history.
Do Not Track
We respect the spirit of Do Not Track signals: we don't run cross-site behavioral tracking ourselves. However, the third-party advertising network (Google AdSense) makes its own decisions about how to handle DNT signals â see Google's documentation for details.
Changes to this policy
We may update this Cookie Policy as the Site evolves. The "Last updated" date at the top of this page reflects the most recent change.
Contact
Questions about cookies? Email privacy@hotranking.app.