Cookie Policy
Introduction
At Howard Lock Consulting Ltd (“we”, “us”, “our”), we use cookies and similar technologies on howardlockconsulting.com (“Website”). This policy explains what these technologies are, why we use them, and how you can control them.
Our cookie banner does not load any non-essential cookies until you give permission. If you consent, we may set cookies for Google Analytics, Google Ads, and the Meta Pixel to help us measure performance and advertising effectiveness.
Who We Are
Howard Lock Consulting Ltd is responsible for this Website and the cookies used on it.
- Company Name: Howard Lock Consulting Ltd
- Company Number: 11347465
- Registered Office: C/O Contrast Accounting Unit E4 Arena Business Centre, Holyrood Close, Poole, Dorset, United Kingdom, BH17 7FP
- VAT Number: 316637401
- ICO Registration Number: C1535912
- Website: howardlockconsulting.com
- Email: info@howardlockconsulting.com
- Phone: 07725 219 270
- Contact Page: howardlockconsulting.com/contact/
1) What Are Cookies?
Cookies are small text files placed on your device by websites you visit. They help sites work, function more efficiently and provide useful information to site owners.
- Session cookies are deleted when you close your browser.
- Persistent cookies remain until they expire or you delete them.
We also use similar technologies, such as local storage and pixels. For simplicity, we refer to all of these as “cookies.”
2) How We Use Cookies
We use cookies and similar technologies to:
- Make the site work, for example, by remembering your cookie choices and securing forms.
- Measure and improve performance and content, with your consent.
- Measure advertising effectiveness and conversions, with your consent.
- Support website security, form functionality and service delivery.
Where cookies involve personal data, we process it in line with our Privacy Policy.
3) Your Choices & Our Legal Basis
- Strictly necessary cookies are used to provide the service you request, such as security and remembering your cookie choice. These do not require consent.
- Analytics and advertising cookies are only set after you give consent.
You can accept or reject non-essential cookies using our cookie banner.
4) What We Load (By Category)
A. Strictly Necessary (Always On)
Purpose: Enables essential functionality such as security, accessibility, and storing your cookie preferences.
Examples: Consent status cookie; WordPress session cookies for logged-in admins.
Control: Cannot be switched off without affecting site function, but you can still block them in your browser.
| Cookie Name | Domain | Purpose | Expiry |
|---|---|---|---|
| seopress-user-consent-accept | .howardlockconsulting.com | Remembers your cookie consent choice. | 30 days |
B. Performance & Analytics (Consent-Based)
Tool: Google Analytics 4 (GA4) via Consent Mode.
Purpose: Helps us understand how visitors use our site, such as pages viewed, time on page and general browsing behaviour. This helps us improve content, usability and website performance. Data is aggregated; we do not use it to identify individuals.
If we use Google Consent Mode, Google may receive limited cookieless signals when you decline analytics cookies. No analytics cookies are set unless you consent.
Control: Off by default; enabled only if you consent.
| Cookie Name | Domain | Purpose | Expiry |
|---|---|---|---|
| _ga | .howardlockconsulting.com | Distinguishes users and collects anonymised usage data. | ~2 years |
| _ga_[PROPERTY_ID] | .howardlockconsulting.com | Persists session state for analytics. [PROPERTY_ID] varies by site. | ~2 years |
C. Advertising & Conversion (Consent-Based)
Tools: Google Ads conversion tags and Meta Pixel, where installed.
Purpose: Helps us measure the effectiveness of advertising and understand which ads, content or campaigns lead to enquiries or actions. These cookies may support ad attribution across sessions and devices.
In many cases, we use GA4 events for conversion tracking and import those conversions into Google Ads, rather than using separate Google Ads conversion tags.
Control: Off by default; enabled only if you consent.
Note: These cookies may not be active on every page or setup. They only load if the relevant tags are installed and you give consent.
| Cookie Name | Domain | Purpose | Expiry |
|---|---|---|---|
| _gcl_au | .howardlockconsulting.com | Used by Google Ads to store and measure ad efficiency and conversions. | 90 days |
| _gcl_aw | .howardlockconsulting.com | Stores ad click information to help attribute conversions to Google Ads. | 90 days |
| _gcl_dc | .howardlockconsulting.com | Stores ad click information for Google advertising products when enabled. | 90 days |
| _gcl_gb | .howardlockconsulting.com | Helps store campaign information for Google Ads when enabled. | 90 days |
| _gac_gb_<wpid> | .howardlockconsulting.com | Stores campaign information for Google Ads. The ID varies by site/configuration. | 90 days |
| _gcl_gs | .howardlockconsulting.com | Helps measure ads and support conversion attribution when enabled. | 90 days |
| IDE | .doubleclick.net | Used to serve and measure ads across the web. | 13 months (UK/EEA) |
| test_cookie | .doubleclick.net | Checks whether the browser allows cookies. | 15 minutes |
| _fbp | .howardlockconsulting.com | Used by Meta to help deliver, measure and improve advertising. | ~3 months |
| fr | .facebook.com | Used by Meta for ad delivery and measurement, where enabled. | ~3 months |
D. Functional (If Forms Or Plugins Are Used)
Purpose: Supports site features and user experience. These are not used for advertising.
Tool: WPForms.
Purpose: Supports form functionality and user experience without storing personal data.
Control: May be essential for form submissions.
| Cookie Name | Domain | Purpose | Expiry |
|---|---|---|---|
| _wpfuuid | .howardlockconsulting.com | Supports form submissions and helps prevent duplicate entries. | ~11 months |
E. Payment And Checkout Cookies (If Used)
Tool: Stripe or other payment providers, where payment functionality is used.
Purpose: Supports secure payment processing, fraud prevention and checkout functionality.
Control: Some payment-related cookies may be necessary where online payment is used.
Note: These cookies only apply if payment functionality is active on the Website.
| Cookie Name | Domain | Purpose | Expiry |
|---|---|---|---|
| __stripe_mid | .howardlockconsulting.com or .stripe.com | Used by Stripe to support fraud prevention and payment security. | ~1 year |
| __stripe_sid | .howardlockconsulting.com or .stripe.com | Used by Stripe to support fraud prevention and payment security during a session. | ~30 minutes |
5) Managing Cookies
- Cookie Settings: Use the cookie banner to accept or reject non-essential cookies.
- Browser Controls: Most browsers let you block or delete cookies. Doing so may affect site functionality, especially for strictly necessary cookies.
- Local Storage: You can also clear site data or local storage in your browser settings.
6) Third Parties & International Transfers
If you consent to analytics or advertising, limited data may be shared with Google and/or Meta. If payment functionality is used, limited data may also be shared with payment providers such as Stripe.
These providers may process data on servers outside the UK/EEA. For more information, see our Privacy Policy.
7) Changes To This Policy
We may update this policy to reflect changes in the cookies we use, new technology, or legal requirements. We will update the “Last Updated” date and, where needed, prompt you to review your preferences.
8) Contact Us
If you have any questions about this policy or our use of cookies, please contact us.
- Email: info@howardlockconsulting.com
- Phone: 07725 219 270
- Contact Page: howardlockconsulting.com/contact/
Last Updated: May 12, 2026
Howard Lock Consulting Ltd (howardlockconsulting.com)