Cookie Policy

1. What is a cookie?

A cookie is a small text file your browser stores when you visit a website. Cookies help a site remember your preferences, or enable certain features (e.g. signing in).

Besides our own cookies, the site may use third-party cookies.

2. What cookies do we use?

SimpleChef uses the following cookie categories:

• Strictly necessary cookies: required for sign-in and session handling (e.g. NextAuth.js JWT). The service cannot function without them.
• Functional storage: your choice in the kitchen converter (simplechef:kitchen-units), which you ask us to remember with the switch, and the items you tick on a shared shopping list.
• Bot protection (Cloudflare Turnstile): strictly necessary. Used on sign-up, sign-in, password reset, AI recipe requests and reporting to filter out bot traffic. Turnstile sets no cookie and uses no local storage on our domain. No consent is required. More in the privacy notice.

3. Specific cookies

• next-auth.session-token / __Secure-next-auth.session-token: sign-in session, expires in 24 hours.
• __Host-next-auth.csrf-token (the name of next-auth.csrf-token on this site): CSRF protection. Expires when you close your browser session. Strictly necessary.
• next-auth.callback-url / __Secure-next-auth.callback-url: the address we return you to after signing in. Expires when you close your browser session. Strictly necessary.
• nextauth.message (browser local storage): keeps the sign-in session in step between your open browser tabs. It is also created when you are signed out, and it contains no personal data. Duration: until you clear your browser data. Strictly necessary for signing in.
• sc_terms_accepted: carries your terms-of-service tick through Google sign-up. Expires in 10 minutes. Strictly necessary for the sign-up you asked for.
• simplechef:guest-recipe (browser local storage): carries the recipe you created as a guest across sign-up or sign-in into your account. Duration: up to 24 hours; deleted after a successful save, a new recipe request or signing out. Strictly necessary for the save you asked for.
• simplechef:kitchen-units (browser local storage): remembers your “In grams” choice in the kitchen converter. Duration: until you switch back to Original units, or clear your browser data. Not strictly necessary: you ask us to remember it with the switch. Choosing Original units deletes the stored value; you can also delete it by clearing your browser data.
• simplechef:shared-ticks:{id} (browser local storage): remembers which items you ticked on a shared shopping list on this device. Duration: 30 days after your last tick (we delete expired ticks on your next visit), or until you clear your browser data. Not strictly necessary: you ask for it by ticking an item. It is not sent to our servers.
• simplechef:signup-email, simplechef:login-email, simplechef:hero-ingredients, simplechef:list:{recipe or menu}:{id} (browser tab session storage): carries the email address you typed between the sign-up and sign-in pages; carries the ingredients you chose on the start page through sign-in to the meal ideas; remembers the list made from a recipe or menu in this session, so that a second click opens the same list. Duration: until you close the browser tab, then it is deleted. Strictly necessary for the function you asked for.
• terms_notice_closed_{date} (browser local storage): remembers that you closed a notice about the Terms, so it does not appear again. It is created when you close such a notice. Duration: until you clear your browser data. Not strictly necessary: you ask for it by closing the notice.
• sc_share_return: brings back the share you opened after you sign up or sign in. Expires in 1 hour at most, or is deleted as soon as you are back. Strictly necessary for the function you asked for.
• Similar third-party cookies: when you use Google sign-in, Google may set its own cookies.

4. Marketing and analytics cookies

SimpleChef currently does NOT use marketing cookies or third-party analytics cookies (e.g. Google Analytics, Facebook Pixel). Should we ever introduce them, we'll ask for your consent first.

We use Vercel Web Analytics to measure visits. It uses no cookie: it counts page views and the clicks on a few buttons, and we only see totals. Details: privacy notice.

We use an internal, anonymous page-view counter for popularity rankings of public recipes. It is not cookie-based and contains no personal identifiers.

5. How can you manage cookies?

Most browsers accept cookies by default, but you can control them in your browser settings:

• Chrome: Settings > Privacy and security > Cookies and other site data
• Firefox: Settings > Privacy & Security > Cookies and Site Data
• Safari: Preferences > Privacy > Cookies and website data
• Edge: Settings > Cookies and site permissions

Note: if you disable strictly necessary cookies, certain features (e.g. signing in) will stop working.

6. Contact

For any cookie-related question: support@buildsnap.dev