Cookie Policy
Last updated: March 2025 | Effective Date: March 2025
This Cookie Policy explains what cookies are, how PlaceGrad uses them on the platform at www.placegrad.online, and the choices you have regarding their use. This policy should be read alongside our Privacy Policy.
1. What Are Cookies?
Cookies are small text files that are placed on your device (computer, tablet, or mobile) when you visit a website. They are widely used to make websites work efficiently, provide a better user experience, and give website owners information about how their site is being used.
Cookies are not programs — they cannot carry viruses or install software on your device. They simply store small pieces of information that help the website recognise you or remember your preferences.
2. How We Use Cookies
PlaceGrad uses cookies for the following purposes:
- Authentication and sessions: To keep you logged in during your session on the platform. Our session tokens (JWT) are stored as secure, HTTP-only cookies that expire after 8 hours.
- Security: To protect against cross-site request forgery (CSRF), detect suspicious login patterns, and support account lockout functionality.
- Preferences: To remember your theme preference (light or dark mode) between sessions.
- Functionality: To maintain your state as you navigate between pages of the dashboard (e.g., remembering your selected batch or active tab).
3. Types of Cookies We Use
3.1 Strictly Necessary Cookies
These cookies are essential for the Platform to function. They enable core features such as user authentication, session management, and security. Without these cookies, the services you have requested (e.g., logging in, accessing your dashboard) cannot be provided. These cookies do not collect any information that could be used for marketing and cannot be disabled without breaking core platform functionality.
Examples:
- next-auth.session-token — Stores your encrypted authentication session. Expires after 8 hours.
- next-auth.csrf-token — CSRF protection token for secure form submissions.
- next-auth.callback-url — Remembers where to redirect you after login.
3.2 Preference / Functional Cookies
These cookies allow the Platform to remember choices you have made (such as your preferred theme) to provide a more personalised experience. They do not track your activity across other websites.
Examples:
- theme — Stores your light/dark mode preference. Persists across sessions.
3.3 Analytics Cookies
PlaceGrad currently does not use third-party analytics cookies (such as Google Analytics). Any usage analytics collected are server-side and do not use browser-level tracking cookies. We may add privacy-respecting analytics in the future, in which case this policy will be updated accordingly.
3.4 Third-Party Cookies
PlaceGrad does not embed third-party advertising or tracking scripts that set cookies on your device. We do not use cookies for advertising retargeting or behavioural profiling.
Some platform functionality (such as PDF previewing of resumes or offer letters) may involve loading content from Cloudflare's CDN, which may set its own operational cookies. These are strictly functional in nature.
4. Cookie Duration
| Cookie Name | Type | Duration | Purpose |
|---|---|---|---|
| next-auth.session-token | Necessary | 8 hours | Authenticated session |
| next-auth.csrf-token | Necessary | Session | CSRF security |
| next-auth.callback-url | Necessary | Session | Post-login redirect |
| theme | Preference | 1 year | Light/dark mode |
5. Managing Cookies
You can control and manage cookies through your browser settings. Please note that disabling strictly necessary cookies will prevent you from logging in to the Platform and accessing your dashboard — the core features of PlaceGrad depend on session cookies to function.
Instructions for managing cookies in major browsers:
- Google Chrome: Settings → Privacy and Security → Cookies and other site data
- Mozilla Firefox: Settings → Privacy & Security → Cookies and Site Data
- Safari: Preferences → Privacy → Manage Website Data
- Microsoft Edge: Settings → Cookies and site permissions → Cookies and site data
You can also delete all cookies stored by a website by clearing your browser's browsing data. Note that this will log you out of the Platform.
6. Changes to This Cookie Policy
We may update this Cookie Policy from time to time, for example if we add new platform features that require different cookies. We will notify users of material changes via in-platform notice or email. Continued use of the Platform after any changes constitutes your acceptance of the updated policy.
7. Contact Us
If you have any questions about our use of cookies, please contact:
- Email: support@placegrad.com
- Address: PlaceGrad, Kochi, Kerala, India