Last updated: 23 July 2026
1. About this policy
This Cookie Policy explains how The Tool Guys Ltd uses cookies and similar technologies on: https://thetoolguys.co.uk
Our business details are:
The Tool Guys Ltd
Company number: 15772207
14 Bridge Street
Darwen
Lancashire
BB3 2AA
United Kingdom
Email: info@thetoolguys.co.uk
Telephone: 07990 658695
This Cookie Policy should be read together with our Privacy Policy.
2. What cookies are
Cookies are small text files placed on a computer, telephone, tablet or other device when a website is visited.
Cookies can allow a website to:
- Remember a shopping basket
- Maintain a secure login
- Remember privacy choices
- Understand how visitors use the website
- Identify technical problems
- Measure which sources lead to orders
- Improve website performance and usability
Some cookies are deleted when the browser is closed. These are called session cookies. Other cookies remain until their expiry date or until they are deleted manually.
3. Similar technologies
We may also use technologies such as:
- Tracking pixels
- Browser storage
- Analytics tags
- Session identifiers
- Consent signals
- Server-side logs
In this policy, references to cookies include these similar technologies where appropriate.
4. Categories of cookies
Strictly necessary cookies
These cookies are required for functions such as:
- Website security
- Shopping baskets
- Checkout
- Customer accounts
- Payment processing
- Remembering cookie choices
These cookies cannot normally be disabled through our cookie controls because the website may not function correctly without them.
Functional cookies
Functional cookies remember optional choices or provide additional website features, such as recently viewed products.
Where consent is legally required, these cookies are not activated unless permission has been provided.
Analytics cookies
Analytics cookies help us understand:
- How visitors reach our website
- Which pages are viewed
- How visitors navigate around the website
- Where visitors encounter errors or difficulties
- Which traffic sources lead to orders
- How we can improve the website
Analytics cookies are not necessary to place an order and are only used after the required consent has been provided.
We currently use:
- Google Analytics 4
- Microsoft Clarity
- WooCommerce order-attribution tracking
Advertising cookies
We do not currently use dedicated advertising or remarketing tags to build advertising audiences.
However, Microsoft may set third-party identifiers when Microsoft Clarity is used. These identifiers are disclosed in the table below and are only permitted after the appropriate consent has been provided.
5. Cookies used on our website
The exact expiry time may be shortened by browser settings, privacy features or manual deletion.
Strictly necessary cookies
| Cookie | Provider | Purpose | Duration |
|---|---|---|---|
sto_consent_state | The Tool Guys Ltd | Records whether the visitor accepted or rejected cookies so the website can respect their choice. | 180 days |
woocommerce_cart_hash | WooCommerce | Helps WooCommerce detect when the contents of the shopping basket change. | Session |
woocommerce_items_in_cart | WooCommerce | Records whether the shopping basket contains products. | Session |
wp_woocommerce_session_* | WooCommerce | Assigns a unique customer session so WooCommerce can locate basket information stored on the website. | 2 days |
wordpress_logged_in_* | WordPress | Maintains the login status of a customer who has signed into an account. | Session, or up to 14 days where “Remember Me” is selected |
wordpress_sec_* | WordPress | Protects and authenticates a secure logged-in session. | Session, or up to 14 days where “Remember Me” is selected |
The asterisk indicates that part of the cookie name may contain a website-specific identifier.
Functional cookies
These cookies may be set when the corresponding WooCommerce feature is enabled or used.
| Cookie | Provider | Purpose | Duration |
woocommerce_recently_viewed | WooCommerce | Allows the website to display products recently viewed by the visitor. | Session |
store_notice* | WooCommerce | Remembers that a visitor has dismissed a website notice. | Session |
Google Analytics 4 cookies
We use Google Analytics 4 to understand general website usage and performance.
Google Analytics may process information including:
- Pages visited
- Approximate location derived from an IP address
- Browser and device type
- Operating system
- Referral source
- Date and time of visits
- Website interactions
- Pseudonymous user and session identifiers
We do not intentionally send customer names, email addresses, telephone numbers, delivery addresses or payment-card details to Google Analytics.
| Cookie | Provider | Purpose | Duration |
_ga | Google Analytics | Distinguishes one browser from another using a pseudonymous identifier. | Up to 2 years; Chrome currently limits this to a maximum of approximately 400 days and other browsers may shorten it further |
_ga_B3FX4600PD | Google Analytics | Maintains session information for our specific Google Analytics property. | Up to 2 years; browser restrictions may shorten this |
Analytics user-level and event-level information is retained for no longer than reasonably necessary to understand website performance. We use a maximum intended retention period of 14 months for user-level analytics information. Aggregated reporting may be retained for longer where it no longer directly identifies an individual visitor.
Google may process information outside the United Kingdom using safeguards permitted under UK data-protection law.
Further information is available in Google’s Privacy Policy: https://policies.google.com/privacy
WooCommerce order-attribution cookies
WooCommerce uses Sourcebuster technology to identify the source that led a visitor to the website and, where an order is completed, attribute that order to a traffic source.
This may include:
- Referring website
- Entry page
- UTM campaign parameters
- Device and browser information
- Number of pages viewed during the session
- The date and time the session began
The cookies expire at the end of the session, except for sbjs_session, which expires after approximately 30 minutes.
WooCommerce does not store this attribution information permanently unless an order is placed. If an order is completed, relevant attribution information may be saved as part of the order record.
| Cookie | Provider | Purpose | Duration |
sbjs_session | WooCommerce | Records the number of pages viewed in the current session and the current page path. | 30 minutes |
sbjs_udata | WooCommerce | Records technical information about the browser, device and user agent for order attribution. | Session |
sbjs_first | WooCommerce | Records the traffic source associated with the visitor’s first visit during the active session. | Session |
sbjs_current | WooCommerce | Records the traffic source associated with the visitor’s current visit. | Session |
sbjs_first_add | WooCommerce | Records the timestamp, referring URL and entry page for the first visit during the session. | Session |
sbjs_current_add | WooCommerce | Records the timestamp, referring URL and entry page for the current visit. | Session |
sbjs_migrations | WooCommerce | Stores technical information used when WooCommerce updates its attribution technology. | Session |
These cookies are treated as analytics cookies and should only be activated after the visitor has provided the required analytics consent.
They are not used by us to create cross-website advertising profiles or track visitors across multiple browsing sessions.
Microsoft Clarity cookies
We use Microsoft Clarity to understand how visitors interact with our website through aggregated heatmaps and reconstructed session recordings.
Clarity may collect:
- Pages visited
- Clicks and taps
- Scrolling activity
- Mouse movements
- Navigation paths
- Browser and device information
- Operating system
- Screen size
- General geographic area
- Referring website
- Technical errors and performance information
- Pseudonymous visitor and session identifiers
Clarity recordings are visual reconstructions of website interactions rather than conventional video recordings.
Sensitive form information and input fields are masked by default. We do not intentionally send customer names, email addresses, payment information, delivery addresses or complete form contents to Clarity as custom identifiers.
Microsoft Clarity is only activated after the required consent has been provided.
Depending on the browser and Microsoft’s configuration, the following cookies may be set:
| Cookie | Provider | Purpose | Duration |
_clck | Microsoft Clarity | Maintains a pseudonymous Clarity visitor identifier and preferences for this website. | Up to 1 year |
_clsk | Microsoft Clarity | Connects multiple page views into a single Clarity session. | Up to 1 day |
CLID | Microsoft | Identifies the first time Clarity saw a browser on a website using Clarity. | Up to 1 year |
ANONCHK | Microsoft | Indicates whether Microsoft’s browser identifier is transferred for advertising-related purposes. Microsoft states that Clarity does not use the related ANID advertising cookie. | Approximately 10 minutes |
MR | Microsoft | Indicates whether Microsoft’s browser identifier should be refreshed. | Approximately 7 days |
MUID | Microsoft | Identifies a browser visiting Microsoft services for analytics, operational and potentially advertising-related purposes. | Up to 1 year |
SM | Microsoft | Supports synchronisation of Microsoft browser identifiers across Microsoft domains. | Session |
Third-party Microsoft cookies may be blocked automatically by browser privacy settings.
Microsoft currently retains:
- Session playback information for approximately 30 days
- Aggregated click and heatmap information for up to nine months
- Labelled or favourited sessions for up to nine months
Further information is available in Microsoft’s Privacy Statement:
https://www.microsoft.com/en-gb/privacy/privacystatement
6. Consent
When you first visit our website, you are offered the ability to:
- Accept non-essential cookies
- Reject non-essential cookies
- Review available cookie settings
Strictly necessary cookies may be placed without consent where legally permitted.
Analytics, session-recording and other non-essential cookies are only activated after the required consent has been provided.
Refusing analytics cookies does not prevent you from:
- Viewing products
- Adding products to your basket
- Creating an account
- Completing checkout
- Contacting us
- Requesting a return or refund
7. Changing or withdrawing consent
You may change or withdraw your consent at any time through the Cookie settings link displayed on our website.
Withdrawing consent does not affect processing that lawfully took place before consent was withdrawn.
After consent is withdrawn:
- New non-essential analytics cookies should no longer be placed
- Existing analytics cookies may be removed where supported by our consent technology
- You may also delete existing cookies manually through your browser
8. Browser controls
Most browsers allow you to:
- View stored cookies
- Delete individual cookies
- Delete all cookies
- Block third-party cookies
- Block all cookies
- Receive a warning before a cookie is stored
Blocking strictly necessary cookies may prevent the basket, checkout, account or other website functions from working correctly.
Browser privacy features may also shorten cookie lifetimes or block third-party cookies automatically.
9. International processing
Google and Microsoft may process analytics information outside the United Kingdom.
Where required, transfers are protected through mechanisms such as:
- UK adequacy regulations
- The UK International Data Transfer Agreement
- The UK Addendum to approved standard contractual clauses
- Other safeguards permitted by UK data-protection law
More information is available in our Privacy Policy and the providers’ respective privacy notices.
10. Changes to this Cookie Policy
We may update this Cookie Policy when:
- Website functionality changes
- Cookies are added or removed
- Analytics services change
- Cookie durations change
- Legal requirements change
The updated policy will be published on this page with a revised “Last updated” date.
11. Contact us
For questions about this Cookie Policy or our use of cookies, contact:
The Tool Guys Ltd
14 Bridge Street
Darwen
Lancashire
BB3 2AA
United Kingdom
Email: info@thetoolguys.co.uk
Telephone: 07990 658695