Cookie Policy
Effective Date: 4 July 2026
The Executive Summary
We don't use cookies to track you across the internet. As an engineering-first platform, we use a minimal cookie footprint strictly to keep you logged in, protect our fair-share queue from bots, and monitor site speed so our SEO and user experience remain top-tier.
Your Preferences
1. The Tech Under the Hood
When you use Referrals Buddy, we drop a few small text files onto your device. We use these to solve hard engineering problems: maintaining state across a distributed web app, stopping fraudulent voting, and ensuring our infrastructure delivers sub-second load times.
2. The Exact Cookies We Use
Here is our complete, transparent manifest of every cookie and storage token we use:
| Token Name | Purpose | Classification | Lifespan |
|---|---|---|---|
| rb-session | Maintains your authenticated session. | Strictly Essential | 7 Days |
| rb-cookie-consent | Remembers your preference (Accept or Reject). | Strictly Essential | 1 Year |
| rb-fp | Anonymous hardware/browser fingerprinting to block bots and ensure queue fairness. | Functional | Until Cleared |
| Web Vitals Beacons | Measures LCP, CLS, and INP metrics to optimize site speed and SEO rankings. | Analytics | Session |
3. The Difference Between Essential and Analytics
Strictly Essential cookies are non-negotiable. If you block them via your browser, you won't be able to log in or use the platform. They keep the lights on.
Analytics & Functional cookies are optional. However, allowing analytics helps us measure Core Web Vitals. Because Google rewards fast sites with better SEO rankings, your data directly helps us grow the directory, which brings more shoppers to your referral links. It's a win-win.