Skip to content
The Software Scribe
Home
Xero

26 articles

Invoice Simple

26 articles

Zoho Books

18 articles

All articles
How we test About Contact
Home How we test Editorial policy About Contact

Topics

  • Xero26
  • Invoice Simple26
  • Zoho Books18
Skip to content

Cookie Policy

Last updated 14 September 2026  ยท  Applies to thesoftwarescribe.com

The short version

A handful of cookies are needed for this site to work at all. The rest are set by Google for advertising and analytics, and those are what pay for the articles. If you are in Europe or the UK, none of the optional ones are set until you agree through the banner, and you can change your mind at any time. You can also block the lot in your browser settings, and the site will still work.

Contents

  1. What cookies are
  2. Why we use them
  3. Strictly necessary cookies
  4. Analytics cookies
  5. Advertising cookies
  6. Affiliate tracking
  7. Giving and withdrawing consent
  8. Controlling cookies in your browser
  9. Opting out of personalised ads
  10. Do Not Track and Global Privacy Control
  11. What happens if you block them
  12. Changes to this policy
  13. How to contact us

1.What cookies are

A cookie is a small text file that a website asks your browser to store. When you return, the browser sends it back, which lets the site recognise the browser. Similar technologies, including local storage, pixels and tracking scripts, do comparable jobs, and everything said here about cookies applies to those too.

First-party cookies are set by thesoftwarescribe.com. Third-party cookies are set by other companies whose services appear on our pages, mainly Google. We do not control what third parties do with the data their cookies collect.

2.Why we use them

Three reasons, and no others. To make the site function, including remembering your cookie choice. To count how many people read each article, so we know what to write next. And to serve the advertising that funds the publication.

We do not use cookies to build profiles of individual readers, and we do not sell cookie data.

3.Strictly necessary cookies

These are required for the site to work and for us to record your privacy choices. They are set without consent because the site cannot function without them.

CookieSet byPurposeExpires
cmplz_*This siteStores which cookie categories you consented to, so the banner stops asking365 days
wordpress_test_cookieThis siteChecks whether your browser accepts cookiesSession
wp-settings-*This siteRemembers admin interface preferences. Set only for logged-in team members1 year
__cf_bmCloudflareDistinguishes human visitors from bots, for security and delivery30 minutes

4.Analytics cookies

We use Google Analytics 4 to measure readership. It tells us how many people opened an article, roughly where in the world they were, what device they used and how they found us. We do not use it to identify individuals, and we do not combine it with anything you send us by email.

CookieSet byPurposeExpires
_gaGoogleAssigns a random identifier to distinguish one browser from another2 years
_ga_*GoogleHolds session state for our specific Analytics property2 years

Google’s handling of this data is described in its privacy policy. You can block Analytics on every site you visit using the Google Analytics opt-out browser add-on.

5.Advertising cookies

We use Google AdSense to display advertising. Google and its partner vendors set cookies to select which ads you see, to limit how often you see the same one, and to measure whether an ad worked. Where you have consented, those selections may be based on your visits to this site and to other sites across the internet.

CookieSet byPurposeExpires
__gadsGoogleMeasures ad performance and limits repeat impressionsAbout 13 months
__gpiGoogleCollects information for ad personalisationAbout 13 months
IDEGoogle (doubleclick.net)Records ad interactions to measure effectivenessAbout 13 months
test_cookieGoogle (doubleclick.net)Checks whether your browser supports cookies15 minutes

Third-party vendors other than Google may also serve ads here and set their own cookies. How Google uses data from sites that use its services is explained at policies.google.com/technologies/partner-sites, and its advertising practices at policies.google.com/technologies/ads.

6.Affiliate tracking

Some links to software products are affiliate links. When you click one, the affiliate network usually sets a cookie on the vendor’s site so a later signup can be credited to us. That cookie is set by the network, not by us, and it is governed by their policy rather than this one.

The arrangement is explained in our affiliate disclosure.

7.Giving and withdrawing consent

If you are in the European Economic Area, the United Kingdom or another region with equivalent rules, analytics and advertising cookies are not set until you accept them through the banner shown on your first visit. Only the strictly necessary cookies in section 3 are set before that.

You can change or withdraw your choice at any time using the cookie settings link in our footer. Withdrawing consent stops future personalised advertising, but you will still see non-personalised ads, and it does not delete cookies already stored. Clear those in your browser settings as described below.

8.Controlling cookies in your browser

Every browser lets you block or delete cookies, independently of anything on this site. The setting is usually found under privacy or site data:

  • Chrome: Settings, then Privacy and security, then Third-party cookies
  • Safari: Settings or Preferences, then Privacy
  • Firefox: Settings, then Privacy & Security
  • Edge: Settings, then Cookies and site permissions

Menu names change between versions, so search your browser’s own help if the path differs. Private or incognito windows discard cookies when you close them.

9.Opting out of personalised ads

Separately from our banner, you can opt out of personalised advertising across many sites at once:

  • Google My Ad Center, for advertising served by Google
  • aboutads.info/choices, for participating vendors
  • optout.networkadvertising.org, for Network Advertising Initiative members

10.Do Not Track and Global Privacy Control

There is still no common standard for how sites should respond to a browser’s Do Not Track signal, and we do not currently respond to it. We do honour Global Privacy Control signals where the law requires us to.

11.What happens if you block them

Nothing important. Articles, tables, search and navigation all work with every optional cookie blocked. You will still see advertising, but it will be generic rather than relevant to you, and we will have no record that you visited. The only real effect is that our readership figures under-count you.

12.Changes to this policy

We update this page when we add or remove a service that sets cookies, and we re-scan the site periodically to keep the tables above accurate. The date at the top shows the current version.

13.How to contact us

For any question about cookies or data on this site, write to us. The Software Scribe is published by KCS Groups, trading as KCS Global Group.

KCS Global Group
2nd Floor, Shop No. 22, 19/22
Maitri Nagar, Risali – 490006
District Durg, Chhattisgarh, India
info@thesoftwarescribe.com

See also our privacy policy, terms of service and disclaimer.

Scroll to top
The Software Scribe

Independent reviews of business software, written by people who opened the account, ran the same task list on every product, and tested the export before recommending anything.

contact@thesoftwarescribe.com

Site

  • Home
  • How we test
  • Editorial policy
  • Corrections
  • About us
  • Contact us
  • Articles

Legal

  • Privacy policy
  • Terms of service
  • Disclaimer
  • Cookie policy
  • Affiliate disclosure

Topics

  • Xero
  • Invoice Simple
  • Zoho Books

Some links on this site are affiliate links. If you sign up for a product through one, we may earn a commission at no extra cost to you. Commission does not influence our verdicts, our scores or our rankings, and no vendor sees a review before publication. Read our affiliate disclosure and editorial policy. Software pricing and features change often, so verify current details with the vendor before buying.

© 2026 The Software Scribe  ·  Published by KCS Global Group

Privacy Terms Disclaimer Cookies