Cookies

1. What Are Cookies

Cookies are small text files stored on your device when you visit a website. They help the website remember your actions and preferences over time, so you do not have to re-enter information or reconfigure settings on every visit. A cookie contains a name, a value, an expiry date, and a domain, and it is sent back to the server that set it on every subsequent request to that domain.

At Pathrel, we take a deliberately minimal approach to cookies. The public catalogue sets no cookies at all, because reading a course or career page does not require the site to remember anything about you. This means there is no cookie banner, no consent popup, and nothing to accept or reject when you arrive. You can read every page on the site without a single cookie being set on your device.

This policy explains what cookies the signed-in areas of the platform use, why they exist, how long they last, and how you can control them. It also explains, for completeness, the types of cookies we deliberately do not use, so you can be confident about what is and is not happening on your device.

2. Our Cookie Philosophy

Most websites use cookies for advertising, analytics, and tracking. They embed Google Analytics to count visitors, they set advertising cookies to build a profile of your interests, and they embed social media widgets that track you across the web. We do not do any of this.

Pathrel does not run third-party advertising, does not embed tracking pixels from social media platforms, does not use Google Analytics or any other analytics platform that tracks user behaviour across pages, and does not use cookies to build a profile of your interests or reading habits. Our business model is subscriptions, not advertising, and we do not need to track you to make money.

The cookies we do use are strictly limited to what the platform needs to function, and they fall into two categories: essential cookies that make the service work, and functional cookies that remember your preferences. We do not use analytics, advertising, or tracking cookies of any kind, and we never will, regardless of how common they are on other websites.

3. Types of Cookies We Use

Essential Cookies

These cookies are strictly necessary for the signed-in parts of the platform to function. They cannot be disabled, and the platform would not work without them. If you block these cookies, you will not be able to sign in, use the AI Career Coach, save items to your shortlist, or access any account feature.

• Session cookie: Set when you sign in, this cookie identifies your session so the platform knows who you are as you move between pages. It is a first-party cookie, meaning it is set by pathrel.com and is not shared with any third party. It is deleted when you close your browser or sign out, and it does not persist across browser sessions.
• Authentication token: A signed token that proves you have authenticated successfully. It is stored as an HTTP-only cookie, which means JavaScript on the page cannot read it, reducing the risk of cross-site scripting attacks. The token is encrypted and signed with a secret key that rotates periodically.
• CSRF token: Protects against cross-site request forgery by ensuring that form submissions originate from the platform itself rather than from a malicious site that has embedded a form targeting us. This token rotates on each request and is validated on the server before any state-changing action is accepted.

Functional Cookies

These cookies enhance your experience by remembering your preferences. They are optional, and the platform works without them, though some convenience features may be lost. If you block these cookies, the platform will still function, but you may need to reconfigure your preferences each time you visit.

• Theme preference: Remembers whether you have selected light or dark mode, so the site loads in your preferred theme without a flash of the wrong one. This cookie persists for one year, so your theme choice is remembered across visits. If you have not selected a theme, the site follows your operating system's preference.
• Onboarding progress: If you are partway through a self-discovery assessment, your progress is saved so you can resume where you left off. This cookie is session-scoped and is deleted when you close your browser, though your progress is also saved server-side in your account, so you will not lose it even if the cookie is cleared.

4. Cookies We Do Not Use

To be explicit about what we do not do, the following cookie types are never set on Pathrel, and we have no plans to introduce them:

Advertising Cookies

We do not set cookies for ad targeting, retargeting, or audience building. We do not use Google Ads, Facebook Pixel, or any other advertising platform that sets tracking cookies. We do not embed advertising on the site, and we do not sell or share data with advertising networks.

Analytics Cookies

We do not use Google Analytics, Mixpanel, Amplitude, Hotjar, or similar analytics platforms that track user behaviour across pages. We do not set cookies to count page views, measure session duration, or track navigation paths. We measure platform health through server-side metrics that do not involve cookies, such as response times and error rates.

Social Media Cookies

We do not embed social media widgets, share buttons, or login buttons that set tracking cookies. We do not have Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, or Instagram integrations that would allow those platforms to track you on our site. If we add social sharing in the future, it will be through plain links rather than embedded widgets.

Third-Party Tracking Cookies

No third party sets cookies on your device when you visit Pathrel, except during the sign-in flow if you choose to sign in with Google or GitHub, as described in the next section. We do not embed third-party content that sets cookies, such as embedded videos, maps, or comment systems.

Persistent Tracking Cookies

We do not set cookies that remain on your device after you close your browser, except for your theme preference, which persists for one year. We do not use ever-persistent cookies, super-cookies, or fingerprinting techniques that attempt to identify you even after you clear your cookies.

5. Third-Party Services

While we do not set third-party cookies, some third-party services are integrated into the platform and may set their own cookies when you interact with them directly:

Authentication Providers

If you choose to sign in with Google or GitHub, those providers set their own cookies during the sign-in flow. Google sets cookies on google.com to manage the OAuth handshake, and GitHub sets cookies on github.com for the same purpose. These cookies are governed by the respective provider's privacy policy, not by this policy, and we have no control over them. We recommend reviewing Google's and GitHub's cookie policies if you use these sign-in methods.

We receive only your email address and, if available, your name from the provider. We do not receive your contacts, your posts, your repository contents, or any other data from the provider. The sign-in flow uses OAuth 2.0, which is the industry standard for secure delegated access, and we request only the minimum scopes needed to identify you.

Email Delivery

Resend, our email provider, may use tracking in transactional emails to detect opens and clicks. This is limited to sign-in links and catalogue update emails, and is used only to monitor delivery quality and detect bounce rates, not to profile you. If you prefer not to be tracked in email, you can disable image loading in your email client, which prevents tracking pixels from loading.

Payment Processing

Our payment provider may set cookies during the checkout flow to maintain session state and prevent fraud. These cookies are governed by the provider's own cookie policy, and we never receive or store your card details. The cookies set by the payment provider are limited to the checkout session and are deleted when the transaction is complete.

6. Cookie Duration

Each cookie we set has a specific lifetime, after which it is automatically deleted by your browser. Here is a summary of how long each cookie lasts:

• Session cookie: Deleted when you close your browser or sign out. It does not persist across browser sessions, so opening the site in a new window after closing your browser will require you to sign in again.
• Authentication token: Expires after a fixed period, typically seven days, after which you will need to sign in again. The token is refreshed during active sessions, so you will not be signed out while you are using the platform.
• Theme preference: Persists for one year, so your theme choice is remembered across visits. After one year, the cookie is deleted and the site will follow your operating system's preference until you choose a theme again.
• CSRF tokens: Rotate on every request and expire when your session ends. They are short-lived by design, and they do not accumulate on your device.
• Onboarding progress cookie: Session-scoped, deleted when you close your browser. Your progress is also saved server-side in your account, so clearing this cookie does not lose your work.

7. Managing Cookies

You have full control over cookies through your browser settings. Every major browser allows you to block, delete, inspect, or selectively allow cookies. Here is how to manage cookies in the most common browsers:

Browser Settings

• Chrome: Settings, Privacy and security, Cookies and other site data. You can block third-party cookies, block all cookies, or clear cookies on exit.
• Firefox: Settings, Privacy and Security, Cookies and Site Data. You can block cookies from specific sites, block all cookies, or clear cookies on exit.
• Safari: Preferences, Privacy, Cookies and website data. You can block all cookies, block third-party cookies, or allow cookies only from sites you visit.
• Edge: Settings, Cookies and site permissions, Cookies and site data. You can block cookies, clear cookies on exit, or allow cookies from specific sites.

Private Browsing

Using incognito or private browsing mode prevents cookies from being saved after you close the window. This is useful if you are on a shared computer and do not want your session or preferences to persist. The platform will work normally in private browsing, but you will need to sign in each time you open a new private window.

Do Not Track

If your browser sends a Do Not Track signal, we respect it for any optional cookies. Essential cookies are still required for the signed-in platform to function, because they are strictly necessary for the service you have requested. The public catalogue does not set any cookies at all, so Do Not Track has no effect on reading the catalogue.

Clearing Cookies

You can clear all cookies for pathrel.com at any time through your browser settings. This will sign you out, reset your theme preference, and clear any session data. The platform will continue to work, but you will need to sign in again and reconfigure your preferences. Clearing cookies does not delete your account or any data stored server-side, such as your shortlist or AI Coach conversations.

Please note that disabling essential cookies will prevent you from signing in and using account features. The public catalogue will continue to work, as it does not use cookies.

8. Cookie Consent

We do not show a cookie consent banner on this site because we do not use any cookies that require consent under the Kenya Data Protection Act, 2019, or the EU General Data Protection Regulation. The cookies we use are either strictly necessary for the service you have requested, in which case consent is not required, or they are functional and optional, in which case you can control them through your browser settings as described above.

If we ever introduce cookies that require consent, such as analytics or advertising cookies, we will add a consent banner at that time, and we will honour your choice. We will not introduce such cookies without first updating this policy and giving you notice.

9. Updates to This Policy

We may update this Cookie Policy from time to time to reflect changes in the cookies we use, the services we integrate with, or the legal requirements that apply to us. When we do:

• The "Last updated" date at the top of this page will reflect the most recent revision.
• Material changes, such as the introduction of a new cookie category or a new third-party service that sets cookies, will be communicated via email and platform notification at least fourteen days before taking effect.
• Continued use of the platform after changes take effect constitutes acceptance of the revised policy.
• Previous versions of this policy are available on request from [email protected].

We will not introduce a new category of cookie, such as analytics or advertising cookies, without first updating this policy and giving you notice and, where required, obtaining your consent.

10. Contact

For questions about our use of cookies, or to request more information about a specific cookie, please contact us:

• Email: [email protected]
• Postal address: Pathrel Limited, Nairobi, Kenya
• Response time: We aim to respond to cookie-related enquiries within five working days

If you are not satisfied with our response, you can complain to the Office of the Data Protection Commissioner (ODPC) at odpc.go.ke, which oversees data protection practices in Kenya, including the use of cookies and similar technologies.