Cookie & Storage Notice

Factrail uses a small number of cookies and browser storage mechanisms. We do not use tracking pixels, fingerprinting, or hidden identifiers. The items we use fall into four categories:

• Session cookies (authentication)
• Analytics cookies (only when analytics is explicitly enabled)
• Local storage (UI preferences and guest session management)
• Session storage (temporary caches cleared when you close the tab)

Each is described in detail in the sections below.

These cookies are strictly necessary for the service to function. They cannot be disabled without breaking core features.

Analytics is disabled by default. Analytics cookies are only set when the environment variable ENABLE_ANALYTICS is explicitly set to true by the service operator. When analytics is disabled, no analytics cookies are created and no data is sent to analytics providers.

When analytics is enabled, the following providers may set cookies:

When analytics is enabled, we do not send email addresses, passwords, or other account credentials to analytics providers. Email existence is represented only as a boolean flag.

In addition to cookies, we use standard browser storage APIs for functional purposes. These are not cookies and are never sent to our servers in HTTP requests.

Local Storage

Data persists until explicitly cleared by you or by the application.

• Guest merge ID: A temporary identifier used to merge guest investigation data into your account if you later sign up.
• Sidebar UI state: Remembers whether the sidebar is expanded or collapsed, so the interface feels consistent between visits.
• PostHog data (only when analytics is enabled): Anonymous device identifier and event queue used by the PostHog SDK.

Session Storage

Data is automatically cleared when you close the browser tab. We use session storage for short-lived caches that improve performance:

• Avatar cache: Caches fetched avatar images for entities to avoid redundant network requests.
• Navigation state: Preserves scroll position and view state when navigating between pages.
• Wikipedia prefetch cache: Temporarily stores pre-fetched entity summaries to improve page load speed.

You have several options for controlling cookies and storage:

• Browser settings: All modern browsers allow you to block or delete cookies, and clear local/session storage. Note that blocking essential cookies will prevent you from signing in.
• Do Not Track: We respect the DNT browser signal. When your browser sends a DNT header and analytics is enabled, analytics tracking is suppressed for your session.
• Analytics opt-out: Since analytics is disabled by default, most users will never encounter analytics cookies. If analytics has been enabled for your instance, you can use your browser's cookie controls or a PostHog opt-out mechanism to prevent analytics data collection.

We do not currently provide a cookie consent banner because essential cookies are strictly necessary (no consent required under most frameworks) and analytics cookies are disabled by default. If analytics is enabled, consent mechanisms may be implemented as appropriate for the applicable jurisdiction.

If you have questions about our use of cookies or browser storage, contact us at [PRIVACY_CONTACT_EMAIL].

For broader information about how we handle your data, see our Privacy Policy.