Cookie Policy

What are cookies?

Cookies are small text files that are stored on your computer or mobile device when you visit a website. They allow the website to remember your actions and preferences (such as login, language, font size, and other display settings) for a certain period, so you don't have to re-enter them each time you return to the site or navigate from one page to another.

Cookies can be "persistent" or "session" cookies. Persistent cookies remain on your device until they are manually or automatically deleted, while session cookies are deleted when you close your browser.

How do we use cookies?

We use cookies for the following purposes:

• Necessary cookies: These cookies are essential for the functioning of our website and cannot be turned off in our systems. They are usually set only in response to actions taken by you that constitute a request for services, such as setting your privacy preferences or filling out forms. Our website cannot function properly without these cookies.
• Analytical/Performance cookies: These cookies, such as those from Google Analytics, allow us to recognize and count the number of visitors and to see how they move around our website. This helps us improve our website's functionality. These cookies are only activated if you 'Accept All' cookies via our consent banner.
• Functional cookies: These cookies are used to recognize you when you return to our website. This allows us to personalize our content for you and remember your preferences (e.g., language or region). Currently, we primarily use necessary and analytical cookies, with functional aspects managed through necessary cookies or explicit user choices.
• Consent Management cookies: These cookies record your choices regarding cookie consent made via our banner. They remember whether you have accepted all cookies or only necessary ones, and prevent the banner from reappearing on subsequent visits once a choice is made.

Your Choices via Our Consent Banner

When you first visit our website, you will see a cookie consent banner that allows you to make choices about the cookies we use:

• 'Accept All': By selecting this option, you consent to the use of all cookies described in this policy, including Necessary and Analytical cookies (like Google Analytics).
• 'Accept Necessary Only': By selecting this option, only Necessary cookies required for the basic functioning of the website will be active. Analytical and other non-essential cookies will not be used.

Cookies We Use and Your Consent

Our website uses the following types of cookies. Your choices on our cookie consent banner determine which of these are active:

• `biogard_consent_interaction_complete`: This cookie is set when you interact with our cookie consent banner by making a choice ('Accept All' or 'Accept Necessary Only'). It prevents the banner from reappearing on subsequent visits for the duration of the cookie. Purpose: Consent Management. Storage period: 365 days.
• `biogard_analytics_consent`: This cookie stores your preference for analytical cookies. It is set to 'granted' if you 'Accept All' cookies, or 'denied' if you 'Accept Necessary Only'. This cookie determines if Google Analytics and other analytical tools are active. Purpose: Consent Management & Analytics. Storage period: 365 days.
• Session ID cookie (e.g., `next-auth.session-token` or similar): Necessary cookie to maintain your session when navigating the site, especially if you log in or use interactive features. Purpose: Necessary. Storage period: Session (deleted when closing the browser) or as per authentication provider settings.
• Google Analytics cookies (e.g., `_ga`, `_gid`, `_gat_*`): Used to collect information about how visitors use our site, such as pages visited, time spent, and traffic sources. This data helps us improve site performance and user experience. These cookies are only set if you 'Accept All' via our cookie consent banner. Purpose: Analytics. Storage period: Varies (e.g., `_ga` up to 2 years, `_gid` for 24 hours, `_gat_*` for 1 minute to throttle request rate). For more details, refer to Google's documentation.

Our website may also include third-party features (e.g., video players, social media buttons if added in the future) that may set their own cookies. We have no control over these cookies and recommend that you check the websites of these third parties for more information about their cookies and how to manage them. Currently, our primary third-party analytical tool is Google Analytics, managed as described.

Cookies related to the AI assistant

Our website includes an AI assistant, accessible via the Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) page. When you use this feature, the following cookies may be set for its functionality:

• `aiRequestCount`: This cookie tracks the number of requests you have made to the AI assistant to ensure fair access for all users. Purpose: Functional/Necessary for AI feature. Storage period: 24 hours.
• `aiSessionId` (or similar session identifier for AI): This cookie helps maintain consistency in the conversation with the AI assistant during your session. Purpose: Functional/Necessary for AI feature. Storage period: Session (deleted when closing the browser).

For more information about the processing of data related to the AI assistant, please see our Privacy Policy.

Managing Your Cookie Preferences

You control your preferences for non-essential cookies (like analytical cookies) through our cookie consent banner presented on your first visit. If you choose 'Accept Necessary Only', analytical cookies will not be used. If you wish to change your consent preferences after making an initial choice, you can do so by clearing the cookies for our website (biogard.bg) in your browser settings. This will remove the `biogard_consent_interaction_complete` and `biogard_analytics_consent` cookies, causing the consent banner to reappear on your next visit, allowing you to make a new selection. Most web browsers also allow more general control over cookies through their settings. To find out more about cookies, including how to see what cookies have been set and how to manage and delete them, visit aboutcookies.org or allaboutcookies.org.

Please note that if you disable or refuse cookies, some parts of this website may become inaccessible or not function properly. Necessary cookies are essential for the site to work.

To manage and disable specific cookies directly in your browser, follow the instructions in your browser settings. Here are some useful links for popular browsers:

• Google Chrome
• Mozilla Firefox
• Microsoft Edge
• Safari

Changes to the cookie policy

We may update this Cookie Policy from time to time to reflect, for example, changes in the cookies we use or for other operational, legal, or regulatory reasons. Please visit this page regularly to stay informed about our latest policies regarding cookies.

Any changes to this Cookie Policy will be posted on this page and, if the changes are significant, we will provide a more prominent notice.