Last updated: 27 October 2026
This policy explains the cookies and similar technologies used on skillings.net, what each one does and how you can control them. It should be read with our Privacy Policy.
What cookies are
Cookies are small text files a website stores in your browser. Some are needed for the site to work; others help the site’s owner understand how it is used. “First-party” cookies are set by skillings.net; “third-party” cookies are set by another company’s service used on our pages.
How we use them
When you first visit, a banner asks whether you allow analytics cookies. Until you choose “Accept all”, or turn analytics on in “Choose”, only strictly necessary cookies are used, and the analytics tools below are not loaded at all. We do not use advertising, retargeting or social-media tracking cookies, and the banners on our site do not set cookies.
Strictly necessary (always on)
| Cookie | Set by | Purpose | Lasts |
|---|---|---|---|
| skl_consent | skillings.net | Remembers your cookie choice, so we do not ask on every page. | 180 days |
| wfwaf-authcookie-*, wf_loginalerted_* | skillings.net (Wordfence) | Security: protects the site’s firewall and sign-in. Set only for staff who sign in. | Up to 12 hours / session |
| wordpress_*, wordpress_logged_in_*, wp-settings-* | skillings.net (WordPress) | Keep staff signed in to edit the site. Not set for readers. | Session to 1 year |
Analytics (only with your permission)
| Cookie | Set by | Purpose | Lasts |
|---|---|---|---|
| _ga | Google Analytics | Distinguishes visitors so we can count readers and visits. | 2 years |
| _ga_<ID> | Google Analytics | Keeps track of the current visit. | 2 years |
| _clck | Microsoft Clarity | Identifies a returning browser so visits can be grouped. | 1 year |
| _clsk | Microsoft Clarity | Connects the page views of one visit into a single session. | 1 day |
| CLID, MUID, ANONCHK, SM | Microsoft Clarity (clarity.ms / c.bing.com) | Used by Clarity to identify the session and to check the data is genuine. | Session to 1 year |
Ahrefs Web Analytics, which we may also use to count visits, does not set cookies.
When you choose to play a video
Our videos are hosted on YouTube. Nothing loads from YouTube until you press play. The player then comes from YouTube’s privacy-enhanced domain (youtube-nocookie.com), which does not set cookies until you play the video; once it plays, YouTube may store information in your browser under Google’s own policies.
Changing your choice
- On our site: use “Cookie settings” at the bottom of any page, or the link at the top of this page. Turning analytics off stops them from that point; you can also delete existing cookies in your browser.
- In your browser: all browsers let you block or delete cookies. Blocking strictly necessary cookies may stop parts of the site working.
- Google Analytics: you can also install Google’s opt-out browser add-on.
- Global Privacy Control: if your browser sends a GPC signal, we treat it as a request to opt out where the law requires.
Changes and contact
We update this page when the cookies we use change. If a change needs your consent, the banner will ask you again. Questions: privacy@skillings.net, or CFX Network, LLC (Skillings Mining Review), PO Box 1203, Nokomis, FL 34274, United States.