1. What we currently use
CareerCaptain currently uses a limited set of storage and access technologies needed to keep you signed in, preserve functional preferences and maintain parts of the authenticated experience. We do not currently use advertising cookies or third-party analytics cookies in the CareerCaptain application.
2. Authentication cookie
session_id is an HTTP-only authentication cookie used to recognise an authenticated session.
- Purpose: sign-in, session continuity and account security.
- Typical lifetime: up to 30 days unless you log out or the session is otherwise invalidated.
- Settings: HTTP-only, SameSite=Lax, Path=/.
This cookie is necessary to provide the signed-in service requested by the user.
3. Local and session storage for functional continuity
CareerCaptain uses limited local browser storage to remember dashboard continuity information — a progress baseline and whether certain dashboard suggestions have been dismissed — and your chosen display theme (light, dark or automatic). This information stays in the browser unless removed by the user or by the application.
Clearing site data in your browser will remove this local state. It does not delete your CareerCaptain account or server-side career records.
If you open a CareerCaptain Campus invitation link containing an institution code, CareerCaptain may hold that code temporarily in session storage for the current browser tab while you create an account or log in. The application removes the code from the visible Campus Join URL after the page loads and does not carry it in the signup or login URL. The temporary value is removed after a successful Campus join and normally disappears when the tab session ends.
You can also object to this optional storage on this device using the control below. Disabling it clears the CareerCaptain dashboard baseline, dismissal values and saved theme choice, and prevents those features from recreating them while the preference remains set (a theme choice then lasts only for the current visit). Authentication remains unaffected.
Current setting: optional dashboard continuity storage is enabled on this device.
4. Product measurement
CareerCaptain records limited first-party product events on the server when authenticated users perform selected actions. This measurement layer does not itself read or write a separate analytics identifier on your device, does not require a third-party analytics cookie and is designed not to store prompt bodies or substantive career-record content in the event payload.
5. Future non-essential storage
If CareerCaptain introduces non-essential advertising, behavioural tracking or other storage/access technologies that require consent or a specific statutory objection mechanism, the relevant information and user controls will be introduced before those technologies are activated.
6. Managing storage
You can remove cookies, local storage and session storage through your browser or device settings. Removing the authentication cookie will sign you out. The in-page control above covers CareerCaptain's optional dashboard continuity storage without removing your authentication session. Browser-level controls can also restrict storage, although doing so may prevent authenticated features from working correctly.