Cookies Policy
What cookies we use, why we use them, and how to control them.
1. What Are Cookies?
Cookies are small text files placed on your device by websites you visit. They are widely used to make websites work, work more efficiently, and provide information to the operators of the site. Cookies can be "session cookies" (deleted when you close your browser) or "persistent cookies" (remain on your device for a defined period or until you delete them).
Similar technologies — such as local storage, pixel tags, and fingerprinting scripts — serve comparable purposes. Where we use such technologies, we treat them the same as cookies under this policy.
2. Cookies We Use
KnowStage uses a minimal set of cookies. We do not use third-party advertising, retargeting, or cross-site tracking cookies of any kind.
2.1 Strictly Necessary Cookies
These cookies are essential for KnowStage to function. They cannot be disabled. No consent is required for these cookies.
| Cookie Name | Purpose | Duration | Party |
|---|---|---|---|
ks_session | Authenticates your session and keeps you signed in across pages. Set by Better-Auth. | 30 days (rolling) | First-party |
ks_csrf | Protects against Cross-Site Request Forgery (CSRF) attacks on authenticated requests. | Session | First-party |
ks_locale | Stores your language preference so pages render in your preferred language. | 1 year | First-party |
2.2 Functional Cookies
These cookies improve your experience by remembering your preferences. They are first-party only.
| Cookie Name | Purpose | Duration | Party |
|---|---|---|---|
ks_theme | Remembers your display preference (light mode, dark mode, or system default) so it persists across sessions. | 1 year | First-party |
ks_dismissed | Tracks which notification banners or onboarding prompts you have already dismissed so they do not reappear. | 90 days | First-party |
2.3 Analytics Cookies
We use privacy-respecting, first-party analytics to understand how visitors use KnowStage and to improve the platform. Our analytics solution:
- Does not share data with advertising networks
- Does not track users across different websites
- Anonymises or aggregates all data before processing
- Does not use fingerprinting or persistent cross-session identifiers
- Is self-hosted or uses a privacy-first provider (e.g., Plausible)
Because our analytics do not process personal data in a way that requires consent under the Ghana Data Protection Act or GDPR, we do not require you to opt in to these cookies. However, you may opt out at any time — see Section 4.
| Cookie / Signal | Purpose | Duration | Party |
|---|---|---|---|
_plausible (or equivalent) | Counts unique page views and events in an anonymised, aggregated manner. No personal data leaves our analytics environment. | Session / no persistent cookie | First-party |
2.4 Cookies We Do NOT Use
We explicitly confirm that KnowStage does not use:
- Third-party advertising or retargeting cookies (Google Ads, Meta Pixel, etc.)
- Cross-site tracking or behavioural profiling cookies
- Social media tracking pixels
- Heatmap or session-recording scripts that capture keystrokes or personal inputs
- Cookies set by external CDN providers for tracking purposes
3. Third-Party Services and Their Cookies
Certain third-party services embedded within KnowStage may set their own cookies. These are limited to the following and are subject to their respective privacy policies:
| Service | Purpose | Their Cookie Policy |
|---|---|---|
| Paystack | Secure payment checkout. Paystack may set session cookies on their hosted checkout pages only. These are strictly necessary for payment processing. | paystack.com/terms |
We are not responsible for the cookies set by third-party services. Please review their policies directly.
4. How to Manage and Control Cookies
4.1 Browser Controls
You can control and delete cookies through your browser settings. Most browsers allow you to:
- View which cookies have been set
- Block or delete cookies from specific sites
- Block all cookies (note: this will prevent you from signing in to KnowStage)
- Set preferences for first-party vs third-party cookies
Instructions for common browsers:
4.2 Opt Out of Analytics
If you wish to opt out of our privacy-respecting analytics entirely, you can:
- Enable "Do Not Track" (DNT) in your browser — we honour the DNT signal
- Install a browser extension such as uBlock Origin
- Email us at privacy@knowstage.com to request opt-out of analytics tracking associated with your account
4.3 Impact of Disabling Cookies
Disabling strictly necessary cookies will prevent you from signing in and using most features of KnowStage. Disabling functional cookies will mean your preferences (theme, dismissed banners) are not saved between sessions. Disabling analytics cookies has no impact on your use of the platform.
5. Cookie Consent
Under the Ghana Data Protection Act, 2012 (Act 843), and aligned with GDPR principles, we categorise our cookies as follows for consent purposes:
| Category | Consent Required? | Basis |
|---|---|---|
| Strictly Necessary | No | Legitimate interest / essential for service delivery |
| Functional | No | Legitimate interest (user experience improvement) |
| Analytics (privacy-respecting) | No | Legitimate interest / anonymised, no personal data |
| Advertising / Third-party tracking | N/A | We do not use these |
Because we do not use cookies that require explicit consent (e.g., advertising cookies), we do not display a consent banner. Should we introduce any cookies that require consent in the future, we will update this policy and introduce appropriate consent mechanisms.
6. Local Storage and Similar Technologies
In addition to cookies, KnowStage uses browser local storage and session storage for:
- Draft event data: temporarily saving unsaved form inputs so you do not lose progress if you accidentally navigate away
- UI state: sidebar collapsed/expanded state, filter selections
- Performance: caching static reference data (e.g., topic categories) to reduce API calls
This data is stored locally on your device and is not transmitted to our servers. You can clear it via your browser's developer tools or "Clear site data" option.
7. Updates to This Policy
We will update this Cookies Policy when we change the cookies we use. The "Last Updated" date at the top reflects when the most recent version was published. We will notify you of significant changes via the same channels described in our Privacy Policy.
8. Contact Us
If you have questions about our use of cookies or this policy, please contact: