Cookie Policy

Last updated: 2024-06-01

This Cookie Policy explains how SentrySill ("SentrySill", "we", "us", or "our"), operating at sentrysill.com, uses cookies, localStorage, and similar technologies when you visit our home security and surveillance review site. We built this policy to be plain and specific about what we store, why we store it, and how you can control it.

What Are Cookies and Local Storage?

Cookies are small text files placed on your device by websites you visit. Local storage (specifically, HTML5 localStorage) is a similar browser-based storage mechanism that allows a website to save small pieces of data directly in your browser, without an expiration date, until it is manually cleared. SentrySill uses both cookies and localStorage, depending on the function being performed.

When you first visit sentrysill.com, you will see a cookie consent banner asking whether you accept or decline non-essential cookies, such as analytics. Your response to this banner — either "Accept" or "Decline" — is saved in your browser's localStorage under a key associated with SentrySill's consent preferences.

This stored choice allows us to remember your preference so the banner does not reappear on every page load or future visit.
No personal profile, account, or identifying information is attached to this stored value — it simply records that you clicked "Accept" or "Decline" and the date of that choice.
This localStorage entry is considered strictly necessary to the functioning of the consent mechanism itself and is set regardless of whether you accept or decline optional cookies.

Essential Cookies and Storage

Some cookies and localStorage entries are necessary for the basic functioning of our site, such as remembering your consent preference, maintaining session security, enabling navigation, and ensuring pages render correctly. These essential items are not dependent on your consent choice because the site cannot function properly without them. We do not use essential cookies for advertising or profiling purposes.

Analytics Cookies

If — and only if — you click "Accept" on our consent banner, SentrySill will load analytics cookies to help us understand how visitors use our review articles, buying guides, and comparison pages. These analytics cookies allow us to see aggregated information such as:

Which pages and reviews are most frequently viewed
How long visitors typically spend reading an article
Which device types and browsers are commonly used
General geographic region (at a country or city level, not precise location)
How visitors arrived at our site (for example, via search engine or referral link)

If you click "Decline," these analytics cookies are not loaded at all, and no analytics data collection occurs through cookies on your device. Your localStorage will simply record that you declined, and the banner will not reappear.

Third-Party Analytics Providers

Our analytics cookies, when enabled by your consent, are served through third-party analytics providers. These providers may set their own cookies in your browser to collect usage statistics on our behalf. We use this data in aggregate and anonymized or pseudonymized form to improve our content, identify popular security camera and smart lock reviews, and refine site navigation. We do not sell this data, and we do not use analytics cookies to build individual advertising profiles for third-party marketing networks.

Because these cookies are set by third-party domains rather than sentrysill.com directly, their exact duration and technical behavior are governed by each respective provider's own cookie practices, which may change from time to time as providers update their services.

You are free to change your mind about analytics cookies at any time. Since your choice is stored in your browser's localStorage rather than in an account tied to your identity, you can withdraw or reset your consent using either of these methods:

Clear your browser storage: Use your browser's settings to clear cookies and site data (sometimes labeled "Clear browsing data," "Site settings," or "Privacy and security") specifically for sentrysill.com. This removes both the consent record and any analytics cookies, and the consent banner will reappear on your next visit so you can make a fresh choice.
Use private or incognito browsing: Browsing sentrysill.com in a private window prevents long-term storage of your consent choice and analytics cookies beyond that browsing session.
Adjust browser-level cookie settings: Most modern browsers allow you to block all third-party cookies or all cookies from specific sites, which will prevent analytics cookies from being set even if you click "Accept."

Please note that clearing your storage will also remove the record of your prior choice, meaning the consent banner will ask you again the next time you visit.

Browser Controls

In addition to our on-site consent banner, nearly all web browsers allow you to manage cookie and storage behavior at a system level. You can typically choose to block cookies entirely, delete existing cookies, or receive a notification whenever a cookie is being set. Consult your browser's help documentation for exact steps, as the process varies between Chrome, Firefox, Safari, Edge, and other browsers.

Do Not Track Signals

Some browsers offer a "Do Not Track" (DNT) signal. Because there is no uniform industry standard for interpreting DNT signals, SentrySill currently relies on the accept/decline choice made through our consent banner rather than automatically detecting DNT headers. We encourage privacy-conscious visitors to use the decline option and browser-level cookie blocking for the most reliable control over tracking.

We may update this Cookie Policy occasionally to reflect changes in the cookies and storage technologies we use, legal requirements, or our analytics providers. Any updates will be posted on this page with a revised "Last updated" date. We encourage you to review this page periodically.

Contact Us

If you have questions about this Cookie Policy or how SentrySill handles cookies and localStorage, please reach out through the contact information provided elsewhere on sentrysill.com.