Skip to main content
ShortZen
Start free

Cookie Policy

Last updated: 24 August 2026

ShortZen uses the smallest possible set of cookies: essential ones only. This policy explains what we use and why.

On this page

Our approach

In short

As few cookies as the service can run on. No advertising or cross-site tracking, and link analytics set nothing in a visitor’s browser unless the workspace switches Audience analytics on.

We designed ShortZen to need as few cookies as possible. We do not use advertising or cross-site tracking cookies. Link analytics are cookieless by default: visitors to your short links are not given a tracking cookie unless the workspace that owns the link has opted into Audience analytics.

Essential cookies

In short

Signing in, staying past a link’s password gate, and blocking abusive traffic. The one optional cookie is `sz_vid`, and only a workspace that opted in ever sets it.

Authentication and session cookies (set by our identity provider, Clerk) keep you signed in to the dashboard.

A short-lived access cookie is set only when you successfully unlock a password-protected link, so you are not asked for the password on every visit.

When a workspace has opted into Audience analytics, we set `sz_vid` on the short domain (HttpOnly, Secure on production, SameSite=Lax, one year). It is a random identifier, not a name or email. We store only a keyed hash of it with the workspace id. Workspaces that have not opted in never receive this cookie.

Security cookies help us prevent fraud and abusive automated traffic.

Preferences

In short

Your light or dark choice lives in your own browser and is never sent to us.

Your theme choice (light or dark) is stored in your browser's local storage, not a cookie, and never leaves your device.

Analytics

In short

Our own pages are measured without cookies, and link visits are counted in aggregate, unless a workspace has opted into Audience analytics.

Product analytics on our own public pages run without cookies: we record which pages are viewed and a small number of named product events, and nothing is stored in your browser to link one page view to the next. Product diagnostics and error monitoring are collected without advertising cookies. Link-visit analytics are aggregated. They are cookieless unless the workspace has opted into Audience analytics, in which case the `sz_vid` cookie described above is set.

Managing cookies

In short

You can block or clear cookies whenever you like, but the dashboard needs the essential ones to work.

Because we only use essential cookies, the dashboard will not function correctly if you block them. You can clear or block cookies in your browser settings at any time.

Questions about cookies? Email privacy@shortzen.io.