Cookie Policy

What cookies Mortgage Advice Bureau use and why

Cookies are small text files, which often include a unique identifier that is sent by a web server to your computer, mobile phone or any other internet enabled device ("device") when you visit a website. Cookies are widely used in order to make websites work efficiently and help provide us with business and marketing information to enable us to make informed decisions on the development of our websites. We use the following types of cookies:

  • Essential — Necessary cookies help make a website usable by enabling basic functions like page navigation and access to secure areas of the website. The website cannot function properly without these cookies.
  • Performance — Performance cookies help owners understand how the website is used by visitors. This information can then be used to improve the way the website works.
  • Preference — Preference cookies enable a website to remember information that changes the way the website behaves or looks, like your preferred language or the region that you are in.
  • Statistics — Statistic cookies help website owners to understand how visitors interact with websites by collecting and reporting information anonymously.
  • Marketing — Marketing cookies are used to track visitors across websites. The intention is to display ads that are relevant and engaging for the individual user and thereby more valuable for publishers and third-party advertisers.

Cookies we use

NameDescriptionPurposeType
.AspNetCore.Antiforgery.#Helps prevent cyber-attacks in relation to Cross-Site Request Forgery (CSRF) attacks.EssentialSession
.AspNetCore.Mvc.CookieTempDataProviderPreserves the visitor's session state across page requests.EssentialSession
_cf_bmUsed to distinguish between humans and bots.Essential1 day
_cfuvidProvides services including load-balancing, content delivery and DNS for website operators.EssentialSession
_grecaptchaUsed to distinguish between humans and bots.EssentialPersistent
_GRECAPTCHAUsed to distinguish between humans and bots.Essential179 days
AI_bufferLimits the number of server updates and helps detect duplicate server updates.EssentialSession
AI_sentBufferLimits the number of server updates and helps detect duplicate server updates.EssentialSession
ai_sessionPreserves the visitor's session state across page requests.EssentialSession
ARRAffinityDistributes traffic across servers to optimise response times.EssentialSession
ARRAffinitySameSiteDistributes traffic across servers to optimise response times.EssentialSession
AWSALBRegisters which server-cluster is serving the visitor (load balancing).Essential7 days
AWSALBCORSRegisters which server-cluster is serving the visitor (load balancing).Essential7 days
AWSELBDistributes traffic across servers to optimise response times.EssentialSession
AWSELBCORSRegisters which server-cluster is serving the visitor (load balancing).EssentialSession
CookieConsentStores the user's cookie consent state for the current domain.Essential1 year
optimizelyRumLBDistributes traffic across servers to optimise response times.EssentialSession
rc::a / rc::b / rc::c / rc::fUsed to distinguish between humans and bots.EssentialSession / Persistent
UMB_SESSIONStores the domain prefix to determine whether it holds https or http URL properties.EssentialSession
currentDeviceUsed by the Affordability Calculator tool to support functionality.EssentialPersistent
shadowIdUsed by the Affordability Calculator tool to support functionality.EssentialPersistent
TrackersUsed by the Affordability Calculator tool to support functionality.EssentialPersistent
userIdIdentifies users across devices and visits to optimise the chat-box function.EssentialPersistent
pod-browser-idIdentifies a user's browser and maintains session state across visits.EssentialSession
_hjSession_#Collects statistics on the visitor's visits to the website.Statistics1 day
_hjSessionUser_#Collects statistics on the visitor's visits to the website.Statistics1 year
_hjTLDTestRegisters statistical data on users' behaviour for internal analytics.StatisticsSession
ai_userMicrosoft cookie used to collect statistical usage and telemetry; recognises returning users over time.Statistics1 year
hjActiveViewportIdsContains an ID string on the current session about subpages visited; used to optimise experience.StatisticsPersistent
hjViewportIdSaves the user's screen size to adjust the size of images on the website.StatisticsSession
optimizely (event_queue / layer_states / session_state / tracker / variation_map / visitor_profile)Used as an A/B testing tool to test user responses.StatisticsPersistent
optimizelySessionIdentifies a browser during a limited session.EssentialSession
optimizelyEndUserIdMeasures how selected users react to targeted changes to determine which variation converts best.Statistics179 days
SHR_IDTracks visitors' navigation and interaction on the website for internal optimisation.StatisticsPersistent
ub-emb-GUID# / ub-emb-idRegisters a unique ID to generate statistical data and enable landing-page variations.StatisticsPersistent
vuidCollects data on the user's visits, such as which pages have been read.Statistics399 days
umbracoEngageAnalyticsVisitorIdRelates different page visits or sessions to the same visitor.Performance365 days
__Secure-ROLLOUT_TOKENUnclassified.Marketing180 days
NIDRegisters a unique ID that identifies a returning user's device for targeted advertisements.Marketing6 months
Podium.MortgageMatcher.SessionIdStores a unique session ID.Marketing1 day
VISITOR_INFO1_LIVEEstimates users' bandwidth on pages with integrated YouTube videos.Marketing179 days
YSCUsed by YouTube to log statistics on what YouTube videos the user has seen.MarketingSession
yt-remote-* (device-id, connected-devices, session-app, session-name, cast-available, cast-installed, fast-check-period)Stores the user's video player preferences using embedded YouTube video.MarketingSession / Persistent
remote_sid / TESTCOOKIESENABLED / LAST_RESULT_ENTRY_KEY / LogsDatabaseV2 / ServiceWorkerLogsDatabase / YtIdbMetaUsed for the implementation, functionality and tracking of embedded video content.MarketingSession / Persistent

How to withdraw consent to, control and/or delete cookies

It is possible to remove cookies or block them from recording this information. You also have the option of blocking third-party cookies only.

This option is generally found within the Options menu then Privacy section of your particular browser. Each browser is slightly different and constantly updating. For more information consult the Help menu of your browser. The links below provide information on how to manage cookies on popular browsers:

To find information relating to other browsers, visit the browser developer's website. This information has been provided to show our commitment to legislation regarding cookie awareness so that you can understand what cookies we use and why we use them. This ensures transparency in the data collected on you.

Further information

This policy was last updated 15th December 2025.