Cookie Notice
Effective date: 01 April 2026
Last Updated: 06 April 2026
Click here for the previous version.
Table of Contents
1. Introduction
The Keywords Studios Group (“Keywords”, “we”, “us” and “our”) uses cookies on our website, www.keywordsstudios.com, and its sub-domains, including www.helpshift.com and other individual websites of Keywords (the “Website”). The information provided in this Cookie Notice is provided in addition to and should be read alongside our Privacy Notice, https://www.helpshift.com/legal/privacy
The purpose of the Cookie Notice is to provide you, a visitor of the Website, with clear information about what these technologies are, the purposes for which Keywords uses cookies, durations of their use and the choices you have when it comes to managing your cookie settings.
2. About Cookies
Cookies are small text files that are placed within your browser or on your computer or mobile device by websites that you visit. There are other similar techniques to cookies such as flash cookies, web beacons, small graphic files (pixel) and an additional HTML5 (local) storage in your browser. These techniques function in a similar manner to cookies. Where we refer to “cookies” in this Cookie Notice, we also mean these other technologies that operate in a similar manner as cookies. They are widely used to make websites work, or work more efficiently, as well as to provide web services and functionalities for visitors.
Cookies perform many different functions, like letting you navigate between pages efficiently, remembering your preferences, and improving your visitor experience. They can also help to ensure that ads you see online are more relevant to you and your interests.
3. Types of Cookies
Purpose of Cookies
Cookies can be categorized according to the use that they are put to. We use cookies for the following purposes:
- Strictly Necessary cookies. Required for the Website’s operation and functionality. They include, for example, cookies that enable you to set your privacy preferences, fill in forms or display our Website properly on your screen.
- Functionality cookies. Used to recognize you when you return to the Website. This enables us to personalize our content for you and remember your preferences (for example, your choice of language or region).
- Performance cookies. Allow us to recognise and count the number of visitors and to see how visitors move around the Website when they are using it. This helps us to improve the way the Website works, for example, by ensuring that visitors are finding what they are looking for easily.
- Advertising cookies. Used to help us better understand our advertising campaigns and how we can make these more relevant to you. We use these cookies to understand what you are interested on our website, and to identify what other sites may have directed you to us.
First/Third Party Cookies
Optional cookies may be ‘first party cookies’ or ‘third party cookies’:
- First party cookies are directly stored by the Website you visit.
- Third party cookies are set directly by domains that are not the Website that you are visiting.
4. Cookies Used on the Website
A complete list of the cookies we use in connection with the Website is set out in the table below, including recent updates from our latest site scan:
Strictly Necessary Cookies
These cookies are necessary for the website to function and cannot be switched off in our systems. They are usually only set in response to actions made by you which amount to a request for services, such as setting your privacy preferences, logging in or filling in forms. You can set your browser to block or alert you about these cookies, but some parts of the site will not then work. These cookies do not store any personally identifiable information.
| Name | Purpose | Who places the Cookie | Expiry |
|---|---|---|---|
| __cf_bm | Used to detect and mitigate automated bots to protect websites from malicious traffic. | Cloudflare | 30 minutes |
| OptanonConsent | Stores information about the categories of cookies the site uses and whether visitors have given or withdrawn consent. | OneTrust | 1 year |
| OptanonAlertBoxClosed | Set after visitors have seen a cookie information notice and in some cases only when they actively close the notice down. | OneTrust | 1 year |
Functionality Cookies
These cookies enable the website to provide enhanced functionality and personalisation. They may be set by us or by third party providers whose services we have added to our pages. If you do not allow these cookies then some or all of these services may not function properly.
| Name | Purpose | Who places the Cookie | Expiry |
|---|---|---|---|
| hubspokutk | This cookie keeps track of a visitor's identity. It is passed to HubSpot on form submission and used when deduplicating contacts. It contains an opaque GUID to represent the current visitor. | Keywords | 6 months |
| MUID | This cookie is used by Microsoft Clarity as a unique identifier. The cookie is set by embedded Microsoft scripts. The purpose of this cookie is to synchronise the ID across many different Microsoft domains to enable user tracking. | Microsoft Clarity | 1 year |
| CLID | This cookie is installed by Microsoft Clarity and stores information about how visitors use the website. The cookie contributes to the creation of an analysis report. The data collection includes numbers of visitors, where they visit the website from and pages visited on the website | Microsoft Clarity | 1 year |
| MR, ANONCHK, SM | This cookie is used as a unique identifier, for storing the session ID for a user, and to synchronise the MUID across domains. This cookie ensures that clicks from advertisement on the Bing search engine are verified and it is used for reporting purposes and for personalisation | Microsoft Clarity | 10 minutes |
| cookietest | Used to check to see if the browser is set to block or allow cookies. | HubSpot | Session |
Performance Cookies
These cookies allow us to count visits and traffic sources so we can measure and improve the performance of our site. They help us to know which pages are the most and least popular and see how visitors move around the site. All information these cookies collect is aggregated and therefore anonymous. If you do not allow these cookies we will not know when you have visited our site, and will not be able to monitor its performance.
| Name | Purpose | Who places the Cookie | Expiry |
|---|---|---|---|
| __hstc | It is the main cookie for tracking visitors. It contains the domain, hubspotutk, initial timestamp (first visit), last timestamp (last visit), current timestamp (this visit), and session number (increments for each subsequent session). | HubSpot | 6 months |
| __hssc | Used to determine if HubSpot should increment the session number and timestamps in the __hstc cookie. It contains the domain, viewCount (increments each pageView in a session), and session start timestamp. | HubSpot | 30 minutes |
| _ga | ID used to identify visitors. | 24 months | |
| _cfuvid | This cookie is used for purposes of tracking users across sessions to optimize user experience by maintaining session consistency and providing personalized services. | HubSpot (formerly Vimeo) | Session (i.e. expires when you close your browser) |
| _clsk | Used by Microsoft Clarity to connect multiple page views by a user into a single session recording. | Microsft Clarity | Session |
| _clck | Collects information about how visitors interact with the website to create reports and improve the site. | Microsft Clarity | 1 year |
| _hssrc | Used by HubSpot for website analytics. | HubSpot | Session |
| _pk_id* | Used by Piwik to track visitor behaviour, measure site performance, and hold visitor properties. | Piwik | 1 year |
| _hssrc | Used by HubSpot for website analytics. | HubSpot | Session |
| _pk_ses* | Used by Piwik to show the visitor's active session. | Piwik | Session |
| _pk_ref.* | Used by Piwik to attribute the referrer or campaign that brought the visitor to the site. | Piwik | 6 months |
| _ga_xxxxxxxxxx | Used by Google Analytics to identify and track an individual session with your device. | 1 year | |
| _uetvid | Tracking cookie utilized by Microsoft Bing Ads to engage with a user that has previously visited. | Bing Ads | 1 year |
Targeting / Advertising Cookies
These cookies may be set through our site by our advertising partners. They may be used by those companies to build a profile of your interests and show you relevant adverts on other sites. They do not store directly personal information, but are based on uniquely identifying your browser and internet device. If you do not allow these cookies, you will experience less targeted advertising.
| Name | Purpose | Who places the Cookie | Expiry |
|---|---|---|---|
| AnalyticsSyncHistory | Used to store information about the time a sync took place with the lms_analytics cookie. | 30 days | |
| UserMatchHistory | LinkedIn Ads ID syncing. | 30 days | |
| bcookie | Browser identifier cookie used to uniquely identify devices accessing LinkedIn to detect abuse on the platform. | 1 year | |
| bscookie | Used for remembering that a logged in visitor is verified by two factor authentication and has previously logged in. | 1 year | |
| lidc | To facilitate data centre selection. | 24 hours | |
| _fbp | Identifies browsers for the purposes of providing advertising and site analytics services. | Meta | 90 days |
| _gcl_aw | Used by Google AdWords to attribute commission/experiment with advertisement efficiency. | 2 months | |
| _gcl_gs | Used by Google to store ad click information for conversion tracking. | Session | |
| _gcl_au | Used by Google AdSense for experimenting with advertisement efficiency. | Google AdSense | 2 months |
| GCL_AW_P | Used by Google for online advertising and tracking. | 2 months | |
| _uetsid | Used by Bing to determine what ads should be shown that may be relevant to the end user. | Bing | Session |
| SRM_B | Tracking cookie set by the Bing search engine. | Bing | 1 year |
| YSC | Tracks views of embedded videos and aggregates profile data for targeted advertising. | YouTube | Session |
| __Secure-YNID | Aggregates profile data from Google services for targeted advertising. | YouTube | 5 months |
| VISITOR_INFO1_LIVE | Unique identifier to track viewing of videos. | YouTube | 5 months |
| __Secure-YEC | Collects user data through embedded videos for targeted advertising. | YouTube | Session |
| VISITOR_PRIVACY_METADATA | Collects user data through embedded videos for targeted advertising. | YouTube | 5 months |
| __Secure-ROLLOUT_TOKEN | Collects user data through embedded videos for targeted advertising. | YouTube | 5 months |
| li_sugr | Tracks visitors across websites to profile interests and display targeted ads. | 2 months | |
| ar_debug | Associated with LinkedIn marketing services to provide retargeting for advertisers. | 1 month | |
| IDE | Used by DoubleClick (Google) for real-time bidding advertising exchange. | DoubleClick | 1 year |
| test_cookie | Used by DoubleClick (Google) to check if the user's browser supports cookies. | DoubleClick | Session |
| _GRECAPTCHA | Used by Google to track users extensively and profile interests for advertising. | 5 months |
5. Managing Cookies
Cookie Consent
We will only use cookies which are not strictly necessary for the operation of the Website with your prior consent. You can adjust or withdraw your consent regarding the use of such cookies using the cookies preference centre available on the Website at any time.
Browser Settings
The majority of browsers will allow you to alter the settings used for cookies and to disable and enable them as you require.
You can reject all cookies (except strictly necessary cookies) if you prefer not to receive them, and you can have your computer warn you whenever cookies are being used. You can delete the cookies that are already on your computer, and you can set your browser to prevent them from being placed. Disabling cookies may, however, prevent some web services (including on this Website) from working correctly. Please be aware that when you have set your computer to reject cookies, it can limit the functionality of the Website and it is possible that you will not have access to some of the features on the Website.
To disable cookies, or to receive a warning whenever cookies are being used, you must adjust your browser settings. You can adjust your browser settings to delete certain cookies. Visit the “help” section of your browser for how to manage your cookie settings, or follow the links below:
- Google Chrome: https://support.google.com/chrome/answer/95647?hl
- Safari: http://support.apple.com/kb/PH5042
- Edge: https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/microsoft-edge/delete-cookies-in-microsoft-edge-63947406-40ac-c3b8-57b9-2a946a29ae09
- Mozilla Firefox: https://support.mozilla.org/en-US/kb/clear-cookies-and-site-data-firefox
For further general information on cookies and more detailed advice on how to disable and enable them please go to http://www.allaboutcookies.org.
Opting-out of Third Party Ad Networks.
You have the ability to opt out of many third-party ad networks. For example, you may go to the Digital Advertising Alliance’s (“DAA”) Consumer Choice Page for information about opting out of interest-based advertising and their choices regarding having information used by DAA companies. You may also go to the Network Advertising Initiative’s (“NAI”) Consumer Opt-Out Page for information about opting out of interest-based advertising and their choices regarding having information used by NAI members.
Opting out from one or more companies listed on the DAA Consumer Choice Page or the NAI Consumer Opt-Out Page will opt you out from those companies’ delivery of interest-based content or ads to you, but it does not mean you will no longer receive any advertising through our Website or on other websites. You may continue to receive advertisements, for example, based on the particular website that you are viewing (i.e., contextually based ads). Also, if your browsers are configured to reject cookies when you opt out on the DAA or NAI websites, your opt out may not be effective. Additional information is available on the DAA’s website at http://optout.aboutads.info or the NAI’s website at http://optout.networkadvertising.org or if you want to disable cookies from specific parties, you can do so via: http://www.youronlinechoices.eu.
6. Changes to this Cookie Notice
Overall, we’re constantly trying to improve our Website, so we may need to change this Cookie Notice from time to time to reflect changes in technology, law, business operations or any other reason we determine is necessary or appropriate, but we will alert you to any material changes by placing a notice on the Website, by sending you an email and/or by some other means.
7. Contact Information
If you have any questions or queries about this Cookie Notice, please do not hesitate to contact us at:
- Phone: +353 1 902 2730;
- Email: [email protected]; or [email protected]
- Address: South County Business Park, Leopardstown, Dublin 18, D18 T9P8, Ireland.