Short version
Expats Ecuador uses one functional cookie for referral
attribution (yt_ref), plus infrastructure-level session cookies
set by Firebase Hosting. No analytics, no advertising pixels, no third-party
tracking. EU, EEA, and UK visitors see an opt-in consent banner before any
non-essential cookie is set. Anyone can revisit their choice via the
Cookie preferences link in the footer.
What's a cookie?
A cookie is a small text file a website stores in your browser. Cookies remember things like your preferences between visits, whether you're signed in, or, if the site uses tracking, your behaviour across pages.
Cookies we currently use
These are set by us (or services required to run the site):
| Cookie | Set by | Type | Purpose | Expires |
|---|---|---|---|---|
yt_ref | Expats Ecuador | Functional | Remembers a referral code if you arrived via a ?ref=YT-XXXX-XXXX link, so any later contact form submission can credit the referrer. Set only after you accept (EU visitors) or by default (non-EU). The value is a referral code, not a personal identifier. | 30 days |
ee-cookie-consent | Expats Ecuador | Functional | Stores your cookie choice (Accept or Essential only) so the banner doesn't re-prompt every visit. | Until you change it via Cookie preferences in the footer |
ee-cc-country, ee-cc-country-at | Expats Ecuador | Functional | Cached country code (from Cloudflare's free geolocation lookup) so we don't re-detect on every page load. Two-letter country code only. | 30 days |
| Firebase Hosting session cookies | Google (Firebase) | Essential | Infrastructure session identifiers. No user tracking. | Session |
What we don't use (yet)
- Analytics: no Google Analytics, Plausible, or similar.
- Advertising: no Meta Pixel, Google Ads, or retargeting tags.
- Social embeds: no Facebook Like button, Twitter widgets, these typically set tracking cookies. If we embed social content in the future, we'll use privacy-preserving alternatives.
What happens if we add analytics later
We're considering adding a privacy-first analytics tool (something like Plausible, cookieless, no cross-site tracking) once we have higher traffic volumes to make use of it. If we add anything that sets a non-essential cookie, we will:
- Update this page with the cookie's name, purpose, and expiry
- Update the Privacy Policy
- Show an opt-in banner before setting the cookie
- Let you change your mind any time (full opt-out without consequence)
Changing your choice
Click Cookie preferences at the bottom of any page. The consent banner will reopen and you can switch between Accept and Essential only at any time, regardless of where you're visiting from.
How to control cookies in your browser
You can clear cookies and change acceptance settings in every major browser. Here's how:
Blocking essential cookies may break parts of the site (e.g. Cloudflare's bot-filter may serve you a challenge page). Blocking anything else has no effect on us today.
Questions
Email info@yapatree.com with the subject "Cookie question" and we'll reply.