Cookie Policy

1. What Are Cookies?

Cookies are small text files placed on your device (computer, tablet, or phone) when you visit a website. They are widely used to make websites work efficiently, remember your preferences, and provide information to site owners and advertisers. Cookies can be "first-party" (set by Puzz.com directly) or "third-party" (set by other services we use, such as Google AdSense or analytics providers).

We also use similar technologies such as local storage, session storage, pixel tags, and web beacons. For simplicity, we refer to all of these collectively as "cookies" in this policy.

2. Categories of Cookies We Use

2.1 Strictly Necessary Cookies

These cookies are essential for Puzz.com to function. Without them, parts of the site will not work correctly. They are always active and cannot be disabled through our settings.

• Session cookies — keep you signed in while you move between pages of Puzz.com.
• Security tokens — protect against cross-site request forgery (CSRF) and unauthorized access.
• Load balancing — route you consistently to the same server during a visit.

2.2 Preference Cookies

These cookies remember your choices and preferences so Puzz.com looks and behaves the way you like on return visits.

• Theme and display — dark mode vs light mode, font size.
• Language — your preferred language setting.
• Game settings — dictionary selection, difficulty level, tile placement defaults.
• Recent puzzles — keeps track of puzzles you have started or completed.

2.3 Analytics and Performance Cookies

These cookies help us understand how visitors interact with Puzz.com so we can measure performance and improve the experience.

• Google Analytics (GA4) — counts visitors, pageviews, session duration, bounce rate, and similar metrics. GA4 uses first-party cookies; data is processed by Google LLC.
• Internal telemetry — measures page load times, error rates, and crash reports to help us fix bugs.

2.4 Advertising Cookies

These cookies are used to deliver relevant advertising to you and to measure the effectiveness of ad campaigns. They are set by Puzz.com and by our advertising partners.

• Google AdSense — Google's advertising platform. Uses cookies and device identifiers to show ads based on your visits to Puzz.com and other sites on the Internet. See Google's ad technology policy for full details.
• Header-bidding partners — third-party ad networks that bid for ad inventory in real-time. Examples include PixFuture, AdPushup, Underdog Media, and Prebid-compatible demand partners. Each partner has its own privacy and cookie policy.
• Ad measurement — conversion tracking and frequency capping to avoid showing you the same ad repeatedly.

2.5 Social Media Cookies

If you share a puzzle or page from Puzz.com via a social network (Twitter, Facebook, Pinterest, etc.), that network may set its own cookies. Puzz.com does not control these cookies; please see the relevant social network's privacy policy for details.

3. How to Control Cookies

3.1 Browser settings

Most browsers allow you to view, manage, delete, and block cookies through their privacy or security settings. You can configure your browser to:

• Delete all cookies when you close the browser;
• Block all third-party cookies;
• Warn you before accepting any cookie;
• Completely disable cookies.

Please note that disabling cookies may affect the functionality of Puzz.com. You may lose access to saved preferences, be signed out, or experience degraded performance in the multiplayer lobby.

3.2 Opt out of personalized advertising

You can opt out of personalized (targeted) advertising through any of these industry-supported tools:

• Google Ads Settings — control how Google personalizes ads for you.
• Digital Advertising Alliance WebChoices — opt out of targeted advertising from participating companies.
• Your Online Choices (EU) — European opt-out tool for personalized ads.
• Network Advertising Initiative — opt out of targeted advertising from participating NAI members.

3.3 Do Not Track (DNT)

Puzz.com does not currently respond to browser "Do Not Track" signals because there is no industry consensus on how to interpret them. This may change as standards evolve.

4. Cookies from Third Parties

Some cookies on Puzz.com are set by third parties we partner with, including but not limited to:

• Google — AdSense, Analytics, reCAPTCHA, and YouTube embeds. Google's cookie policy.
• Cloudflare — security, performance, and DDoS protection. Cloudflare's privacy policy.
• Ad network partners — as described in Section 2.4.

Puzz.com does not control the cookies set by third parties. Please consult each provider's privacy policy for details on how they use cookies.

5. Changes to This Cookie Policy

We may update this Cookie Policy from time to time. When we do, we will revise the "Last updated" date at the top of this page. For significant changes, we will provide a more prominent notice (such as an email or an on-site banner). Your continued use of Puzz.com after any change constitutes your acceptance of the updated Cookie Policy.

6. Contact Us