On this page
- Introduction
- Table of Contents
- Executive Summary
- Purpose
- Scope
- Definitions
- What Cookies Are
- How ArcAnswer Uses Storage
- Cookie Types We Use
- Browser Storage: Local and Session
- Third-Party Cookies
- Consent
- Managing and Disabling Cookies
- Effect on Functionality
- Cookie Retention
- User Responsibilities
- Company Responsibilities
- Examples
- Frequently Asked Questions
- Contact Information
- Effective Date, Version, and Last Updated
- Future Policy Changes
- Conclusion
ArcAnswer, a product of Birchwood Group LLC
At a glance: The ArcAnswer extension relies on your browser's local storage rather than tracking cookies, and it does not follow you across the web. Our marketing website uses a small, clearly categorized set of cookies. This Cookie Policy explains what cookies and browser storage are, how we use them, and how you stay in control.
Introduction
This Cookie Policy explains how Birchwood Group LLC ("Birchwood Group," "we," "us," or "our") uses cookies, local storage, and similar technologies in connection with ArcAnswer, our premium, AI-powered Chrome extension for AI search readiness, and our marketing website. It is written to be understandable to everyone, not just specialists, while remaining thorough enough to satisfy privacy and consumer-protection laws such as the EU General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR), the ePrivacy Directive, and the California Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA/CPRA).
We believe transparency about browser storage is part of good digital citizenship. Many products bury this topic; we would rather explain it plainly so you can make informed choices about your data and online privacy.
This Cookie Policy should be read together with our Privacy Policy, which describes our broader data protection practices.
Table of Contents
- Executive Summary
- Purpose
- Scope
- Definitions
- What Cookies Are
- How ArcAnswer Uses Storage
- Cookie Types We Use
- Browser Storage: Local and Session
- Third-Party Cookies
- Consent
- Managing and Disabling Cookies
- Effect on Functionality
- Cookie Retention
- User Responsibilities
- Company Responsibilities
- Examples
- Frequently Asked Questions
- Contact Information
- Future Policy Changes
- Conclusion
Executive Summary
Cookies are small text files that websites store in your browser. Browser storage, such as local storage and session storage, serves similar purposes but is managed differently. ArcAnswer, the extension, uses your browser's local storage to remember your settings, usage counters, saved projects, and generated reports on your own device. It does not use cross-site tracking cookies to follow your browsing.
Our website may use a limited set of cookies grouped into clear categories: strictly necessary, functional, performance, analytics, preference, and security. You can accept or decline non-essential cookies, and you can manage cookies through your browser at any time. Declining non-essential cookies will not break core functionality, though it may reduce certain conveniences.
| Category | Essential? | Example purpose |
|---|---|---|
| Strictly necessary | Yes | Keep the site secure and functioning |
| Functional | No | Remember minor preferences |
| Performance | No | Understand load times and errors |
| Analytics | No | Aggregate, non-identifying usage insights |
| Preference | No | Remember display choices |
| Security | Yes | Protect against abuse and fraud |
Purpose
The purpose of this Cookie Policy is to help you understand which cookies and storage technologies are involved when you use ArcAnswer and our website, why they are used, and how to control them. Clear cookie disclosure supports your privacy rights, our legal compliance, and the trust that a premium software product should earn.
Scope
This Cookie Policy applies to:
- The ArcAnswer marketing website and related pages operated by Birchwood Group LLC.
- The browser storage used by the ArcAnswer extension on your device.
It does not apply to third-party websites you audit with ArcAnswer, which set their own cookies under their own policies, or to third-party services governed by their own cookie and privacy policies.
Definitions
| Term | Meaning |
|---|---|
| Cookie | A small text file a website stores in your browser to remember information |
| First-party cookie | A cookie set by the website you are visiting |
| Third-party cookie | A cookie set by a domain other than the one you are visiting |
| Session cookie | A cookie that expires when you close your browser |
| Persistent cookie | A cookie that remains until it expires or is deleted |
| Local storage | Browser storage that persists on your device until cleared |
| Session storage | Browser storage that clears when the tab or browser closes |
| Consent | Your informed, freely given agreement to non-essential cookies |
What Cookies Are
Cookies are small text files placed on your device when you visit a website. They allow a site to remember information between pages and visits, such as whether you are signed in, what you have added to a cart, or which language you prefer. Cookies are a normal and useful part of how the modern web works, but because some cookies can be used to track people across sites, privacy laws require clear disclosure and, for non-essential cookies, your consent.
Cookies can be categorized in two useful ways:
- By who sets them — first-party (set by the site you are on) or third-party (set by another domain).
- By how long they last — session cookies (cleared when you close the browser) or persistent cookies (which remain until they expire or you delete them).
Note: A cookie itself is just text. It cannot run programs, install software, or read files on your device. Its privacy impact depends on what information it stores and how that information is used.
How ArcAnswer Uses Storage
The ArcAnswer extension is deliberately built to avoid cross-site tracking. Instead of tracking cookies, it uses your browser's local storage (chrome.storage.local) to keep useful data on your own device.
The extension stores, locally:
- Settings and preferences, such as report branding options.
- Usage counters, so the free tier can enforce daily and monthly scan limits.
- Saved projects and reports, so your work persists between sessions.
- Subscription status, cached so the correct plan appears even when offline.
This data stays in your browser. It is not a tracking cookie, it is not shared across websites, and it is not transmitted to Birchwood Group LLC as part of using the extension.
Best practice: If you want to keep your saved projects and reports, export them before uninstalling the extension, because removing the extension clears its local storage.
Cookie Types We Use
On our marketing website, cookies (where used) fall into the categories below. We keep this list intentionally lean.
Necessary Cookies
Strictly necessary cookies are essential for the website to function and to remain secure. They enable core capabilities such as page navigation and protection against certain attacks. Because they are essential, they do not require consent, and the site cannot function properly without them.
Functional Cookies
Functional cookies remember choices you make to provide a smoother experience, such as remembering that you dismissed a notice. They are not essential, and declining them simply means some conveniences reset between visits.
Performance Cookies
Performance cookies help us understand how the website performs, for example by measuring page load times or capturing anonymized error information. This helps us keep the site fast and reliable.
Analytics Cookies
Analytics cookies help us understand, in aggregate, how visitors use our website, such as which pages are most helpful. We favor privacy-respecting analytics that avoid building individual profiles. These cookies are optional.
Preference Cookies
Preference cookies store display and interface choices, such as a preferred theme or region, so the site can present content the way you like.
Security Cookies
Security cookies help protect you and us from fraud and abuse, for example by helping detect unusual activity. They support the safety and integrity of the Service.
| Category | Consent required | Typical duration |
|---|---|---|
| Necessary | No | Session or short-lived |
| Security | No | Session to short persistent |
| Functional | Yes | Up to 12 months |
| Preference | Yes | Up to 12 months |
| Performance | Yes | Up to 12 months |
| Analytics | Yes | Up to 24 months |
Browser Storage: Local and Session
Beyond cookies, modern browsers offer storage mechanisms that serve similar purposes.
Local Storage
Local storage keeps data on your device until it is cleared. ArcAnswer uses local storage to remember your settings, usage counts, projects, and reports. Local storage is not automatically sent to servers with each request the way cookies are, which is one reason it suits an extension that keeps your data on your device.
Session Storage
Session storage keeps data only for the duration of a browser tab or session and is cleared when you close it. Where used, it holds temporary state that does not need to persist between visits.
Note: Because ArcAnswer's core data lives in local storage, you retain a high degree of control. Clearing the extension's data or removing the extension erases it.
Third-Party Cookies
We minimize third-party cookies. Where a third-party service is involved, such as our payment providers during checkout, that service may set cookies necessary for its own secure operation, governed by its own cookie and privacy policies. We do not permit third parties to use cookies on our surfaces to build advertising profiles of you.
Warning: Websites you audit with ArcAnswer are third parties with their own cookies and tracking. This Cookie Policy does not govern them; consult their policies for details.
Consent
Where the law requires it, we ask for your consent before setting non-essential cookies (functional, preference, performance, and analytics). You can grant or decline consent, and you can change your choice at any time. Strictly necessary and security cookies do not require consent because the Service cannot operate safely without them.
Your consent choices are recorded so we can honor them on future visits. Withdrawing consent does not affect the lawfulness of any processing that occurred before you withdrew it.
Managing and Disabling Cookies
You have several ways to control cookies and storage.
- Cookie controls on our website. Where a consent tool is presented, use it to accept or decline categories of non-essential cookies.
- Browser settings. All major browsers let you view, block, and delete cookies and clear site data. Consult your browser's help pages for instructions.
- Extension data. Manage ArcAnswer's local data by deleting projects and reports in the extension or by removing the extension.
Common browser controls include:
- Google Chrome: Settings, then Privacy and security, then Cookies and other site data.
- Microsoft Edge: Settings, then Cookies and site permissions.
- Mozilla Firefox: Settings, then Privacy and Security.
- Safari: Preferences, then Privacy.
Best practice: If you use a shared or public computer, clearing cookies and site data when you finish is a simple way to protect your privacy.
Effect on Functionality
Disabling cookies affects different features differently.
| If you disable | Likely effect |
|---|---|
| Necessary or security cookies | The website may not function or stay secure |
| Functional or preference cookies | Some conveniences reset between visits |
| Performance or analytics cookies | No user-facing change; we get less insight to improve |
| Extension local storage | Saved projects, reports, and settings are lost |
Declining optional cookies will not prevent you from reading our content or using the core Service.
Cookie Retention
Cookies persist for different periods depending on their purpose. Session cookies clear when you close your browser. Persistent cookies remain until they expire or you delete them, generally no longer than 24 months for analytics and 12 months for functional and preference cookies. Local storage used by the extension remains until you clear it or remove the extension. We periodically review durations to keep them no longer than necessary.
User Responsibilities
To manage your cookie privacy, we encourage you to:
- Review and set your cookie preferences where offered.
- Use your browser's controls to clear or block cookies as you prefer.
- Export extension data you wish to keep before clearing storage.
- Consult third-party policies for cookies set by other websites and services.
Company Responsibilities
Birchwood Group LLC commits to:
- Use the fewest cookies necessary and categorize them clearly.
- Request consent for non-essential cookies where required.
- Avoid using cookies to build advertising profiles of you.
- Honor your cookie choices and keep durations reasonable.
- Keep this Cookie Policy accurate and up to date.
Examples
Example 1 — Extension local storage. You save three projects in ArcAnswer. Their data lives in your browser's local storage. When you reopen the extension next week, your projects are still there, because they never left your device.
Example 2 — Declining analytics on the website. You visit our website and decline analytics cookies. You can still read every page and install the extension; we simply receive less aggregate insight about how the site is used.
Example 3 — Clearing data before uninstalling. Before removing ArcAnswer, you export your reports. After you uninstall, the extension's local storage is cleared, but you keep the exported files.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does the ArcAnswer extension use tracking cookies? No. It uses your browser's local storage to keep settings and work on your device, and it does not track you across websites.
Where are my projects and reports stored? In your browser's local storage on your own device, not on our servers.
Do I have to accept cookies to use the website? No. You can decline non-essential cookies and still use the site and install the extension.
Will disabling cookies break anything? Disabling necessary or security cookies may affect the website. Disabling optional cookies only reduces conveniences or our aggregate insights.
How do I delete the extension's stored data? Delete projects and reports inside the extension, or remove the extension to clear all local storage.
Do you share cookie data with advertisers? No. We do not use cookies to build or share advertising profiles.
Contact Information
- Privacy and cookies: privacy@bwg.llc
- Support: support@bwg.llc
- Company: Birchwood Group LLC, State of Florida, United States
- Websites: https://arcanswer.com and https://bwg.llc
Effective Date, Version, and Last Updated
- Effective Date: July 19, 2026
- Version: 2.0
- Last Updated: July 19, 2026
Future Policy Changes
We may update this Cookie Policy to reflect changes in technology, the cookies we use, or legal requirements. When we make material changes, we will update the "Last Updated" date and, where appropriate, present a refreshed consent notice. We encourage you to review this page periodically so you stay informed about how cookies and browser storage are used.
Conclusion
Cookies and browser storage are small technologies with a big impact on privacy, which is why we explain them plainly and use them sparingly. ArcAnswer keeps your work on your device, avoids cross-site tracking, and gives you real control over the cookies our website uses. If you have any questions about cookies, storage, or your choices, we are glad to help. Thank you for reading, and thank you for trusting ArcAnswer.