We put small files (known as “cookies”) onto your computer to collect information about how you browse the site. The following is a description of what data we collect when you use this website and what we use it for.
The information we collect does not include personal details such as your name, age, telephone number, postal address or email address, nor does it allow personal identification of a user.
Cookies that measure website use
We use Google Analytics and Hotjar software to collect anonymised information about how you use ons.gov.uk. We do this to help make sure the site is meeting the needs of its users and to help us make improvements to the site.
Regardless of your choice, we do not allow Google or Hotjar to use or share the data about how you use this site.
Google Analytics stores information about:
- how you got to the site
- the pages you visit and how long you spend on them
- what you click on while you are visiting
Cookies set by Google Analytics
Name |
Purpose |
Expires |
---|---|---|
_ga |
Help us count how many people visit the website by tracking if you have visited before |
2 years |
_gid |
Help us count how many people visit the website by tracking if you have visited before |
24 hours |
Hotjar stores information about:
- whether you have participated in a Hotjar survey
- the way in which you interact with a page
- what you click on while you are visiting the site
Cookies set by Hotjar
Name |
Purpose |
Expires |
---|---|---|
_hjClosedSurveyInvites |
Tell us whether a Hotjar survey invite has been closed to stop it displaying again |
1 year |
_hjDonePolls |
Tell us whether a Hotjar feedback poll has been completed to stop the same poll reappearing |
1 year |
_hjMinimizedPolls |
Keep Hotjar feedback poll widgets minimised (once minimised by the user) when the user navigates through the website |
1 year |
_hjDoneTestersWidgets |
Set when a user submits information in the Hotjar recruit user testers widget. They stop the form reappearing once it has been completed |
1 year |
_hjIncludedInSample |
Lets Hotjar know whether a user is included in the sample for tracking user journeys to important pages on the website |
1 year |
_hjShownFeedbackMessage |
Set when a user minimises or completes a Hotjar feedback survey. The survey will stay minimised if the user navigates to a page where it is set to show |
1 year |
_hjid |
Help us track users who visit the website multiple times. A unique Hotjar user ID is used to link their visits together |
1 year |
_hjRecordingLastActivity |
Updated when a user recording starts and when a user performs an action on a page that Hotjar records. Found in sessionStorage rather than cookies |
Per session |
hjTLDTest |
Stored temporarily and used to determine the root (or top-level) domain so that tracking works on all pages |
Per session |
_hjUserAttributesHash |
Store user attributes during a user’s browser session so Hotjar knows when an attribute has changed and needs to be updated |
Per session |
_hjCachedUserAttributes |
Store user attributes that are sent through the Hotjar identify API whenever the user is not in the sample. Attributes are only saved if the user interacts with a feedback tool |
Per session |
_hjLocalStorageTest |
Used to check if the Hotjar tracking script can use local browser storage |
Per session |
For further details, please see Google’s privacy policy, and Hotjar’s privacy policy.
Strictly necessary cookies
Time series tool
The time series tool helps users select and download multiple time series datasets from the website.
The time series tool stores information about:
- any time series you have selected
- any time series you have added to your basket
Cookies set by the time series tool
Name |
Purpose |
Expires |
---|---|---|
rememberBasket |
Stores whether you have saved your basket |
10 years |
timeseriesbasket |
Stores the time series you have selected |
10 years |
Cookies message
You may see a banner when you visit the website inviting you to accept cookies or review your settings. This cookies message stores information about your cookie consent settings.
We will set cookies so that your computer knows you have seen the message and will not show it again. They will also store your settings.
Cookies set by the ONS website
Name |
Purpose |
Expires |
---|---|---|
cookies_policy |
Saves your cookie consent settings |
1 year |
cookies_preferences_set |
Tells us that you have saved your cookie consent settings |
1 year |
Cloudflare
We use Cloudflare to cache content on the ONS website. This is to improve performance and identify bot traffic and potential security threats. Read more in the Cloudflare cookies policy.
Cookies set by the ONS website
Name |
Purpose |
Expires |
---|---|---|
__cf_bm |
Identifies when a user is active or inactive on the ONS website. |
After 30 minutes of continuous inactivity |
_cfuvid |
Used by the rate limiting provided by Cloudflare to identify unique visitors. Users that do not provide the cookie may be grouped together with other users, which may increase the likelihood of them being rate limited (or blocked) from accessing our services. |
Per session |
cf_clearance |
Used by the challenge screen presented by Cloudflare to store if a user has successfully completed the validation that a user is human. The challenge screen can be displayed to users in response to suspicious behaviour and suspected attacks. |
30 minutes |
On-site search
We are constantly improving the ONS website to ensure that we are meeting the needs of our users. This includes testing new features on the live website so that we can get valuable user feedback.
We will set cookies to help us direct a percentage of ONS website users to our new on-site search. This is currently in Beta development and testing.
Cookies set by the ONS website
Name |
Purpose |
Expires |
---|---|---|
ab_test |
Directs a percentage of ONS website users to the new site search |
24 hours |