Cookies
Cookies and Website Traffic Analysis
When users enter the Science and Advice for Scottish Agriculture (SASA) website, their computers will automatically be issued with 'cookies'. Cookies are text files which identify users' computers to the SASA web server. The website then creates "session" cookies to store some of the preferences of users moving around the website, e.g. retaining a textsize preference. Cookies in themselves do not identify individual users but identify only the computer used.
Many websites do this to track traffic flows whenever users visit those websites.
The SASA website uses cookies to measure use of the website including number of visitors, how frequently pages are viewed, and how visitors got to the site. This helps to determine what is popular and can influence future content and development. For this purpose, SASA uses Google Analytics to measure and analyse usage of the website. The information collected by SASA will include IP Address, pages visited, browser type and operating system. The data will not be used to identify any user personally. Visit the Google Analytics website for more information.
Most recent web browsers allow you to control cookies. This can be done through the browser settings. To find out more about cookies, including how to manage and delete them in different browsers, visit the allaboutcookies website. You can also opt out of Google Analytics cookies.
Cookies used on our site
| Cookie File Name | Typical Content | Expires |
| has_js | Indicates that javascript is enabled. This is required for the website to function correctly. | At end of session |
| textsize | Number denoting the textsize preference while moving around the website - default is 80 | 4 months |
| cookie-agreed | Saves a message so that your device knows you’ve seen the cookie message and knows not to show it again. | 3 months |
Universal Analytics
| Cookie File Name | Typical Content | Expires |
| _ga | Used to count how many people visit this website. | 2 years |
| _gat | Used to manage the rate at which page view requests are made. | 10 minutes |
Google Analytics
| Cookie File Name | Typical Content | Expires |
| _utma | Like _ga, used to count how many visitors are new to this website or to a certain page. | 2 years |
| _utmb | This works with _utmc to calculate the average length of time a visitor spends on this website. | 30 minutes |
| _utmc | This works with _utmb to calculate when a visitor closes their browser. | End of browser session |
| _utmz | Used to see how a visitor reached this website (eg from another website or a search engine). | 6 months |
mySPUDS
| Name | Typical Content | Expires |
| username@sasa.gov.uk | This cookie is created when you log in to mySPUDS. It is used to authenticate your user details when logged in, allowing you to navigate from page to page without having to enter your log in details multiple times. Without this cookie, you will not be able to use mySPUDS. The cookie also saves search parameters. | 1 year |
Links
This Website contains links to other sites. Please be aware that SASA is not responsible for the privacy practices of such other sites. We encourage our users to be aware when they leave our site and to read the privacy statements of each and every Website that collects personally identifiable information. This privacy statement applies solely to information collected by this Website.
If you have any queries, please get in touch through the details in the Contact Us box on the right of this screen.
SASA
