Legal
Cookie Policy
How we use cookies and similar technologies on our site.
ForgeTheStack LLC operates the Forge The Stack website.
Last updated: October 20, 2026
What Are Cookies?
Cookies are small text files placed on your device when you visit a website. They help the site remember your preferences, keep you signed in, and understand how you use the site.
Cookies We Use
Essential Cookies
Required for the site to function. These cannot be disabled.
next-auth.session-tokenKeeps you signed in to the client portal (up to 30 days)next-auth.csrf-tokenProtects against cross-site request forgery (session length)next-auth.callback-urlRemembers where to redirect after sign-in (short-lived)Analytics Cookies
Help us understand how visitors use our site.
The site includes Google Analytics and Microsoft Clarity after analytics consent, plus PostHog, Vercel Analytics, and Vercel Speed Insights when enabled by deployment configuration. Google Analytics records page views, engagement, and Forge events for CTA clicks, qualification submissions, booked calls, quiz and project-wizard milestones, and website-audit milestones. Those custom events use allowlisted context parameters only: CTA ID and placement, funnel stage, quiz variant or page, static source, and selected-goal or feature counts. They do not send form text, contact details, CTA destinations, user-submitted URLs, budgets, estimates, booking times, or raw project selections. These tools may use cookies, local storage, or other identifiers; storage names and lifetimes depend on the active provider configuration.
- Google Analytics and Microsoft Clarity are loaded only after you accept optional analytics in the consent banner.
- Clarity creates heatmaps and session recordings on selected public marketing routes. It is not initialized on other routes; if you navigate there from an eligible route, the page is masked and Clarity receives denied storage consent. Microsoft may process limited, non-persistent data in that mode.
- PostHog page views, page exits, and custom marketing events are active independently of the Google Analytics choice. Custom events can record CTA destinations, qualification and project selections, estimate ranges or totals, booking interest, and audit source, website host, and score. Server-side PostHog events cover contact, audit, booking, lead conversion, and QR scans; they can include an email or internal record identifier and event-specific details such as contact name/business, selected options, a submitted audit URL, booking service/time, conversion revenue/source, or QR campaign data. Contact analytics do not include message text, phone number, or uploaded-file contents.
- Vercel Analytics and Speed Insights are mounted at the site level when enabled by deployment configuration and are not controlled by the Google Analytics choice.
The choice is stored in local storage under fts_cookie_consent until cleared, and in a first-party cookie with a 31,536,000-second (one-year) Max-Age.
Third-Party Services
Our site uses the following third-party services. Their use and storage behavior may vary with configuration:
Managing Cookies
Google Analytics and Microsoft Clarity load only after you accept optional analytics in the on-site banner. Clarity is limited to selected public marketing routes; it is not initialized on other routes. If you navigate there from an eligible route, content is masked and storage consent is denied. Selecting Reject stores a rejection for Google Analytics and Clarity; it does not turn off PostHog page measurement, Vercel Analytics, or Vercel Speed Insights when those tools are enabled for the deployment.
You can control and delete cookies and local storage through your browser settings. Note that disabling essential cookies will prevent you from using the client portal and other authenticated features.
Most browsers allow you to: view cookies, delete individual or all cookies, block third-party cookies, and set cookie preferences per site.
For Google Analytics specifically, you can use Google's opt-out add-on: Google Analytics opt-out browser add-on
Contact
Questions about our use of cookies? Contact us at contact@forgethestack.com.