Cookies and local preferences

The directory’s approach

Help3D Tools distinguishes necessary tools from optional statistics, which activate only after your consent. Before you choose, no analytics cookie is created; your choice is then remembered using a dedicated technical cookie. The optional rating feature uses the dedicated cookie described below only after an explicit request. The separate administration area uses the technical cookie described below. It uses browser local storage (localStorage) to remember the theme and language you explicitly choose. It includes no advertising tracking, embedded social content or videos loaded from other sites. Identifiers for optional statistics are described below. When enabled, the internal click counter sends only the tool ID and link type to the directory’s server, without cookies or persistent browser storage. A second counter receives only a page code and totals catalog views by day without recognising visitors. Both produce aggregate totals for this site without distinguishing or following visitors; details are in the Privacy Policy.

The five opening image compositions are selected randomly on every page load without saving the selection, creating identifiers or using sessionStorage. The same image may appear again.

Stored preferences

Theme · maker-theme

localStorage on tools.help3d.it. Contains “light” or “dark” after you select a theme, to preserve your requested display. Before a manual choice, the theme follows your device without saving a value.

Language · maker-language

localStorage on tools.help3d.it. Contains “it” or “en” after clicking the language selector, to reopen that language when you enter through the directory’s root address.

Both remain until changed or cleared with site data, with no automatic expiry. Your browser may also remove them. They contain no user identifier, are not used to follow you across websites and are not automatically included in HTTP requests.

Ratings cookie

When you request to rate, manage your rating or submit a report, the enabled feature sets h3d-review: a random value limited to this host and the /api/reviews.php path, with HttpOnly, SameSite=Strict and Secure on HTTPS. It is not created by simply browsing the directory or reading reviews. It lasts 180 days from activation or renewal through the feature and serves only to recognise this browser’s rating and protect submissions.

You can remove it in your browser settings. Blocking it prevents submission or management of ratings but does not prevent browsing. Clearing it does not delete submitted ratings and prevents the site from recognising them automatically: first remove the rating through Rate or contact Help3D. It is not reused for statistics, profiling or cross-site tracking. The Privacy Policy explains data, moderation and retention.

The Cloudflare Turnstile check loads only through Start verification. Pre-clearance is not enabled for this integration: it does not request a cf_clearance cookie to pass further website checks. Any infrastructure cookies described below remain separate. See the Turnstile Privacy Addendum for the technical signals processed by the provider.

Suggest a tool form

The form does not create identifying cookies or persistent browser storage. The Cloudflare Turnstile check starts on request through Start verification, as with ratings. Pre-clearance is not enabled for this integration. Submitted data, review and retention are described in the Privacy Policy.

Technical administration cookie

When the private /admin/ path is opened, the server sets __Secure-Help3DAdmin to protect the sign-in form and maintain the owner’s authenticated session. It is limited to this host and the administration path, with Secure, HttpOnly and SameSite=Strict attributes. It is not created when browsing the public directory and is not used by the statistics counters.

It is a session cookie, with no persistent browser expiry. Authorisation still expires on the server: initial settings are 30 minutes of inactivity and 8 hours overall. Sign out invalidates the session and removes the cookie. Blocking it prevents administrator access but does not prevent public browsing.

Cloudflare and technical cookies

The infrastructure uses Aruba Business and Cloudflare. Cloudflare security features may set technical cookies independently of cookies used by requested directory features. Their presence depends on the features actually enabled.

For example, __cf_bm may be used for bot protection and expires after 30 minutes of inactivity; cf_clearance may remember that a security challenge was passed, with a duration depending on configuration. These are provider-documented examples, not a list of cookies already observed on this subdomain. See the Cloudflare cookie documentation.

Cookie duration and scope depend on the configuration of the active features. This notice does not automatically classify every service available through Cloudflare as technical.

Choice and optional statistics cookies

When the service is enabled, the banner lets you accept or reject optional statistics through equally prominent controls. Closing the initial banner keeps optional statistics disabled. If you reopen preferences after choosing, closing them without using a change control preserves your previous choice; withdrawal has a dedicated button. Scrolling, continuing to browse or not responding does not give consent. The directory remains available if you refuse. You can reopen preferences and withdraw consent from the footer on every page.

Choice · help3d-analytics-choice

A technical cookie created only after a choice: it remembers acceptance or refusal and enables withdrawal. It contains a random token associated on the server with the choice receipt, date, notice version and expiry. It lasts six calendar months from the choice, without renewal on each visit. It is not used as a visit identifier.

Browser · help3d-analytics-visitor

An optional analytics cookie created only with valid consent. It contains a random browser identifier; the server retains its hash to link permitted events. It lasts up to 90 days, with a fixed expiry no later than the consent choice and no extension on each visit. After expiry, if consent is still valid, a new identifier may be created without recovering the previous one.

Both are limited to this host and the /api/analytics.php path, with HttpOnly, SameSite=Strict and Secure on HTTPS. They are not shared with the main site or other subdomains. Statistical sessions are managed on the server and end after 30 minutes without events; no additional session cookie is used.

Refusing or withdrawing clears the analytics browser cookie and prevents new optional events. Withdrawal also deletes analytics data still linked to the consent receipt; minimal evidence of the choice remains. General counts without identifiers stay separate. Manually clearing cookies does not notify the server of withdrawal or automatically delete previously collected data: first use the footer control. Blocking cookies prevents the choice from being remembered and may cause the banner to reappear; it does not prevent browsing.

Requested preferences and necessary technical tools continue to operate for their respective purposes. Consent to statistics does not authorise other services or cookies. Reference: Italian Data Protection Authority cookie FAQs.

Managing your preferences

You can change theme and language using the controls above. To remove all preferences, clear tools.help3d.it site data in your browser settings. If you block local storage, the directory continues to work but cannot remember choices between visits. Blocking any security cookies may instead trigger further challenges or prevent access.

Links to tools, social networks and other Help3D sites lead to services with their own rules. For the controller, your rights and browsing data, see the Privacy Policy linked above.

External tools and websites: limits of our checks

Help3D Tools is an informational directory. Its maintainers undertake a brief preliminary review of the available pages and information before listing a tool. This is not a comprehensive check of the service’s security, functionality or reliability, nor is it continuous monitoring.

A listing does not guarantee the tool or its operator: we cannot rule out scams, harmful content, inaccurate information or changes after the review. Piraz Tested and Piraz Approved badges also reflect personal experience or opinion, not a security certification or guarantee.

Before registering, paying, downloading software or sharing data, independently check the service and its terms. You can report problems through the Help3D contact details. This notice does not exclude or limit any liability that cannot be excluded or limited by law.