Cookie Policy

Cookies are small text files that are placed on your computer or mobile device when you visit a website. They are widely used to make websites work more efficiently and provide information to the website owners. Cookies allow a website to recognize your device and store some information about your preferences or past actions.

GradeCircle uses cookies and similar technologies (e.g., local storage) to:

• Operate the Website and client portal (e.g., session and authentication so you can sign in and stay signed in)
• Remember your cookie consent choices (e.g., which categories you accepted or rejected) so we do not use non-essential cookies without your consent
• When you have consented to analytics, collect information about how visitors use our Website (e.g., page views, events) to improve our services
• Optionally support functionality and personalization (e.g., preferences) where you have agreed to such cookies

We use a cookie consent banner to let you accept or reject non-essential cookies (analytics, marketing, functional) before they are set. Essential cookies are necessary for the site and portal to function and are not subject to consent.

3.1 Essential Cookies

These cookies are necessary for the Website and client portal to function. They enable session management, authentication (so you can sign in and remain signed in), security, and network management. We do not offer an opt-out for essential cookies because the site and portal would not work properly without them. You can block them via your browser settings, but that may prevent you from using certain features.

3.2 Performance and Analytics Cookies

When you consent to analytics cookies, we use them to understand how visitors use our Website (e.g., pages visited, events). We use Google Analytics (GA4) for this purpose; analytics are only enabled after you accept the analytics category in our cookie consent banner. You can withdraw consent at any time via the cookie settings.

These cookies help us improve the Website and our services. The data is used in accordance with our Privacy Policy.

3.3 Functionality Cookies

When you consent to functionality cookies, we may use them to remember choices you make (e.g., language, region, or other preferences) and to provide a more personalized experience. Your cookie consent preferences themselves are stored locally (e.g., in local storage) so we can honor your choices on future visits.

3.4 Targeting/Advertising Cookies

If we use advertising or targeting cookies in the future, they would be used to deliver relevant content or ads on our Website or on third-party sites. We would only enable such cookies with your consent via our cookie banner. Currently we do not run third-party advertising on our Website; the marketing category in our consent banner is available for future use and can be rejected.

We may use third-party services that set their own cookies or similar technologies when you use our Website, subject to your consent where required. Examples include:

• Google Analytics (GA4): Used to analyze traffic and usage when you have consented to analytics cookies. Google's policies apply to their collection and use of data.
• Authentication/Identity: Our identity and backend provider may set cookies necessary for sign-in and session management on the Website and client portal.
• Social or Advertising: If we embed social media features or use advertising partners in the future, they may set their own cookies; we would seek your consent for non-essential categories as described in this policy.

We do not control third-party cookies. For more information about how these parties use data, see their respective privacy and cookie policies.

Cookies can be either "session" cookies or "persistent" cookies:

• Session Cookies: These are temporary cookies that expire when you close your browser. They allow the Website to link your actions during a browsing session.
• Persistent Cookies: These remain on your device for a set period or until you delete them. They are activated each time you visit the Website that created that particular cookie.

You can control non-essential cookies through our cookie consent banner and settings, and you can manage or block cookies via your browser. Withdrawing consent or blocking cookies may affect certain features (e.g., staying signed in or analytics).

6.1 Cookie Consent Banner and Preferences

When you first visit our Website, you can accept all cookies, reject non-essential cookies, or customize your preferences (essential, analytics, marketing, functional). Your choices are stored locally and we honor them on subsequent visits. You can change your preferences at any time by opening the cookie settings (e.g., via the link in our footer or by triggering the cookie settings option we provide). Updating preferences may require reloading the page to take effect.

6.2 Browser Settings

You can set your browser to refuse all cookies or to indicate when a cookie is being sent. However, if you do not accept cookies, you may not be able to use some portions of our Website. Here are links to instructions for managing cookies in popular browsers:

• Google Chrome
• Mozilla Firefox
• Safari
• Microsoft Edge

You can also opt-out of certain third-party cookies by visiting:

• Google Analytics Opt-out
• Your Online Choices
• Network Advertising Initiative

Some browsers include a "Do Not Track" (DNT) feature that signals to websites you visit that you do not want to have your online activity tracked. Currently, there is no standard for how DNT signals should be interpreted. As a result, our Website does not currently respond to DNT browser signals or mechanisms.

We may update this Cookie Policy from time to time to reflect changes in our practices or for other operational, legal, or regulatory reasons. We will notify you of any material changes by posting the new Cookie Policy on this page and updating the "Last updated" date.

For more information about cookies and how they work, you can visit www.allaboutcookies.org.

If you have any questions about our use of cookies or this Cookie Policy, please contact us: