Last updated: 9 November 2026
Cookies are small files stored on your device. We also use localStorage and sessionStorage in your browser. LocalStorage can remain until you or the site remove it; sessionStorage normally lasts for the tab's session, although browser session restoration may preserve it.
AutoHitch is operated by CARBOTIXUK LTD. We only use optional Analytics and Marketing storage after you accept the relevant category. Accepting one category does not accept the other. You can reopen Cookie settings from the footer of every public page.
This storage remembers your privacy choices, supports secure sign-in or provides features you ask to use. Saved-car and AI-history storage support those requested features rather than advertising measurement.
Clerk manages authentication cookies, including cookies on its authentication domain and instance-specific variants. Their presence and lifetime depend on the sign-in flow, session settings and browser. We do not specify an unverified fixed number of days for your account session.
| Name and type | Purpose | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| autohitch_cookie_consent · localStorage | Remembers Essential, Analytics and Marketing choices. | The site treats the choice as valid for six calendar months. LocalStorage itself has no automatic expiry; an expired choice no longer grants permission. |
| __session and instance-specific variants · Clerk cookies | Short-lived sign-in token used to authenticate requests. | Refreshed during an active session; overall sign-in duration depends on Clerk session settings. |
| __client_uat · Clerk cookie | Helps Clerk determine whether the sign-in session is current. | Managed by Clerk; duration depends on its configuration and browser limits. |
| __client · Clerk authentication-domain cookie | Secure, HttpOnly client token used by Clerk to maintain sign-in and issue short-lived tokens. | Managed by Clerk and subject to session configuration and browser limits. |
| __clerk_handshake and related temporary Clerk cookies | Complete authentication and resolve sign-in state when needed. | Non-persistent; used during the authentication flow. |
| caronimo_saved_cars · localStorage | Remembers cars saved on this device. | No time-based expiry; retained until removed through the feature or browser storage is cleared. |
| caronimo_ai_sessions · localStorage | Remembers recent AI-search conversations and results on this device. | No time-based expiry; up to 30 sessions are retained, until removed or browser storage is cleared. |
Analytics consent enables AutoHitch's own usage statistics and Google Analytics 4. We measure page and car views, searches, saved cars and contact actions. Analytics consent alone does not enable Google advertising.
The shared Google tag loads only after Analytics or Marketing consent. Marketing-only consent enables Google Ads but not Google Analytics; Analytics-only consent enables Google Analytics but not Google Ads. Google and Meta tracking are restricted to autohitch.co.uk and www.autohitch.co.uk, and excluded from admin, dealer-dashboard and sign-in/sign-up pages.
Google's default cookie lifetimes are shown below; browser restrictions and provider settings can shorten them, and expiry may be refreshed during use. Cookie lifetime is not the same as the retention period for analytics reports.
| Name and type | Provider and purpose | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| _ga · cookie | Google Analytics: distinguishes visits/users for analytics. | Default up to two years, subject to browser limits and settings. |
| _ga_1CN4TNGHZQ · cookie | Google Analytics: maintains session state for AutoHitch's GA4 stream. | Default up to two years, subject to browser limits and settings. |
| caronimo_sid · sessionStorage | AutoHitch: groups first-party analytics events within a visit. | The tab's session; removed when Analytics consent is withdrawn. |
Marketing consent enables the Meta pixel, Google Ads measurement and remarketing, and storage of advertising attribution. Meta events include PageView, Search, ViewContent, AddToWishlist, Contact and Lead. Google Ads receives vehicle and search result IDs and contact-action conversions. With an enquiry conversion only, Google also receives a hashed email address if one was provided. These services measure advertising performance and may support showing relevant vehicle adverts.
Our pixel event payloads do not include the name, email, phone number or message entered in an enquiry. Meta can still receive browser/device information, cookie identifiers and the page URL when its pixel is enabled.
| Name and type | Provider and purpose | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| _gcl_au, _gcl_aw and _gcl_gb · cookies | Google Ads: attribution and conversion measurement; only after Marketing consent. | Typically up to 90 days, subject to provider settings and browser limits. Removed when Marketing consent is withdrawn. |
| _fbp · cookie | Meta: browser identifier for advertising measurement. | Normally up to three months, subject to browser limits and Meta settings. |
| _fbc · cookie, when applicable | Meta: records a Facebook ad click identifier when available. | Normally up to three months, subject to browser limits and Meta settings. |
| autohitch_visit_attribution · sessionStorage | AutoHitch: holds UTMs, fbclid and landing URL so an enquiry can be attributed to an advert. Stored and sent only with Marketing consent. | The tab's session; removed when Marketing consent is withdrawn. |
When a qualifying car-page request arrives with utm_source=facebook, our server increments a count for that UK day, car and dealer. The tally stores no visitor IDs, cookies, IP addresses, user agents, fbclid or full URLs, and stores nothing on your device.
Known bots and link-preview crawlers, HEAD requests and detectable prefetch/preview requests are excluded. This is a count of qualifying requests, not unique people. It is separate from consented analytics and operational security logs.
Use Cookie settings in the footer to accept, reject or change optional categories. You can also delete or block cookies and browser storage using your browser's controls. Clearing the saved choice causes the banner to appear again.
Withdrawing Analytics consent stops future GA4 and AutoHitch analytics events; withdrawing Marketing consent stops future pixel events and clears stored AutoHitch advertising attribution. Withdrawal does not erase data already sent to providers or necessarily remove every provider cookie. You can remove remaining cookies in your browser.
If you accept consent after a car page has loaded, the current page and car view can be recorded once for each newly permitted channel. We do not replay earlier clicks or pages you visited without consent.
See our Privacy Policy for information about personal data, service providers and your rights. Contact info@autohitch.co.uk with privacy questions.