Cookie Policy
Last updated: April 20th, 2026
1. What Are Cookies
Cookies are small text files that websites place on your device (computer, tablet, or smartphone) when you visit them. They are widely used to make websites work more efficiently, remember your preferences, and provide reporting information to site owners.
In addition to traditional cookies, Roomates uses several related technologies to store and retrieve information on your device:
- Local Storage — A browser-based storage mechanism that allows our application to persist data (such as authentication tokens and user preferences) across browser sessions. Unlike cookies, local storage data is not automatically sent to our servers with every request.
- Session Storage — Similar to local storage, but data is cleared when you close the browser tab or window. We use session storage for temporary data that only needs to exist during your current browsing session, such as short-lived authentication tokens when you choose not to be remembered.
- Pixels and Beacons — Tiny, transparent images (sometimes called tracking pixels or web beacons) embedded in web pages or emails. These help us understand whether content has been viewed or an email has been opened, and they allow us to measure the effectiveness of our communications.
Throughout this policy, we use the term “cookies” broadly to refer to all of these technologies unless otherwise specified.
2. How We Use Cookies
Roomates uses cookies and similar technologies for the following purposes:
- Authentication & Session Management — We store authentication tokens (in localStorage or sessionStorage, depending on your “Remember Me” preference) to keep you signed in as you navigate between pages. Refresh tokens allow us to seamlessly extend your session without requiring you to log in again.
- User Preferences — Cookies help us remember your theme selection (light or dark mode), language preference, notification settings, and other display configurations so that the application feels personalized each time you return.
- Security — We use cookies for Cross-Site Request Forgery (CSRF) protection, fraud detection, and to support multi-factor authentication flows. These cookies help ensure that requests to our servers originate from legitimate sessions on our platform.
- Analytics & Product Improvement — We collect anonymized usage data — such as which features are most popular, how users navigate the platform, and where errors occur — to continuously improve the Roomates experience.
- Performance & Caching — Cookies and local storage help us cache data (such as search results, user profiles, and roommate matches) so that pages load faster and the application feels responsive. Our React Query caching layer uses configurable stale times to balance freshness with speed.
3. Types of Cookies We Use
The following table describes the categories of cookies and similar technologies used on Roomates, along with their purpose, typical duration, and provider.
Essential Cookies
These cookies are strictly necessary for the platform to function. They cannot be disabled without breaking core functionality.
| Name / Purpose | Duration | Provider |
|---|---|---|
| authToken — JWT token for authenticating API requests | Session or persistent (based on “Remember Me”) | Roomates (1st party) |
| refreshToken — Token used to obtain a new authToken when it expires | 30 days | Roomates (1st party) |
| CSRF token — Prevents cross-site request forgery attacks | Session | Roomates (1st party) |
| Session ID — Identifies your active session on the server | Session | Roomates (1st party) |
| CookieConsent — Records the cookie choices you make in our consent banner so we can honor them | 1 year | Cookiebot (3rd party) |
| roomates_cookie_consent — A first-party record of your category choices. Note: this is stored in your browser's local storage, not a cookie, and is never sent to our servers | Until you change or clear it | Roomates (1st party) |
Status: Always active. These records store your consent and keep the platform secure, so they are required for it to operate.
Functional Cookies
These cookies enhance your experience by remembering choices you make. Disabling them may result in a less personalized experience.
| Name / Purpose | Duration | Provider |
|---|---|---|
| Theme preference — Stores your light/dark mode selection | 1 year | Roomates (1st party) |
| Language preference — Remembers your chosen display language | 1 year | Roomates (1st party) |
| Recent searches — Caches your recent property and roommate searches for quick access | 30 days | Roomates (1st party) |
| Notification settings — Remembers your notification display preferences | 1 year | Roomates (1st party) |
Status: Off until you allow them. Manage them anytime via the cookie settings link in our footer or your browser settings.
Analytics Cookies
These cookies help us understand how visitors interact with Roomates so we can measure and improve performance.
| Name / Purpose | Duration | Provider |
|---|---|---|
| _dd_s — Real-user monitoring session used by Datadog to measure performance, errors, and how pages are used. Only set after you allow analytics | 15 minutes (rolling) | Datadog (3rd party) |
| Google Tag Manager — Loads and manages our measurement tags (including Google Analytics 4). It sets no cookies on its own; the tags it loads only fire after you allow the relevant category via the consent banner | Managed by the consent layer | Google Tag Manager (3rd party) |
| _ga — Google Analytics 4 cookie that pseudonymously distinguishes users to measure site usage. Only set after you allow analytics | 2 years | Google Analytics (3rd party) |
| _ga_FJPJ9EM78M — Google Analytics 4 cookie that persists session state for our measurement property. Only set after you allow analytics | 2 years | Google Analytics (3rd party) |
| _clck — Microsoft Clarity cookie that persists a pseudonymous user ID to measure how pages are used (heatmaps, aggregated recordings). Only set after you allow analytics | 1 year | Microsoft Clarity (3rd party) |
| _clsk — Microsoft Clarity cookie that ties actions within a single session together. Only set after you allow analytics | 1 day | Microsoft Clarity (3rd party) |
| Feature usage tracking — Records which features you use (e.g., matching, messaging, bookings) to help us prioritize improvements | Session | Roomates (1st party) |
| Performance metrics — Measures page load times, API response times, and error rates | Session | Roomates (1st party) |
Status: Off until you allow them. Manage them anytime via the cookie settings link in our footer or your browser settings.
Marketing Cookies
These cookies would be used to deliver relevant advertisements and measure advertising-campaign effectiveness. Roomates does not currently load any marketing or advertising cookies. If we run paid campaigns in the future, the corresponding pixels will be added to this table and will only load after you grant marketing consent.
| Name / Purpose | Duration | Provider |
|---|---|---|
| Advertising pixels (Meta, TikTok, Google Ads) — Would measure conversions and optimize paid campaigns. Not yet implemented: they do not load today. If enabled, they will appear here and only fire after you grant marketing consent | None active currently | Advertising platforms (3rd party) |
Status: Not in use currently. Roomates loads no marketing cookies today; if introduced, they will be disabled by default and require your consent.
4. Third-Party Cookies
Some cookies on Roomates are set by third-party services that we integrate with to provide you with a complete experience. These third parties have their own privacy and cookie policies, which we encourage you to review.
- Cookiebot (Usercentrics) — We use Cookiebot as our consent management platform. It records your cookie choices and blocks non-essential trackers until you allow them. See Cookiebot's Privacy Policy.
- Google Tag Manager — We use Google Tag Manager to load and manage measurement tags. Tag Manager itself sets no analytics cookies; any tag it serves only runs after you have granted the relevant consent category. See Google's Privacy Policy.
- Datadog — We use Datadog Real User Monitoring to measure performance and diagnose errors. It runs only after you allow analytics and may set a short-lived session cookie. See Datadog's Privacy Policy.
- Payment Processors — When you make payments or manage billing information on Roomates, our payment processor may set cookies to facilitate secure transactions, detect fraud, and comply with financial regulations. These cookies are classified as essential and cannot be disabled during payment flows.
- Mapbox — We use Mapbox to display interactive maps for property locations and neighborhood exploration. Mapbox may set cookies or use local storage to cache map tiles and improve rendering performance. For details, see Mapbox's Privacy Policy.
- Social Login Providers — If you sign in using a social login provider (such as Google or Apple), that provider may set cookies to manage the authentication handshake. These cookies are governed by the respective provider's cookie and privacy policies.
5. Managing Your Cookie Preferences
You have several options for controlling and managing cookies on your device. Please note that disabling certain cookies may impact the functionality of Roomates.
Browser Settings
Most modern browsers allow you to view, manage, and delete cookies through their settings. Here are instructions for the most common browsers:
- Google Chrome — Go to Settings > Privacy and Security > Cookies and other site data. From here you can block third-party cookies, clear cookies on exit, or manage exceptions for specific sites.
- Mozilla Firefox — Go to Settings > Privacy & Security. Firefox offers Enhanced Tracking Protection with Standard, Strict, and Custom levels. You can also manage individual site permissions.
- Apple Safari — Go to Preferences > Privacy. Safari blocks cross-site tracking by default. You can also choose to block all cookies, though this will prevent you from signing in to Roomates.
- Microsoft Edge — Go to Settings > Cookies and site permissions > Manage and delete cookies and site data. Edge offers Basic, Balanced, and Strict tracking prevention levels.
Cookie Settings
Roomates provides a cookie settings panel that you can open at any time using the “Cookie settings” link in the footer of every page. From there, you can toggle individual cookie categories (Functional, Analytics, and Marketing) on or off without affecting essential cookies required for platform operation. Your choice is saved and applied immediately.
What Happens If You Disable Cookies
If you choose to disable or limit cookies, please be aware of the following effects:
- Essential cookies disabled — You will not be able to sign in, and most features of Roomates will be unavailable.
- Functional cookies disabled — Your theme, language, and other preferences will not persist between sessions. You may need to reconfigure these settings each time you visit.
- Analytics cookies disabled — Your usage will not be included in our aggregate analytics. This does not affect your experience but limits our ability to improve the platform based on usage patterns.
- Marketing cookies disabled — You will not see personalized advertisements from Roomates on third-party platforms, though you may still see generic ads.
6. Changes to This Policy
We may update this Cookie Policy from time to time to reflect changes in the cookies we use, changes in technology, or updates to applicable laws and regulations. When we make changes, we will:
- Update the “Last updated” date at the top of this page.
- Post a notice on the Roomates platform for material changes that significantly affect how we use cookies or your choices.
- Send an email notification to registered users if the changes substantially alter the processing of personal data through cookies.
We encourage you to review this Cookie Policy periodically to stay informed about how we use cookies. Your continued use of Roomates after any changes to this policy constitutes your acceptance of those changes.
This policy is effective as of April 20th, 2026.
7. Contact Information
If you have any questions, concerns, or requests regarding this Cookie Policy or our use of cookies and similar technologies, please contact us:
- Email: privacy@roomates.co
- Mailing Address: HOLA GROUP S.A.S. (NIT 902089337-1, commercial registry 851289-12), Medellín, Antioquia, Colombia
For questions specifically about your privacy rights or personal data processing, please refer to our Privacy Policy.
For general inquiries about the terms governing your use of the platform, please review our Terms of Service.