Cookie policy
Last updated: 16 October 2026
BeeHints, the free hints site for the New York Times Spelling Bee, keeps cookies to a minimum. Everything the site needs to work is saved in your browser's local storage and never sent to us. Analytics cookies are only set if you accept them. This page lists every entry. How we handle personal data is explained in the privacy policy.
Cookies and local storage
Cookies are small text files a website saves in your browser. Local storage works in a similar way, but its contents are not sent along with every request. Both are covered by section 25 of the German Telecommunications Digital Services Data Protection Act (TDDDG): storage that is strictly necessary for a service you asked for needs no consent, everything else does.
Strictly necessary (always on)
These entries remember things you asked for. They stay on your device and are allowed without consent (section 25 (2) no. 2 TDDDG).
| Name | Provider | Purpose | Type | Duration | Category |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| theme | BeeHints | Remembers light, dark or system theme. | Local storage | Until you clear site data | Necessary |
| bh-consent-v1 | BeeHints | Remembers your cookie choice and when you made it. | Local storage | 12 months, then we ask again | Necessary |
| bh-unlimited-v1 | BeeHints | Your progress in the free daily and unlimited games: words found and puzzles where you showed the answers (last 60 puzzles). | Local storage | Until you clear site data | Necessary |
| bh-game-settings-v1 | BeeHints | Game settings: whether vibration is on and whether you have seen the How to play panel. | Local storage | Until you clear site data | Necessary |
| bh-found-{date} | BeeHints | The words you entered in the word tracker for that day's puzzle. | Local storage | Until you clear site data | Necessary |
| bh-revealed-{date}, bh-revealed-{date}-words, bh-revealed-{date}-answers | BeeHints | Which hints, single words and answer lists you chose to show for that day, so they stay open (or hidden) when you come back. | Local storage | Until you clear site data | Necessary |
| bh-visits-v1 | BeeHints | The days you visited, to show your visit streak. | Local storage | Until you clear site data | Necessary |
Analytics (only after your consent)
If you accept "Analytics", we load Microsoft Clarity, which sets the cookies below. Without your consent the Clarity script is not loaded and none of these cookies are set. Names and purposes follow Microsoft's Clarity cookie list; Microsoft sets the exact durations and may change them. Legal basis: your consent (section 25 (1) TDDDG, Art. 6 (1) (a) GDPR).
| Name | Provider | Purpose | Type | Duration | Category |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| _clck | Microsoft Clarity | Keeps the Clarity user ID and preferences for this site. | First-party cookie | As set by Microsoft, up to 13 months | Analytics, only after consent |
| _clsk | Microsoft Clarity | Connects several page views into one session recording. | First-party cookie | As set by Microsoft, short term | Analytics, only after consent |
| CLID | Microsoft Clarity | Records when Clarity first saw this browser on any site using Clarity. | Third-party cookie | As set by Microsoft, up to 13 months | Analytics, only after consent |
| ANONCHK | Microsoft | Indicates whether MUID is passed to an advertising cookie. Clarity does not use it, so it is always 0. | Third-party cookie | As set by Microsoft, up to 13 months | Analytics, only after consent |
| MR | Microsoft | Indicates whether to refresh MUID. | Third-party cookie | As set by Microsoft, up to 13 months | Analytics, only after consent |
| MUID | Microsoft | Identifies unique browsers visiting Microsoft sites. | Third-party cookie | As set by Microsoft, up to 13 months | Analytics, only after consent |
| SM | Microsoft | Synchronises MUID across Microsoft domains. | Third-party cookie | As set by Microsoft, up to 13 months | Analytics, only after consent |
What we do not use
No advertising cookies, no social media plugins, no Google Fonts requests and no cookies for accounts or logins. The Google Search Console verification tag sets no cookies, and neither does Vercel Web Analytics, which counts visits without storing anything on your device (see the privacy policy, section 3).
Change your choice
You can change or withdraw your consent at any time, with effect for the future: . The same link is in the footer of every page. When you withdraw consent, we tell Clarity to stop and delete its cookies.
Browser settings
You can also block or delete cookies and site data in your browser. In most browsers this is under Settings, then Privacy or Privacy and security, then Cookies and site data. Clearing BeeHints' site data also removes your game progress, ticked off words, revealed hints and your saved cookie choice.
Global Privacy Control
If your browser sends the Global Privacy Control signal, we treat it as a no to analytics and do not show the banner. You can still opt in under Cookie settings.