Cookie Policy
How DevLinkHub uses cookies, session tokens, browser local storage, and similar technologies to provide secure authentication, manage hackathon registrations, and optimize platform speed.
No predatory ad-tech tracking.
DevLinkHub uses lightweight session tokens and localized storage solely to keep you logged in, preserve your theme settings, and validate hackathon submissions. We do not embed hidden cross-site ad networks or data broker pixels.
Direct assistance on storage tokens, clearing sessions, or data exports.
1. Introduction
This Cookie Policy explains how DevLinkHub ("DevLinkHub", "we", "us", or "our") uses cookies, local browser storage, and related web technologies when you access our platform, community spaces, hackathon portals, and digital tools.
This policy should be reviewed in conjunction with our Privacy Policy, Terms & Conditions, and Code of Conduct.
2. What Are Cookies?
Cookies are compact text files stored on your device by your browser. They allow our systems to recognize your authenticated session, remember your UI preferences, and secure your account.
Temporary files deleted automatically when you close your browser.
Files that remain on your device across sessions until their expiration date or manual deletion.
3. Similar Technologies
In addition to standard HTTP cookies, DevLinkHub may utilize HTML5 Local Storage, Session Storage, cryptographic auth tokens (JWTs), web beacons, and server-side request identifiers.
4. Why DevLinkHub Uses Cookies
- Maintaining secure developer login and squad access
- Protecting accounts against CSRF (Cross-Site Request Forgery) attacks
- Verifying submission states in real-time hackathons
- Preventing automated botting and abusive brute-force requests
5. Functional Cookies
Functional storage preserves your custom interface choices—such as category filtering on our resource directory, saved draft responses in registration modals, and sound/motion preferences.
6. Analytics Cookies
Where enabled, analytics tools collect pseudonymous, aggregated statistics regarding page load latencies, high-traffic resource hubs, and client-side JavaScript error traces to improve speed and uptime.
7. Performance and Security Technologies
Edge CDN security cookies protect server clusters against DDoS floods, verify SSL/TLS handshakes, and route traffic to the nearest geographic edge node.
8. Authentication and Login Technologies
When you log in, encrypted tokens are stored in secure, `HttpOnly` and `SameSite=Lax/Strict` cookies to safeguard your credentials from third-party script extraction.
9. Event Registration Technologies
During hackathon RSVP and checkout workflows, session cookies prevent duplicate form submissions and maintain cart/intake state through confirmation.
10. Third-Party Cookies
Integrated external services (such as payment gateways for paid workshops, GitHub OAuth authentication, and Discord squad embeds) manage their own respective cookie lifecycles.
11. Cookie Categories Overview
| Category | Purpose | Mandatory |
|---|---|---|
| Necessary | Auth tokens, security, CSRF protection | Yes |
| Functional | Filters, preferences, saved form state | Optional |
| Analytics | Speed diagnostics and traffic trends | Consent-based |
| Performance | Edge caching and load balancing | Optional |
| Marketing | Campaign reach (Zero 3rd party brokers) | Consent-based |
12. Cookie Consent
Where required by applicable data protection laws, cookie consent is collected before activating optional analytical or promotional cookies. Strictly necessary authentication cookies remain active to provide requested functionality.
13. Changing Your Cookie Preferences
You can modify your cookie choices at any time through our footer preference controls or by clearing your browser cache.
14. Browser Controls
All standard browsers (Chrome, Edge, Firefox, Safari) permit you to block third-party cookies or delete stored domain data in Settings > Privacy. Note that blocking all cookies will disable authenticated features.
15. Local Storage and Similar Technologies
Client-side `localStorage` stores non-sensitive UI states such as sidebar collapse status, search history caches, and active filter tabs without sending payload headers across every request.
16. Information Collected Through Cookies
Information gathered is strictly technical: browser architecture, screen resolution, session ID hashes, request timestamps, and referrer paths.
17. Cookies and Personal Information
Where a cookie identifier is bound to an authenticated user profile, the combined data is treated with the full protection outlined in our Privacy Policy.
18. Marketing and Advertising Cookies
DevLinkHub maintains a zero-monetization policy on personal data. We do not sell cookies or profile graphs to third-party ad exchanges.
19. Cookie Retention
Session cookies expire immediately upon browser closure. Persistent authentication cookies persist up to 30 days unless explicitly logged out.
20. Security Measures
All cookie exchanges enforce TLS 1.3 in-transit encryption, `Secure` flags, and scoped domain constraints to prevent cross-origin eavesdropping.
21. Do Not Track Signals
Where Global Privacy Control (GPC) or DNT signals are transmitted by your browser, DevLinkHub honors the signal by disabling all non-essential analytics tracking automatically.
22. Children's Privacy
We do not knowingly place profiling or behavioral cookies on accounts belonging to individuals under age 13 without verified guardian consent.
23. Changes to This Cookie Policy
Any updates to tracking technologies or statutory requirements will be posted here with an updated revision date.
24. Contact Us
25. Related Policies
26. Acknowledgement
By continuing to build, showcase, or participate across DevLinkHub, you acknowledge that cookies and related browser storage technologies are deployed in accordance with this policy.