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Details about cookies on Your Defra account

Cookies are files saved on your phone, tablet or computer when you visit a website. We use 2 types of cookies on this site:

  • cookies that are strictly necessary
  • cookies that measure your use of the service

Cookies that are strictly necessary

These cookies are essential to make this service run and to help us stay in line with data protection laws. You cannot turn these cookies off.

Introductory cookie message

You may see a pop-up welcome message when you first visit. A cookie is stored so that your computer knows you've seen it and knows not to show it again.

Name Purpose Expires
Name: seen_cookie_message Purpose: Saves a message to let us know that you've seen our cookie message Expires: In 12 months
Name: cookie_policy Purpose: Saves a message to let us know that you've seen our cookie message Expires: In 12 months

Google reCAPTCHA cookies

We use Google reCAPTCHA on this site to make sure that information (for example, in forms) is entered by a human and not by automated software. Some of the data collected by reCAPTCHA cookies is forwarded to Google. See the Google Privacy Policy and the Google Terms of Service.


Other essential cookies

Name Purpose Expires
Name: idm Purpose: Lets us know that you've logged in or registered Expires: In 3 days
Name: crumb Purpose: Helps to prevent unauthorised requests Expires: On closing browser
Name: session Purpose: Stores information that you've submitted Expires: In 3 days
Name: ARRAffinity Purpose: Makes sure that your page requests go to the same server in any browsing session Expires: On closing browser
Name: cookie_policy Purpose: Lets us know that you've seen our cookie message Expires: In 12 months

Cookies that measure your use of the service

These cookies track the pages you visit here, how long you spend on each page and the options you choose. You can turn these cookies on or off.

We use software (Google Universal Analytics and Microsoft Application Insights) to collect information about how you use the service.

This information is "anonymised", we don't know who it's about.

We do not collect or store your personal information (for example, your name or address) and we do not allow Google or Microsoft to use our data or share it with anyone else.

We collect this information to make sure the service is meeting your needs and to help us improve it.


Google Analytics cookies

Name Purpose Expires
Name: yda_ga Purpose: Helps us to count how many people use the service by tracking if you've visited before Expires: In 2 years
Name: yda_ga_gid Purpose: Helps us to count how many people use the service by tracking if you've visited before Expires: In 24 hours
Name: _ga Purpose: Helps us to count how many people use the service by tracking if you've visited before Expires: In 2 years
Name: _gid Purpose: Helps us to count how many people use the service by tracking if you've visited before Expires: In 24 hours

Microsoft Application Insights cookies

Name Purpose Expires
Name: ai_session Purpose: Helps us to count how many people use the service by tracking if you've visited before Expires: In 1 hour
Name: ai_user Purpose: Helps us to count how many people use the service by tracking if you've visited before Expires: In 1 year