This guide covers managing cookies used on the AI Commerce platform (also referred to as Kommersverkkokauppahalusta in the text) in accordance with GDPR requirements. By reading the guide, you will get a clear understanding of how the different cookie categories (essential, analytics & statistics, preference cookies and marketing cookies) work and how customers can adjust or change their settings. This way, you keep your online store compliant and ensure a smooth user experience for your customers.

Four categories of cookies

Essential cookies
• Enable basic website functionality (e.g. adding a product to the shopping cart).
• These cookies cannot be disabled, otherwise the online store will not function.
• The browser may still block the use of all cookies, causing the store to not function as expected.
• By law, the acceptance of cookies that are strictly necessary can be forced because they do not collect any personally identifiable information.

Analytics & statistics
• Cookies that are used to collect information about website usage and improve functionality.
• An example is Google Analytics, which only stores cookies if the user accepts these cookies.
• The Advanced Mode feature can produce stripped-down statistical data without storing cookies (using ping requests) if analysis cookies are denied.

Preference cookies
• Customize the content and functionality of the site according to the user's preferences and navigation history (e.g. product recommendations).
• Enables the use of chat. If preference cookies are not accepted, chat will not open at all.
• Chat is also not visible for robots and testing tools because they do not allow cookie consent.

Marketing cookies
• Used for advertising and measuring its results (e.g. Facebook, Microsoft Ads, Google).
• Provide more comprehensive tracking and enable better measurement of advertising effectiveness.

Use of the cookie pop-up

• When the user first arrives at the page, a pop-up is shown at the bottom of the page.
• In the pop-up, you can accept all cookies at once (“Accept all”) or go to the settings to further select a different status for each cookie category (allow or block).
• Strictly necessary cookies are always enabled and cannot be disabled.

Modifying cookie settings later

• The customer can change their cookie preferences at any time via the “Cookies” link in the footer of the online store.
• If the customer wants to prohibit, for example, marketing cookies or preference cookies, the changes will take effect immediately.
• Chat will disappear if preference cookies are disabled. 
   

The importance of browser settings

• If the browser is set to completely block cookies (high security), AI Commerce platform will display a warning and parts of the online store will not work.
• Platform settings cannot override browser settings. If all cookies are blocked, shopping and other basic functions will not work.

Summary

Understanding and managing cookie settings is important for both GDPR compliance and customer experience. Necessary cookies cannot be turned off, but you can choose what you allow for analytics, preferences, and marketing cookies. The choices in the pop-up window are valid for one year, unless the user changes their cookie settings or clears their browser cookies before then. Editing is easy via the “Cookies” link in the footer.