{
  "schema": "https://storagestudio.us/schema/wiki-page.v1",
  "title": "Cookies and the download link",
  "slug": "cookies-and-the-download-link",
  "url": "https://storagestudio.us/wiki/cookies-and-the-download-link",
  "markdown_url": "https://storagestudio.us/wiki/cookies-and-the-download-link.md",
  "category": "Privacy & security",
  "category_url": "https://storagestudio.us/wiki/privacy-and-security/",
  "tags": [
    "privacy",
    "cookies",
    "website",
    "download",
    "partners"
  ],
  "summary": "Our website asks before it sets analytics or advertising cookies, and works the same if you decline. If you accept, the download link can carry an anonymous visitor number, which Storage Studio reports once on first launch together with any campaign tags or partner code — never your name, email or files.",
  "published_at": "2026-10-05T16:45:49.000Z",
  "updated_at": "2026-10-05T16:45:49.000Z",
  "headings": [
    {
      "level": 2,
      "text": "The cookie notice",
      "id": "the-cookie-notice"
    },
    {
      "level": 2,
      "text": "What the download link carries",
      "id": "what-the-download-link-carries"
    },
    {
      "level": 2,
      "text": "What Storage Studio reports",
      "id": "what-storage-studio-reports"
    }
  ],
  "links_out": [
    {
      "slug": "what-leaves-your-mac",
      "label": "What leaves your Mac, and when",
      "exists": true,
      "url": "https://storagestudio.us/wiki/what-leaves-your-mac"
    },
    {
      "slug": "privacy-overview",
      "label": "Privacy: what stays on your Mac",
      "exists": true,
      "url": "https://storagestudio.us/wiki/privacy-overview"
    },
    {
      "slug": "buying-through-a-partner",
      "label": "If you came to us through a partner",
      "exists": true,
      "url": "https://storagestudio.us/wiki/buying-through-a-partner"
    },
    {
      "slug": "legal-documents-and-consent",
      "label": "Legal documents and your consent choices",
      "exists": true,
      "url": "https://storagestudio.us/wiki/legal-documents-and-consent"
    }
  ],
  "links_in": [
    {
      "slug": "what-leaves-your-mac",
      "title": "What leaves your Mac, and when",
      "url": "https://storagestudio.us/wiki/what-leaves-your-mac"
    }
  ],
  "diagrams": [],
  "images": [],
  "screenshots_pending": [],
  "faqs": [
    {
      "question": "Does Storage Studio upload my files to the cloud?",
      "answer": "Not unless you ask it to. Freeing space, moving apps and folders, and reclaiming snapshots all happen on your Mac and your external drive. Your files only leave your Mac when you choose to — syncing to a cloud account you connected, backing up to the cloud, or using My Drive on storage you own —…",
      "url": "https://storagestudio.us/faq"
    },
    {
      "question": "Does Storage Studio use AI, and is it private?",
      "answer": "Yes — Storage Studio includes Tuhi, an assistant powered by Apple Intelligence that answers your storage questions, can tell you why your Mac feels slow, hot, or low on memory, and can do things for you — download a link to the drive you name, or stop, pause, carry on or cancel a transfer, move…",
      "url": "https://storagestudio.us/faq"
    },
    {
      "question": "What happens to my files if I stop using Storage Studio?",
      "answer": "Nothing — your files stay exactly where they are on both drives. Storage Studio simply stops moving new things; it never holds files hostage or makes you re-import anything to keep using them.",
      "url": "https://storagestudio.us/faq"
    },
    {
      "question": "Why does Storage Studio check in with your servers while it's open?",
      "answer": "So new versions, fixes and messages for you arrive within minutes instead of the next day. While the app is open it checks in every few minutes. It always sends an anonymous id for your Mac, the app version and your choice for Send usage and crash reports; with that switch on, it also sends your…",
      "url": "https://storagestudio.us/faq"
    }
  ],
  "text": "Our website, storagestudio.us, asks before it sets any analytics or advertising cookies, and it works exactly the same if you say no. If you say yes, we can tell which pages and campaigns led to a download — using an anonymous visitor number, never your name or email. The cookie notice On your first visit, a notice at the bottom of the page offers two buttons: Button What happens Accept The site remembers where your visit came from (for example a campaign link) and gives your browser an anonymous visitor number, so we can measure which pages and campaigns bring people to Storage Studio. Decline None of that is set or sent. Every page, the pricing section, the downloads and Tuhi all work as normal. Your choice is remembered for about six months. To change it sooner, clear the storagestudio.us cookies in your browser; the notice then appears again on your next visit. What the download link carries When you download Storage Studio, macOS keeps a note of the address the file came from. That address can carry: Campaign tags , if you arrived through a link that had them — for example from a newsletter or an advert. A partner code , if you came through one of our partners' links, so the partner who introduced you is credited. The anonymous visitor number from your visit — only if you accepted cookies. If you declined, nothing is added. What Storage Studio reports On its first launch, Storage Studio reads that address and reports what it carried, once. In Storage Studio 4.19.21 and later it also reports which page the download started from: the page itself when it was on our website, and only the site's name when it was somewhere else — never another site's full address or what you searched for. None of this includes your name, your email address, your files or anything else from your Mac. It lets us join a download to the website visit that led to it, so we can see which pages and campaigns actually help people — and so a partner gets credit for the customers they bring. For everything else the app sends, see What leaves your Mac, and when . The full detail is in our Privacy Policy, linked at the bottom of every page of the website. Common questions Does Storage Studio upload my files to the cloud? Not unless you ask it to. Freeing space, moving apps and folders, and reclaiming snapshots all happen on your Mac and your external drive. Your files only leave your Mac when you choose to — syncing to a cloud account you connected, backing up to the cloud, or using My Drive on storage you own —… Does Storage Studio use AI, and is it private? Yes — Storage Studio includes Tuhi, an assistant powered by Apple Intelligence that answers your storage questions, can tell you why your Mac feels slow, hot, or low on memory, and can do things for you — download a link to the drive you name, or stop, pause, carry on or cancel a transfer, move… What happens to my files if I stop using Storage Studio? Nothing — your files stay exactly where they are on both drives. Storage Studio simply stops moving new things; it never holds files hostage or makes you re-import anything to keep using them. Why does Storage Studio check in with your servers while it's open? So new versions, fixes and messages for you arrive within minutes instead of the next day. While the app is open it checks in every few minutes. It always sends an anonymous id for your Mac, the app version and your choice for Send usage and crash reports; with that switch on, it also sends your… See also: Privacy: what stays on your Mac · If you came to us through a partner · Legal documents and your consent choices",
  "markdown": "Our website, storagestudio.us, asks before it sets any analytics or advertising cookies, and it works exactly the same if you say no. If you say yes, we can tell which pages and campaigns led to a download — using an anonymous visitor number, never your name or email.\n\n## The cookie notice\n\nOn your first visit, a notice at the bottom of the page offers two buttons:\n\n| Button | What happens |\n|---|---|\n| **Accept** | The site remembers where your visit came from (for example a campaign link) and gives your browser an anonymous visitor number, so we can measure which pages and campaigns bring people to Storage Studio. |\n| **Decline** | None of that is set or sent. Every page, the pricing section, the downloads and Tuhi all work as normal. |\n\nYour choice is remembered for about six months. To change it sooner, clear the storagestudio.us cookies in your browser; the notice then appears again on your next visit.\n\n## What the download link carries\n\nWhen you download Storage Studio, macOS keeps a note of the address the file came from. That address can carry:\n\n- **Campaign tags**, if you arrived through a link that had them — for example from a newsletter or an advert.\n- **A partner code**, if you came through one of our partners' links, so the partner who introduced you is credited.\n- **The anonymous visitor number** from your visit — only if you accepted cookies. If you declined, nothing is added.\n\n## What Storage Studio reports\n\nOn its first launch, Storage Studio reads that address and reports what it carried, once. In **Storage Studio 4.19.21 and later** it also reports which page the download started from: the page itself when it was on our website, and only the site's name when it was somewhere else — never another site's full address or what you searched for.\n\nNone of this includes your name, your email address, your files or anything else from your Mac. It lets us join a download to the website visit that led to it, so we can see which pages and campaigns actually help people — and so a partner gets credit for the customers they bring.\n\nFor everything else the app sends, see [What leaves your Mac, and when](https://storagestudio.us/wiki/what-leaves-your-mac). The full detail is in our Privacy Policy, linked at the bottom of every page of the website.\n\n- **Does Storage Studio upload my files to the cloud?** Not unless you ask it to. Freeing space, moving apps and folders, and reclaiming snapshots all happen on your Mac and your external drive. Your files only leave your Mac when you choose to — syncing to a cloud account you connected, backing up to the cloud, or using My Drive on storage you own —… (https://storagestudio.us/faq)\n- **Does Storage Studio use AI, and is it private?** Yes — Storage Studio includes Tuhi, an assistant powered by Apple Intelligence that answers your storage questions, can tell you why your Mac feels slow, hot, or low on memory, and can do things for you — download a link to the drive you name, or stop, pause, carry on or cancel a transfer, move… (https://storagestudio.us/faq)\n- **What happens to my files if I stop using Storage Studio?** Nothing — your files stay exactly where they are on both drives. Storage Studio simply stops moving new things; it never holds files hostage or makes you re-import anything to keep using them. (https://storagestudio.us/faq)\n- **Why does Storage Studio check in with your servers while it's open?** So new versions, fixes and messages for you arrive within minutes instead of the next day. While the app is open it checks in every few minutes. It always sends an anonymous id for your Mac, the app version and your choice for Send usage and crash reports; with that switch on, it also sends your… (https://storagestudio.us/faq)\n\nSee also: [Privacy: what stays on your Mac](https://storagestudio.us/wiki/privacy-overview) · [If you came to us through a partner](https://storagestudio.us/wiki/buying-through-a-partner) · [Legal documents and your consent choices](https://storagestudio.us/wiki/legal-documents-and-consent)\n"
}