Cookies, local storage, and session storage
A cookie is a small file a site stores on your device and sends back on later visits. Two related technologies do similar jobs, and we use both:
- Local storage keeps information in your browser until it is cleared. Unlike a cookie, it isn't sent to our server with every request.
- Session storage keeps information only until you close the tab.
Most of what we store is in local or session storage rather than cookies, and almost all of it exists to remember what you were doing so the site behaves sensibly.
Essential: signing in and staying signed in
- __session: a secure, HTTP-only cookie that keeps you signed in. It is set when you log in and expires after about five days, or when you sign out. Block it and you cannot use an account.
- Firebase authentication storage: our sign-in provider stores tokens in browser storage under keys beginning
firebase:authUserso your session survives a page reload. - lhfs_auth_cache: a cached copy of your basic account details so the header can show your signed-in state immediately instead of flashing a logged-out menu.
Functional: remembering what you were doing
- selectedCategory and searchTerm: carry your category choice and search text from the homepage through to the listings page.
- listingBuilderDraft:v2:* and lhfs_guest_listing_draft: save an in-progress listing, including one started without an account, so you don't lose your work if you navigate away. Draft photos for listings and dealer profiles are held in your browser's IndexedDB under
lhfs-listing-builderandlhfs-builder-profile-builderuntil you submit. - lhfs:listing-claim:v1 and lhfs:listing-contact-email:v1: link a listing you started before signing in to your account once you sign in.
- lhfs:view-tracked, lhfs:builder-view-tracked, lhfs:impression:*, and lhfs:builder-impression:*: stop the same listing or dealer view being counted more than once in a session, so owners see honest view counts.
- lhfs:return-origin:*: remembers the browse page you came from so the back link on a listing returns you there.
Preferences: not showing you the same prompt twice
- lhfs_google_one_tap_dismissed: remembers that you closed the Google sign-in prompt.
- lhfs_section_preview_seen: remembers that you already saw a dashboard preview.
- newsletterView:*: avoids counting the same newsletter box as seen more than once.
- sidebar:state: remembers whether a collapsible sidebar was open.
Analytics
We use Google Analytics on the live site to understand which pages are useful. It sets cookies in the _ga and _ga_* family to distinguish visitors and sessions, and reports pages viewed, time on page, approximate location, and device and browser type.
We may also use Microsoft Clarity on pages without ads to see where visitors get stuck. It sets cookies such as _clck and _clsk and masks text you type into forms.
You can opt out of Google Analytics across all sites with the Google Analytics opt-out browser add-on.
Ad measurement
When we run ads for the site, we may use the Meta (Facebook) Pixel to measure Facebook and Instagram ads, and the Microsoft Advertising tag to measure Bing ads. They record visits and actions such as a published listing or a completed purchase. The Meta Pixel may set _fbp and read an _fbc click id from an ad. The Microsoft tag may set _uetsid and _uetvid. Keys beginning lhfs_meta_, lhfs_ms_uet_conversion:, lhfs_purchase_tracked:, and lhfs_listing_ stop the same action being reported twice.
We plan to display advertising through Mediavine. The site does not show Mediavine ads yet. When ads are live, Mediavine and its advertising partners may set first- and third-party cookies, tags, beacons, and pixels to measure ad performance, limit how often you see the same ad, and personalise what you're shown. See the Mediavine section of our privacy policy for the full disclosure.
- Limit ads from Meta in Facebook Ad Preferences
- Limit ads from Microsoft in Microsoft ad settings
- Use the industry opt-out tools at YourAdChoices and the Network Advertising Initiative
Campaign tags and attribution
Links to our site sometimes carry campaign parameters such as utm_source, utm_medium, and utm_campaign. We save the first and latest of these, along with the referring site, in a first-party cookie and local storage key called lhfs_acq_v1 for up to 90 days. If you then create an account, publish a listing, or subscribe to the newsletter, we store those tags with it so we know which campaign brought you.
Other third parties
Embedded or linked services can set their own cookies when your browser contacts them:
- Google, for sign-in and analytics
- Meta and Microsoft, for ad measurement, when in use
- Mediavine, for display ads, once they are live
- Cloudinary and BunnyCDN, for image delivery
- Stripe, on checkout and billing pages, including fraud prevention
- Facebook, when you follow a View on Facebook link
Each of those is governed by that company's own cookie and privacy policies.
How to control cookies and stored data
In your browser
Every major browser lets you see and delete cookies and site data, block third-party cookies, or clear everything when you close it. Look for privacy or site-data settings in Chrome, Firefox, Safari, or Edge. Clearing site data for mobilehomelistingsusa.com removes every key listed on this page.
Blocking essential cookies will sign you out and prevent you from using an account. Clearing functional storage will lose saved drafts and dismissed prompts, and you may see prompts again.
Do Not Track
Browsers send Do Not Track signals inconsistently and there is no agreed standard for honouring them, so we don't respond to them. Use the opt-outs above instead.
General background on cookies is available at allaboutcookies.org.
Changes to this policy
We'll update this page when we add or remove cookies and storage, and change the date at the top. For anything else about your data, see the privacy policy or the data deletion instructions.