Cookie preferences
PasteBase uses cookies to provide essential functionality and remember your preferences. This article explains what cookies are used, what they do, and how you can manage your preferences.
What cookies does PasteBase use?
PasteBase keeps its cookie usage minimal and focused on what's needed to make the app work:
- Session cookie — This is a standard Django session cookie that keeps you logged in as you navigate between pages. Without it, you'd have to log in on every page load. This cookie is essential for the app to function.
- CSRF token — A security cookie that protects against cross-site request forgery attacks. Django uses this to verify that form submissions come from your browser and not a malicious third party. This is also essential.
- Theme preference — PasteBase stores your dark/light theme choice in a cookie so your preferred appearance is applied every time you visit. This cookie is set when you toggle the theme in the sidebar.
- Cookie consent — If a cookie consent banner is shown, your acceptance is stored in a cookie so you're not asked again on every page.
Changing your cookie preferences
Since PasteBase is a self-hosted application with minimal cookie usage, cookie management is straightforward. The essential cookies (session and CSRF) cannot be disabled without breaking core functionality — they're required for logging in and submitting forms securely.
The theme preference cookie is optional in the sense that PasteBase works fine without it — you'll just get the default theme on each visit instead of your preferred one. If you clear this cookie through your browser settings, PasteBase will use the default theme until you toggle it again.
Managing cookies in your browser
You can view and delete cookies through your browser's settings or developer tools. Each browser handles this differently:
- Chrome — Settings > Privacy and security > Cookies and other site data
- Firefox — Settings > Privacy & Security > Cookies and Site Data
- Safari — Settings > Privacy > Manage Website Data
- Edge — Settings > Cookies and site permissions > Cookies and site data
You can delete PasteBase's cookies from these settings. Keep in mind that deleting the session cookie will log you out, and you'll need to sign in again.
No third-party tracking
Because PasteBase is self-hosted, there are no third-party analytics cookies, advertising trackers, or social media widgets collecting your data. The only cookies on your PasteBase instance are the ones described above — all first-party, all functional. Your browsing activity stays between you and your PasteBase server.
Cookie policy
For the full legal details on how PasteBase handles cookies, see the cookie policy page. It covers the legal basis for cookie usage and your rights regarding stored data.