Cookie Policy

Effective March 2026 · How Showrooms.pk uses cookies and local storage

1. What are cookies?

Cookies are small text files stored on your device by your web browser. They allow a site to remember your actions and preferences so you do not have to re-enter them each visit.

Showrooms.pk also uses localStorage — a browser storage mechanism similar to cookies but which stays entirely on your device and is never sent to our servers in HTTP headers. We use it for authentication state, saved favourites, search history, and view deduplication.

2. How we use cookies

  • Essential — Keep you logged in, maintain your session, and protect against cross-site request forgery.
  • Functional — Remember your dark mode preference, saved cars, saved dealers, and search history.
  • Analytics — Track page views, car detail views, and interaction events (calls, WhatsApp clicks, inquiries) to help dealers understand their audience.
  • Third-party — External requests to DiceBear for avatar generation and Socket.io for real-time messaging.

3. Cookies and storage keys we use

Every cookie and localStorage key used by Showrooms.pk, what it does, how long it lasts, and its category.

NamePurposeDurationType
access_tokenJWT access token for authenticated API requests.15 minutesEssential
refresh_tokenJWT refresh token to obtain new access tokens without re-login.7 daysEssential
auth_userAuthenticated user/dealer profile object for session persistence.Persistent (until logout)Essential
cookie_consentRecords whether you accepted the cookie consent banner.1 yearEssential
themeDark/light mode preference, synced with system appearance on first visit.PersistentFunctional
favorites_carsIDs of cars you have saved/favourited.Persistent (until cleared)Functional
favorites_dealersIDs of dealers you have saved/favourited.Persistent (until cleared)Functional
spk_searchesRecent search queries powering trending and "Hot Searches" features.Persistent (until cleared)Functional
lead_view_car_{id}24-hour dedup timestamp preventing the same car view from counting twice.24 hoursAnalytics
lead_{type}_car_{id}24-hour dedup for car interactions (call, WhatsApp, share, favourite).24 hoursAnalytics
lead_view_dealer_{id}24-hour dedup timestamp for dealer profile views.24 hoursAnalytics
lead_{type}_dealer_{id}24-hour dedup for dealer interactions (call, WhatsApp, inquiry).24 hoursAnalytics

4. localStorage usage

Most data is stored in your browser's localStorage rather than traditional cookies. This means data stays on your device and is never automatically sent in request headers.

  • access_token / refresh_token — JWT tokens for authentication. Access expires after 15 min, refresh after 7 days. Both cleared on logout.
  • auth_user — JSON profile object (name, email, role, avatar). Persists your session across reloads without re-fetching.
  • favorites_cars / favorites_dealers — Arrays of saved IDs. Persist even without an account.
  • spk_searches — Search history and seed flag powering the trending feature on the home page.
  • lead_* — Dedup timestamps (e.g. lead_view_car_42) preventing the same interaction from counting more than once in 24 hours.

None of this data is shared with third parties. localStorage data never leaves your browser unless explicitly sent via an API call you initiate (such as logging in or tracking a car view).

5. Third-party services

Showrooms.pk makes requests to a limited number of external services. These may set their own cookies or receive your IP address as part of standard HTTP requests:

  • DiceBear Avatars — Default profile avatars are loaded from api.dicebear.com. No tracking cookies are set, but their server receives your IP address and user-agent.
  • Socket.io — Real-time chat and notifications use a WebSocket connection to our own server. Authenticated with your JWT. Socket.io may use a transport cookie (io) to maintain the session. This is first-party infrastructure.

6. Managing your cookies

You can control or delete cookies and localStorage data through your browser settings:

  • Chrome — Settings > Privacy and Security > Cookies and other site data
  • Firefox — Settings > Privacy & Security > Cookies and Site Data
  • Safari — Preferences > Privacy > Manage Website Data
  • Edge — Settings > Cookies and site permissions > Cookies and data stored

What breaks if you disable storage

  • You will be logged out on every page refresh.
  • Saved cars and dealers will not persist between visits.
  • Dark mode preference will reset to system default each session.
  • The same car or dealer view may be counted multiple times.
  • Search history and trending data will not be available.

7. Changes to this policy

We may update this policy to reflect changes in our practices or for legal and regulatory reasons. When we make material changes, we will update the effective date at the top. We encourage you to review this page periodically.

8. Contact us

Questions about this policy or how your data is stored? Reach us at hello@showrooms.pk