Cookie Policy

Last updated: 6 September 2026

This Cookie Policy describes how https://franchisebusinesses.com (the "Site") uses cookies and similar technologies. The Site is operated by X Enterprises, LLC. Franchise Businesses is a DBA of X Enterprises, LLC, 18122 3rd Dr SE, Bothell, WA 98012.

Please also read the Privacy Policy (/privacy).

What cookies are

A cookie is a small piece of data a site sends to your browser. This Policy also covers similar technologies, including scripts, pixels, and first-party browser storage (localStorage), where the context requires.

The consent tool on this Site

This Site uses a first-party cookie consent banner (CSS class xaf-cookie-consent; component XAFCookieConsent), not Usercentrics and not another named third-party CMP. The live tool offers Accept all, Reject all, and a preferences view with Save preferences. Categories in the tool are:

Strictly necessary (required; cannot be turned off);
Analytics;
Marketing;
Preferences.

Your choice is stored in first-party browser storage (localStorage key xAffiliate.consent) so the Site can honor it on later visits. That stored choice is our record of your decision. It is not a third-party consent-management cookie.

The Site footer includes a Manage cookies control that can reopen the banner (forceShow). Strictly necessary storage remains on.

On a first visit, the banner is shown until you choose. Optional scripts in a category load only if (1) you allow that category and (2) this Site is actually configured to use a script in that category.

The mill description for Strictly necessary mentions auth, security, and basic page state. This Site has no reader login and no authentication cookies for a SaaS account. Treat "auth" in that mill string as unused for login on this host.

Consent-tool policy links must point at /cookies and /privacy on this host. Do not leave readers on /cookie-policy or /privacy-policy 404 leftovers.

What is live on this Site today (6 September 2026)

Strictly necessary

Consent choice in first-party localStorage, as described above.
Ordinary hosting and security cookies or headers that Vercel or the Site may set so pages load.
When a referral parameter is present, a first-party affiliate referral cookie named x_affiliate_ref may be set (configured lifetime up to 30 days) so a referral can be credited.

There are no reader-account session-authentication cookies. This Site has no login portal on this host today.

Analytics

The affiliate / marketing layer can load Google Analytics 4, Google Tag Manager, or Microsoft Clarity only if a ga4Id, gtmId, or clarityId is configured. As of 6 September 2026 this Site does not publish any of those IDs (void 0 in the live bundle). Optional analytics scripts therefore do not fire on the public configuration we fetched. If an ID is added later, it will load only after Analytics consent, and this page should be updated to name it.

Marketing

No named advertising pixel or ad-network ID was published on the public HTML we fetched. Marketing cookies load only if configured and you grant Marketing consent. Affiliate disclosure language for commercial relationships appears on /disclaimer#affiliate.

Preferences

The consent tool includes a Preferences category for first-party interface choices. Preferences storage is used only if you allow that category or if a setting is strictly required for the page to render.

Other third-party requests

The live Site loads fonts from Google Fonts (fonts.googleapis.com and fonts.gstatic.com; Inter). That request can send your IP address and browser information to Google. It is not loaded through the consent tool as an analytics or marketing tag.

Your choices

You can:

use the Site consent tool (Accept all, Reject all, or customize categories);
reopen that tool with Manage cookies in the footer; and
block or delete cookies in your browser.

If you reject optional categories, the Site should still load. Some future features that depend on optional scripts would not run.

Changes

We may update this Cookie Policy by posting a revised version on this page with a new "Last updated" date. If we start using a published analytics or marketing ID, this page should be updated to name it.

Contact

editor@franchisebusinesses.com

X Enterprises, LLC
18122 3rd Dr SE
Bothell, WA 98012

Franchise Businesses is a DBA of X Enterprises, LLC, 18122 3rd Dr SE, Bothell, WA 98012.