Legal
Cookie Policy
Last updated: September 2026
The short version
RealTime.Photos does not use tracking cookies or third-party advertising cookies. We mostly use browser localStorage and sessionStorage to remember small preferences on your device. Almost none of it is sent to our servers or shared with anyone; the one exception, a random device key used only to limit repeated selfie searches, is listed below. The only cookies we set ourselves are strictly necessary ones that keep you signed in to something you asked for. They are listed below too.
What we store and why
The browser storage below is local to your device and contains no personally identifiable information. Only the device key is ever sent to our servers, and we don't store it. The one cookie we set ourselves is listed separately at the end of this section, because a cookie is by definition sent with your requests.
Guest gallery
| Key | Storage | Purpose | Expires |
|---|---|---|---|
| liked_[photoId] | localStorage | Records which photos you have liked so you cannot like the same photo twice. Stored per photo ID — no user identity attached. | Until you clear browser data |
| rtp_sort | sessionStorage | Remembers your preferred sort order (newest first / most liked) for the duration of your browser session. | Session end |
| rtp_auth_[eventSlug] | sessionStorage | Records that you have successfully entered the password for a password-protected gallery, so you are not prompted again. | Session end |
| rt_device_token | localStorage | A random key created on your device and sent with selfie searches, so we can limit repeated searches from one device. It is not linked to you, and we do not store it. | Until you clear browser data |
Photographer dashboard
Photographer authentication is handled entirely by Clerk. Clerk sets session cookies required for secure login. These are strictly necessary for the authenticated dashboard to function. Refer to Clerk's privacy policy for details.
The dashboard also keeps a few display preferences in your browser:
| Key | Storage | Purpose | Expires |
|---|---|---|---|
| rtp_events_sort | localStorage | Remembers how you sort your events list. | Until you clear browser data |
| rtp_dashboard_visited_[eventId] | localStorage | Remembers that you have opened an event before, so its dashboard opens on the right tab. | Until you clear browser data |
| rtp_tips_dismissed_[eventId] | localStorage | Remembers which tips you have dismissed for an event. | Until you clear browser data |
| rtp_qr_logo_size_[eventId] | localStorage | Remembers the logo size you chose for an event QR code. | Until you clear browser data |
| rtp_collection_qr_logo_size_[collectionId] | localStorage | Remembers the logo size you chose for a collection QR code. | Until you clear browser data |
Sales tools
We run private, invitation-only pricing tools for prospective clients. These are not linked from anywhere on the site and are reached with an access code we hand out directly.
| Key | Storage | Purpose | Expires |
|---|---|---|---|
| rtp_med2026 | Cookie (httpOnly) | Records that you entered the access code for a private pricing tool, so you are not asked again. It holds no personal data and no identifier: it is the same value for everyone who has the code, and it is only readable by our server, not by scripts in your browser. | 30 days |
No tracking or advertising cookies
We do not use Google Analytics, Meta Pixel, or any other third-party tracking or advertising technology. We use Vercel Analytics and Vercel Speed Insights to understand general traffic patterns and page performance. Both are cookieless and collect no personally identifiable information. We do not build profiles of guests or photographers for advertising purposes.
Why there is no cookie consent banner. The only cookies set on this platform are strictly necessary ones: the session cookies Clerk places for authenticated dashboard access, and the access-code cookie described above, which exists solely to deliver a page you explicitly requested. Strictly necessary cookies are exempt from consent requirements under the EU ePrivacy Directive (2002/58/EC), the UK Privacy and Electronic Communications Regulations (PECR), and equivalent applicable law. Because we set no analytics, tracking, or advertising cookies, no consent banner is legally required or displayed.
Your choices
Since we do not use cookies for tracking, there is nothing to opt out of. You can clear your browser's localStorage and sessionStorage at any time through your browser's privacy or storage settings. This will reset your liked photos and sort preferences but will not affect your account or any data on our servers.
Managing cookies. You can manage or delete cookies — including the Clerk session cookie used for dashboard login — through your browser's privacy or settings menu. Most browsers allow you to block cookies from specific sites or delete all cookies at once. Note that blocking or deleting Clerk authentication cookies will prevent access to the photographer dashboard; guest gallery browsing is unaffected as it uses no cookies.
Erasure requests and localStorage. If you exercise a right to erasure under GDPR or applicable US privacy law, we will delete any personal data we hold on our servers. However, localStorage and sessionStorage entries are stored exclusively on your own device — we have no technical ability to clear them remotely. You can remove them manually at any time via your browser's privacy or developer settings.
Changes to this policy
If we introduce new storage mechanisms or cookies, we will update this policy and notify photographer account holders by email at least 14 days before the changes take effect. The current version of this policy is always available at realtime.photos/cookies.