Changes to Storage Nov 2026
Less data in the browser: changes to how rek.ai uses storage
At rek.ai we take data protection and GDPR seriously. One of the core principles of GDPR is data minimisation: only process the data that is actually needed, and keep it no longer than necessary. We have reviewed everything the rek.ai script saves in visitors' browsers with that principle in mind.
The result: we have removed three storage values, including the only one that kept visit history between visits. The recommendations keep working as before.
Summary
| Storage value | Type | Previously used for | Now |
|---|---|---|---|
vds<projectid> | Local storage | Dates of the visitor's visits during the last 30 days | Removed. Existing values are deleted automatically |
sessionstarttime | Session storage | Time the session started, used to reset the browsing path after 30 minutes | Removed |
last<projectid> | Session storage | The last visited address, used to detect page reloads | Removed. Replaced by a browser feature that needs no storage |
What has changed
No more visit history over time
Before, vds<projectid> stored the dates of a visitor's visits in local storage. Local storage does not expire by itself, so this information stayed in the browser between visits.
We no longer save this. The script also actively deletes existing values the next time a page loads, so the data disappears from browsers without anyone having to clear it by hand.
The visit information sent with a recommendation request now only comes from the current browser tab: the number of pages visited in this session. Nothing is kept from earlier visits.
Page reloads are detected without storage
To avoid counting a page reload as a new page view, the script used to save the last visited address in last<projectid>. Now we use the browser's built-in Navigation Timing API, which tells us directly if the page was reloaded. No data needs to be saved for this.
No session timestamp
sessionstarttime saved when the visit started, so the browsing path could be cleared after 30 minutes. This timestamp is no longer saved. The browsing path is already limited to the last 10 pages and disappears when the tab is closed.
What is still stored
The script still saves some data, all of it needed for the recommendations to work:
| Storage value | Type | Purpose |
|---|---|---|
sp<projectid> | Session storage | The last pages visited in this tab (at most 10), used to make recommendations |
rektabs | Session storage | Which sections of the site have been visited in this tab |
rekOrgRef | Session storage | The domain the visitor came from (only the domain, never the full address) |
rekclick | Session storage | Briefly marks that the visitor clicked a recommendation. Removed on the next page |
onceloadedlocal | Session storage | Only for projects that have chosen to keep the browsing path between visits |
rekai_consent_accepted | Session or local storage | Remembers that the visitor has accepted rek.ai, for projects that use consent |
Session storage belongs to a single browser tab and is cleared by the browser when the tab is closed.
Some projects have chosen to keep the browsing path between visits, or to save custom values (custom features). For those projects, data is also saved in local storage. That is configured per project.
Consent stays in control
None of this changes how consent works:
- For projects that use consent, the script saves nothing in the browser until the visitor has accepted.
- If a visitor withdraws consent, the script deletes its stored data, including any remaining values from older script versions.
What this means for you as a customer
- You don't need to do anything. The changes come with the regular script update.
- Recommendations keep working. The browsing path, which is what the recommendations are mainly built on, is unchanged.
- Less to describe in your cookie and privacy information. If your cookie policy or privacy notice lists rek.ai's storage values, you can remove
vds<projectid>,sessionstarttimeandlast<projectid>.
Questions?
Contact us if you have questions about how rek.ai handles data, or if you need more information for your own privacy documentation.