Cookie Policy

1. What Is a Cookie?

Cookies are small text files stored on your device (computer, tablet, smartphone) or on a network server through your browser by the websites you visit. Cookies help a website recognize you, remember your preferences, ensure security, and provide you with a better user experience.

In this Policy, the term "cookie" covers not only cookies in the classic text-file format, but also similar technologies serving the same function. The principal ones are as follows: pixels/tracking tags (web beacons) are small invisible images embedded in a page that measure behaviors such as opening and interaction; local storage (local storage / session storage) are areas used to store data within your browser; and software development kits (SDKs) and similar scripts enable the operation of third-party services. Unless otherwise stated, all explanations within the scope of this Policy also apply to these similar technologies.

Cookies alone cannot directly read information such as your name, address, or e-mail; however, since they may contain information such as your IP address, device and browser information (operating system, browser type, language setting, etc.), online identifiers, and browsing and interaction data, or identifiers that can be associated with such information, they may qualify as personal data within the meaning of the KVKK. For this reason, our use of cookies is conducted in accordance with the KVKK and the relevant legislation.

2. Why Do We Use Cookies?

The principal purposes of using cookies on our website are to ensure that the site functions technically properly and securely, to manage your session, to remember your preferences (language, display settings, cart contents, etc.), to improve the user experience by analyzing site usage and traffic, and, where your consent exists, to present content and advertisements suited to your areas of interest.

For DomainQ, which provides a domain name search and evaluation service, cookies are important in terms of ensuring the uninterrupted continuation of your search session, operating security measures (e.g., protection against forged requests), and measuring and improving service quality.

Some of the cookies we use are mandatory for the site to function and are not subject to your explicit consent; functional, performance-analytical, and targeting/advertising cookies, however, are only activated where your explicit consent exists. This distinction is explained in detail in Section 5 of this Policy.

3. Types of Cookies

In line with the Guidelines of the Personal Data Protection Authority, cookies are classified along three main axes: according to their duration of use, according to their source (party), and according to their purpose of use.

According to their duration of use, cookies are divided into two. Session cookies are temporary; they remain active only for the duration of your visit and are automatically deleted when you close your browser. Persistent cookies, on the other hand, remain on your device for a specified period or until you delete them, and are reactivated when you return to the site.

According to their source (party), cookies are also divided into two. First-party cookies are placed directly by the website you visit, that is, by the domain name displayed in your browser's address bar (DomainQ). Third-party cookies, on the other hand, are placed by providers belonging to a domain name different from the site you visit (e.g., companies such as Google that provide analytics or advertising services).

According to their purpose of use, cookies constitute the most decisive classification from a legal standpoint and are divided into four categories. Mandatory (strictly necessary) cookies are those that are critical for the operation, security, and session management of the site, and whose blocking disables basic functions. Functional cookies personalize your experience by remembering preferences such as language, theme, location, and login information. Performance-analytical cookies enable us to improve our service by measuring visitor behavior and site traffic. Targeting/advertising-marketing cookies help present advertisements suited to your areas of interest by using your behavioral information.

4. Cookies Used on Our Site

Below, the principal cookies used on our site are listed together with the cookie name, party, type, purpose, and approximate retention period. This list is illustrative and may be updated according to technical developments and the services provided; the current inventory is published on this page.

PHPSESSID — first party — mandatory / session cookie — to manage the user session and page state — for the duration of the session (deleted when the browser is closed). Explicit consent is not required.

csrf_token — first party — mandatory / security cookie — to prevent forged request (CSRF) attacks and ensure form security — for the duration of the session. Explicit consent is not required.

cookie_consent — first party — mandatory / persistent cookie — to store your cookie preferences (records of consent/refusal) and prevent them from being asked again — approximately 12 months. Explicit consent is not required (legal obligation and legitimate interest relating to keeping a record of consent).

site_lang (language preference) — first party — functional / persistent cookie — to remember your language and display preference — approximately 12 months. Subject to explicit consent.

domain_cart (cart) — first party — functional cookie — to temporarily store the items in your domain name cart — approximately 30 days. Subject to explicit consent.

_ga — third party (Google Analytics) — performance-analytical / persistent cookie — to distinguish visitors from one another and generate statistics — approximately 2 years (24 months). Subject to explicit consent.

_gid — third party (Google Analytics) — performance-analytical cookie — to distinguish visitors and perform session-based measurement — approximately 24 hours. Subject to explicit consent.

_gcl_au / IDE — third party (Google / DoubleClick) — targeting-advertising / persistent cookie — to perform conversion tracking and present advertisements suited to your areas of interest — approximately 90 days to 13 months. Subject to explicit consent.

Note: Performance-analytical and advertising cookies (e.g., Google Analytics and Google advertising cookies) are only activated after your explicit consent has been obtained through the cookie management panel; as long as your consent does not exist, the scripts that load these cookies are not enabled.

5. Legal Basis of Cookies and Explicit Consent

For mandatory (strictly necessary) cookies, your explicit consent is not required; these cookies rely on the legal grounds set out in Article 5, paragraph 2 of the KVKK. Cookies that maintain your session and the transactions you request (e.g., cart, search session) are processed on the ground that they are directly related to the establishment or performance of a contract (Art. 5/2-c); cookies that ensure the security and technical operation of the site are processed pursuant to the legitimate interest of the data controller (Art. 5/2-f); and the cookie that records your cookie consent preferences is processed within the scope of fulfilling a legal obligation (Art. 5/2-ç) and legitimate interest. Even though you cannot refuse these cookies, you are informed about their use through this Policy.

Functional, performance-analytical, and targeting/advertising cookies, on the other hand, are used only where your explicit consent exists (KVKK Art. 3/1-a and Art. 5/1). For these cookies, your consent is obtained through the cookie management panel on our site.

Explicit consent must relate to a specific matter, be based on information, and be declared with free will. Pursuant to the Guidelines of the Personal Data Protection Authority, explicit consent must be obtained by providing specific and separate information as to what is being consented to, and through an active, affirmative action. Merely having entered the website does not mean that explicit consent has been given to the cookies used. For this reason, pre-ticked boxes, expressions such as "by continuing to browse you accept," or passive/implied acceptance methods do not constitute valid consent.

You are not obliged to give your cookie consent, and your not giving consent does not prevent you from benefiting from our basic services; we do not condition service on consent. You may withdraw the explicit consent you have given at any time, without providing any reason. The withdrawal of consent does not affect the lawfulness of the processing carried out up to the date of withdrawal.

Upon your first visit to our site, layered information is provided: the cookie notice (banner) contains summary information about the types, purposes, and durations of cookies, along with "Accept," "Reject," and "Manage Settings" options; the "Reject" option is presented in a manner at least as easily accessible as the "Accept" option, and you may access detailed information through this Cookie Policy.

6. Third-Party Cookies and Transfer Abroad

On our site, third-party services such as analytics tools like Google Analytics, as well as, subject to your consent, services providing advertising/conversion measurement, may be used to measure and improve our services. The cookies placed by these tools are third-party cookies, and the data collected through them is also processed within the framework of the relevant providers' privacy policies.

Since the servers of these third-party providers (e.g., Google) are mostly located abroad (including the USA), your personal data collected through the said cookies may be transferred to servers abroad. This transfer qualifies as a transfer of data abroad within the scope of Article 9 of the KVKK, as amended by Law No. 7499.

Transfer abroad is carried out in accordance with the graduated mechanisms provided for in Article 9 of the KVKK: priority is given to transfer to countries declared by the Board to have adequate protection; where no such decision exists, appropriate safeguards under which the parties undertake adequate protection in writing and for which the Board's permission exists (standard contract declared by the Board, binding corporate rules, undertaking, etc.) are sought. Where these safeguards cannot be provided, transfer may only be carried out on the basis of the incidental (exceptional) situations enumerated in paragraph 6 of Article 9; one of these is the explicit consent you will give after being clearly informed about the transfer.

With respect to analytics and advertising cookies, reliance is placed first on the appropriate safeguard mechanisms mentioned above. In cases where appropriate safeguards do not exist, transfer abroad is carried out only on the basis of the explicit consent you will give separately and specifically regarding this transfer; you are separately informed about this transfer matter in the cookie management panel.

As long as your explicit consent does not exist and an appropriate transfer condition is not provided, third-party analytics and advertising cookies are not activated, and no transfer of data abroad is carried out in this way. This is applied in line with the decisions of the Personal Data Protection Board finding it unlawful to process data through third-party cookies and to transfer it abroad without obtaining consent or an appropriate transfer safeguard.

7. Managing Cookie Preferences

You can manage your cookie preferences in two ways: through the cookie management panel on our site or through your browser settings.

The cookie management panel (consent tool) on our site appears upon your first visit and can always be re-accessed via the "Cookie Settings" link at the bottom of the page. In this panel, you can switch cookies on and off separately on a category basis (functional, performance-analytical, targeting/advertising). Since mandatory cookies are necessary for the site to function, they are always active and cannot be switched off; the other categories are off by default and operate only upon your activation. You may withdraw the consent you have given at any time through this panel.

In addition, by changing your browser settings, you can accept cookies, reject them, arrange to receive a warning when a cookie is sent, or delete existing cookies. In general: in Google Chrome, follow the path Settings > Privacy and security > Cookies and other site data; in Mozilla Firefox, Settings > Privacy & Security > Cookies and Site Data; in Apple Safari, Preferences/Settings > Privacy > Cookies and website data; and in Microsoft Edge, Settings > Privacy, search, and services > Cookies and site permissions.

To manage advertising cookies collectively, you may make use of resources such as youronlinechoices.eu and allaboutcookies.org; and to disable Google Analytics measurement, you may use the "Google Analytics Opt-out" browser add-on offered by Google.

If you disable mandatory cookies or block all cookies, some sections and functions of our website may not work properly. Depending on your preference, you may choose to switch off only the optional (functional, analytics, and advertising) cookies.

8. Retention Periods

Cookies are retained for different periods according to their types and purposes. Session cookies are deleted the moment you close your browser; persistent cookies remain on your device for the periods specified in the list in Section 4 (approximately between 24 hours and 2 years) or are retained until you delete them.

Your personal data obtained through cookies is retained for the period required by the purpose of the relevant cookie and for the periods stipulated in the legislation; at the end of these periods or in the event that you withdraw your cookie consent, the relevant data is deleted, destroyed, or anonymized in accordance with the KVKK and the Regulation on the Deletion, Destruction or Anonymization of Personal Data.

For the general principles regarding retention periods and details concerning the disposal of your personal data, you may refer to our Privacy Policy and, if any, our Personal Data Retention and Disposal Policy.

9. Changes

DomainQ reserves the right to update this Cookie Policy in line with changes in legislation, developments in the technologies used, or updates to our services.

Changes to be made to the Policy take effect on the date they are published on this page. The effective date and last update date of the current version are indicated in the relevant section of the text. In the case of significant changes, if deemed necessary, the cookie notice (banner) may be displayed again and you may be asked to update your preferences.

For this reason, we recommend that you review this Policy regularly in order to stay informed about our cookie practices.

10. Contact

For any questions, requests, and applications regarding this Cookie Policy and your personal data processed through cookies, you may contact DomainQ, the data controller. You may access our current contact information (address, e-mail, and registered electronic mail (KEP) address) on the Contact and Privacy Policy pages of our site.

To exercise your rights under Article 11 of the KVKK (learning whether your personal data is processed, requesting information, requesting its correction or deletion, objecting to the processing, etc.), you may apply to us through the methods provided for in the Communiqué on the Procedures and Principles of Application to the Data Controller. Your applications are concluded as soon as possible and within 30 days at the latest, depending on the nature of the request.

For detailed information regarding your personal data processed through cookies and your rights, you may review our Privacy Policy and our Personal Data Protection Disclosure Statement. This Cookie Policy is an integral part and complement of the said texts.