Cookies Policy

1. What are cookies?

A cookie is a small text file stored by a website in your browser or on your device when you visit. It may allow the website to recognise your browser for the duration of a session or on a later visit, remember selected settings, maintain security or — only where permitted — measure use of the website.

We may also use technologies with similar functions:

localStorage and sessionStorage — browser storage that may retain settings, unfinished drafts or technical state;
pixels, tags and scripts — code that may record a page load or action;
session, device or notification identifiers — used for security, chat, notifications or a requested feature;
server logs — technical records of website requests which are not cookies but may include an IP address, time, browser and visited page.

Cookies may be session cookies, which are deleted at the end of a session, or persistent cookies, which remain until their stated expiry date or until you delete them. They may be placed by horizons.bg or by an external provider.

2. Legal basis and genuine choice

Strictly necessary technologies are used where required to provide a service expressly requested by you, maintain security or a session, remember privacy choices or operate the website technically. They cannot be disabled through the preference panel because parts of the service would not function without them.

Analytics, optional functional and marketing technologies that are not strictly necessary are activated only after prior consent through the cookie banner or preference panel. Refusing them must be as easy as accepting them.

3. Categories of technologies

4. Technologies that may be used

Specific names and retention periods may change following a technical update. The current automatically detected list should also be available through “Cookie settings”. The principal groups are:

Technology or example	Provider	Purpose	Category and activation	Typical duration
Consent preference cookie The name depends on the consent-management module in use.	Horizons Bulgaria / consent module	Stores whether you accepted, refused or customised optional categories so that you are not asked on every page.	Strictly necessary	Usually up to 6–12 months or until deleted in the browser.
wordpress_test_cookie	WordPress / Horizons Bulgaria	Checks whether the browser accepts cookies and supports core system operation.	Strictly necessary	Session.
wordpress_logged_in_, wordpress_sec_	WordPress / Horizons Bulgaria	Authentication and protection of logged-in users and administrators. These are not placed on every ordinary visitor.	Strictly necessary	Session or a limited period according to the login choice.
wp-settings-, wp-settings-time-	WordPress / Horizons Bulgaria	Remember administrative and interface settings for logged-in users.	Strictly necessary	Usually up to one year.
PHPSESSID or another session identifier	Horizons Bulgaria / hosting environment	Maintains a secure temporary session where required by a page or tool.	Strictly necessary	Session or a short technical period.
Language preference	Horizons Bulgaria / language module	Remembers the selected language version where this function is enabled.	Necessary or functional	Session or up to one year, depending on configuration.
The Ultimum HR — localStorage/sessionStorage	Horizons Bulgaria	May store an unfinished draft, design settings, selected language, billing details, interface state or a technical identifier locally. Data remains in the browser unless the selected function requires transmission to the server.	Necessary for the requested function	Until deleted through the tool, website data is cleared, or a technical expiry is reached.
Customer support chat	Horizons Bulgaria	Maintains the conversation, selected role, online/offline state and technical information such as current URL, source, language and approximate location inferred from the IP address. Chat content and contact details are processed under the Privacy Policy.	Necessary for the requested chat	For the active conversation and the limited period needed to provide support.
Payment session	Revolut Merchant and Horizons Bulgaria	Securely starts, processes and confirms a requested payment and helps prevent fraud. Revolut may place its own strictly necessary technologies in the payment environment.	Strictly necessary for payment	Session or the period determined by the payment provider.
_ga, _ga_* and other GA4 identifiers, if Google Analytics is enabled	Google Analytics	Distinguishes browsers, measures visits, pages and interactions, and produces aggregated statistics.	Analytics — after consent	According to configuration; _ga is often set for up to two years, but the actual period follows the website settings.
utm_*, referrer or similar attribution values	Horizons Bulgaria / analytics module	Identifies the source or campaign that brought a visitor to the website.	Analytics — after consent	Session or a limited period according to configuration.
Social buttons and embedded content	For example LinkedIn, Facebook/Meta, YouTube or another displayed platform	Opens a profile, enables sharing or displays external content. A normal hyperlink is not the same as a tracking pixel; embedded content may set third-party cookies.	Functional/marketing — after consent	Determined by the relevant platform.
Browser notifications and service worker	Horizons Bulgaria and the push-service provider, if enabled	Sends expressly requested notifications. Permission, a push identifier, browser and device information may be stored.	Functional — after permission	Until permission is withdrawn, the user unsubscribes or the data is deleted.

5. Providers and third parties

Google Analytics

Where Google Analytics 4 is enabled and you have consented to analytics technologies, the service may collect information about the visit, device, approximate geographic area, pages and interactions. We configure analytics to activate only after consent. Further information is available in the Google Privacy Policy and Google Analytics cookie information.

Revolut Merchant

When you choose a paid product, the payment component may use technologies necessary for security, fraud prevention and payment processing. These are also governed by the applicable Revolut privacy notices.

Social media and external content

The website may contain normal links to LinkedIn, Facebook/Meta, YouTube or other platforms. When you follow a link, you leave horizons.bg and the relevant platform’s rules apply. If a page embeds an external player, post, map or social module, it is loaded after an appropriate choice where it may place optional third-party cookies.

International processing

Some providers may process data outside the European Economic Area. Details of recipients and applicable safeguards are provided in our Privacy Policy and the relevant provider’s notices.

6. Forms, newsletters and surveys

Completing a contact form, CV form, enquiry or survey does not automatically mean that its contents are stored in a cookie. The information is sent to us when you press the relevant submission button and is processed under the notice shown at that point and the Privacy Policy.

A form may use a short technical value for security, spam prevention, duplicate-submission prevention or recovery of an unfinished request.
A newsletter system may retain evidence of subscription or withdrawal in our records; this does not necessarily require a cookie.
A survey may remember that you have already responded or declined so that it is not shown again. Where the technology is not strictly necessary, it is used after consent.

7. How to manage and delete technologies

Through horizons.bg

Open “Cookie settings” from the banner, floating icon or footer link. You can accept all optional categories, reject them or select individual categories. Strictly necessary technologies remain active.

Through your browser

Most browsers allow you to view, block or delete cookies and website data. You can remove data for horizons.bg only or for all websites. Blocking strictly necessary cookies or clearing localStorage may interrupt login, payment, chat, language selection or an unfinished draft.

Instructions are available in your browser’s privacy settings. A general overview is also available at aboutcookies.org.

Browser notifications

Notification permission is controlled through your browser or operating-system settings. You may withdraw it at any time independently of your cookie preferences.

Do Not Track and Global Privacy Control

Standards and support for these signals differ between browsers and providers. Where applicable law or the platform in use requires a particular signal to be recognised, we will process it according to the available technical capability and legal requirements. The most reliable way to set your choice for horizons.bg remains the “Cookie settings” panel.

8. Controller, contact and changes

Horizons Bulgaria Ltd, UIC 175011353, VAT No. BG175011353, 63 Tsanko Tserkovski Street, Sofia 1421, Bulgaria, is the controller for processing described in this Policy, except where an external provider acts as an independent controller.

Privacy email: privacy@horizons.bg
General email: office@horizons.bg
Telephone: +359 879 364 417

We may update this Policy when the website, The Ultimum HR, providers, legislation or technologies change. The current version and date will be published on this page.