Privacy Policy

Last updated: November 9, 2025

1. Introduction

Welcome to SmarterTools ("we", "our", "us"). We are committed to protecting your privacy and being transparent about how we collect, use, and protect your information.

This Privacy Policy explains how information is collected when you visit smartertools.app (the "Site") and use our AI-powered tool recommendation service.

2. Information We Collect

2.1 Information You Provide

When you use our Stack Builder feature, we collect:

• Quiz responses: Your answers about role, team size, budget, and tasks
• Tool interactions: Which tools you view, click, or save
• Email (optional): Only if you choose to subscribe to our newsletter

Note: We do NOT require account registration or login to use our service.

2.2 Automatically Collected Information

When you visit our Site, we automatically collect:

• Analytics data: Page views, referrer, browser type, device type, country (via Cloudflare Analytics & Plausible)
• Technical data: IP address (anonymized), user agent, language preferences
• Performance data: Page load times, errors (for improving user experience)

2.3 Cookies and Tracking

We use minimal cookies:

• Essential cookies: For basic site functionality (session management)
• Analytics cookies: Plausible Analytics (privacy-friendly, no personal data)
• Preference cookies: To remember your tool selections (stored locally)

We do NOT use:

• ❌ Third-party advertising cookies
• ❌ Cross-site tracking
• ❌ Invasive analytics (Google Analytics)

3. How We Use Your Information

We use collected information for:

• Providing recommendations: To generate AI-powered tool suggestions tailored to your needs
• Improving our service: To understand how users interact with the Site and improve features
• Analytics: To measure traffic, popular tools, and user behavior (anonymized)
• Communication: To send newsletters (only if you opt-in)
• Legal compliance: To comply with legal obligations and enforce our Terms

4. AI Processing & Data Storage

When you use the Stack Builder:

• AI Provider: Your quiz responses are sent to Claude AI (Anthropic) or OpenAI GPT for processing
• Data retention: Recommendations are cached for 24 hours to improve performance
• No personal data: We do NOT send any personally identifiable information to AI providers
• Anonymization: All queries are anonymized before processing

AI providers (Anthropic, OpenAI) have their own privacy policies. We recommend reviewing them if concerned about AI data processing.

5. Data Sharing & Third Parties

5.1 We DO Share Data With:

• Cloudflare: Hosting, CDN, DDoS protection, and analytics (GDPR-compliant)
• Plausible Analytics: Privacy-friendly analytics (GDPR-compliant, EU-hosted)
• AI Providers: Anthropic (Claude) or OpenAI (GPT) for recommendations
• Affiliate Networks: Tool click tracking for commission attribution (anonymized)

5.2 We DO NOT:

• ❌ Sell your data to third parties
• ❌ Share your data with advertisers
• ❌ Use invasive tracking or data brokers
• ❌ Share your email without consent

6. Affiliate Disclosure & Tracking

SmarterTools participates in affiliate programs. When you click on tool links:

• Click tracking: We record which tool was clicked (for affiliate attribution)
• Referral cookies: Affiliate partners may set cookies to track conversions
• Commission: We may earn a commission if you purchase a tool (at no extra cost to you)

For more details, see our Affiliate Disclaimer.

7. Data Security

We implement industry-standard security measures:

• 🔒 HTTPS encryption: All data transmitted is encrypted (SSL/TLS)
• 🔒 Cloudflare protection: DDoS protection and Web Application Firewall
• 🔒 Secure database: Cloudflare D1 with access controls
• 🔒 API security: Rate limiting and authentication for APIs

However, no method of transmission over the Internet is 100% secure. We cannot guarantee absolute security.

8. Your Rights (GDPR & CCPA)

8.1 EU/EEA Users (GDPR)

If you are in the EU/EEA, you have the right to:

• Access: Request a copy of your data
• Rectification: Correct inaccurate data
• Erasure: Request deletion of your data ("right to be forgotten")
• Portability: Receive your data in a machine-readable format
• Objection: Object to processing of your data
• Restriction: Restrict processing in certain circumstances

8.2 California Users (CCPA)

If you are in California, you have the right to:

• Know: What personal information is collected
• Delete: Request deletion of your personal information
• Opt-out: Opt-out of sale of personal information (we don't sell data)
• Non-discrimination: Not be discriminated against for exercising your rights

8.3 How to Exercise Your Rights

To exercise any of these rights, contact us at:

• Email: [email protected]

We will respond within 30 days (GDPR) or 45 days (CCPA).

9. Data Retention

We retain data for as long as necessary:

• Analytics data: Retained indefinitely (anonymized aggregates)
• AI recommendations: Cached for 24 hours, then deleted
• Newsletter subscribers: Until you unsubscribe
• Tool interactions: 12 months for analytics purposes

10. Children's Privacy

Our Site is not intended for children under 13 (or 16 in the EU). We do not knowingly collect data from children. If you believe a child has provided us with data, contact us immediately at [email protected].

11. International Data Transfers

Your data may be transferred to and processed in:

• United States: Cloudflare servers, AI providers (Anthropic, OpenAI)
• European Union: Plausible Analytics (EU-hosted)

We ensure appropriate safeguards (Standard Contractual Clauses) for international transfers under GDPR.

12. Changes to This Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time. Changes will be posted on this page with an updated "Last updated" date. Significant changes will be notified via:

• Email (if you subscribed to our newsletter)
• Banner notification on the Site

Continued use of the Site after changes constitutes acceptance of the updated policy.

13. Contact Us

If you have questions about this Privacy Policy or your data, contact us:

• Email: [email protected]
• General inquiries: [email protected]
• Website: smartertools.app