The short version
We collect very little: anonymous usage analytics, the answers you type into the AI Hosting Advisor (site type, budget, traffic — email only if you choose to leave it), newsletter emails, and the clicks on outbound deal links. We do not sell personal data. Advisor answers are processed by an AI provider to generate your recommendation.
Who we are
This site is operated by [PLACEHOLDER: legal entity name], [PLACEHOLDER: registered address]. For any privacy request, contact admin@hostingscale.com.
What we collect, and why
- AI Advisor inputs — the answers you give (hosting type, budget, expected traffic, technical preferences) are sent to our server and used to compute a recommendation. Sessions are stored with a non-identifying hash so we can rate-limit abuse and improve the tool. If you optionally leave an email for your results, we store it with that session.
- Newsletter / renewal alerts — the email address you submit, used only to send what you signed up for. Unsubscribe links are in every email.
- Outbound click events — when you click a deal or provider link we log the click (provider, page, timestamp) to count referrals. This is how affiliate attribution works; it does not identify you.
- User reviews — if you submit a review: the rating, text, and name you provide. Reviews are moderated before publication.
- Analytics — aggregate page-view analytics via none — we do not currently run any analytics or tracking script. See the Cookie Policy.
- Server logs — standard web-server logs (IP, user agent, URL, timestamp) kept for security and debugging.
AI processing — read this part
The AI Hosting Advisor and our internal data tools send text to third-party AI APIs to be processed: OpenRouter (which routes to a large-language-model provider) and Firecrawl (which fetches public provider pages for our editors). Your advisor answers are sent to OpenRouter to generate the recommendation; they are not used to identify you and we do not send your email address to the model. Do not type personal information into the advisor free-text fields.
Third parties that process data for us
- OpenRouter (AI recommendation processing)
- Firecrawl (fetching public provider pages; no visitor data)
- none — no analytics or tracking script is currently in use
- not applicable — no newsletter is currently operated
- FlyWP (managed WordPress hosting). No third-party CDN is currently in use
Cookies
See the Cookie Policy for the exact cookies and local-storage keys in use and how to control them.
How long we keep data
- Advisor sessions: retained for product improvement; deleted on request.
- Newsletter emails: until you unsubscribe.
- Click events: retained as aggregate referral statistics.
- Server logs: rotated on a short schedule by the host.
Your rights (GDPR / UK GDPR)
If you are in the EU/UK you can request access to, correction of, or deletion of your personal data, object to or restrict processing, and lodge a complaint with your supervisory authority. Requests: admin@hostingscale.com. The controller is [PLACEHOLDER: legal entity name]. Where we rely on legitimate interest (analytics, click counting), you may object at any time.
California residents (CCPA/CPRA)
We do not sell or share personal information as defined by the CCPA. You may request disclosure or deletion of the personal information we hold about you: admin@hostingscale.com. We do not discriminate against users who exercise their rights.
Children
This site is not directed at children under 16 and we do not knowingly collect their data. If you believe a child has submitted personal information, contact us and we will delete it.
Changes
We will update this page when our practices change; the “Updated” date above reflects the last revision.
This page is a good-faith template prepared for this site and reviewed by its owner. It is not legal advice; for GDPR/CCPA specifics, have it checked by a qualified professional.