Effective Date: Jun 13, 2025
Welcome to The Host Notes (the “Site”), a recipe and hospitality blog powered by WordPress. Your privacy matters to us. This Privacy Policy explains how we collect, use, and protect your information, and outlines your rights under the GDPR, CCPA, and other privacy regulations.
Table of Contents
- Information We Collect
- Affiliate Disclosure
- How We Use Your Information
- Third-Party Services
- Your Data Protection Rights
- Data Retention
- Security
- Comments
- Embedded Content & External Links
- Children’s Privacy
- Changes to This Policy
- Contact
Information We Collect
a. Information You Voluntarily Provide
We collect personal information when you:
- Subscribe to our newsletter
- Leave comments on posts
- Contact us via forms
- Make a purchase or download a product
This may include your name, email address, website, and any other details you provide.
b. Automatically Collected Information
We may automatically collect data such as:
- IP address
- Browser type
- Referring website
- Pages viewed
- Time/date of visit
This data helps us analyze traffic and improve your experience.
c. Cookies
We use cookies to:
- Remember your preferences
- Track performance and site usage
- Facilitate affiliate marketing
You can disable cookies via your browser settings. Disabling cookies may affect certain features of the Site.
Affiliate Disclosure
Some links on this Site are affiliate links, which means we may earn a small commission if you make a purchase through them—at no extra cost to you.
We are a participant in affiliate programs such as:
- Amazon Associates
- ShareASale
- RewardStyle
- And others we trust and personally recommend
We only promote products and services that align with the values of The Host Notes.
How We Use Your Information
Your data may be used to:
- Send newsletters and updates (with your consent)
- Improve the Site’s functionality and content
- Respond to your questions or comments
- Process transactions or fulfill product orders
- Serve relevant affiliate and sponsored content
Third-Party Services
We share data with trusted third-party services for site operations, analytics, and marketing:
- Google Analytics – for site usage analysis
- Jetpack by WordPress.com – for security and stats
- ConvertKit or Mailchimp – for email marketing
- WooCommerce, PayPal, Stripe – for e-commerce functionality
- Affiliate networks – for tracking referral activity
Each service has its own privacy policy and complies with applicable privacy laws.
Your Data Protection Rights
Under the GDPR (for EU residents) and CCPA (for California residents), you may have the right to:
- Access the personal data we hold
- Request correction or deletion of your data
- Object to or restrict certain processing
- Request a copy of your data
- Opt-out of sale or sharing of personal information
- Withdraw consent at any time
To exercise your rights, email us at [email protected].
Data Retention
We retain personal information only for as long as needed to fulfill the purposes outlined in this policy or as required by law.
Security
We use SSL encryption, secure hosting, and up-to-date WordPress plugins to protect your data. While we strive for high security, no online platform is completely risk-free.
Comments
When you leave a comment, we collect the data shown in the form, along with your IP address and browser information to help with spam detection. Comments may be processed through tools like Akismet.
Embedded Content & External Links
Posts on this Site may include embedded content (e.g., videos, images, social media). These act as if you visited the third-party site directly and may collect data, use cookies, or monitor your interaction.
We are not responsible for the privacy practices of external sites.
Children’s Privacy
The Site is not intended for children under the age of 13. We do not knowingly collect personal data from children.
Changes to This Policy
We may update this Privacy Policy at any time. The most recent version will always be posted on this page. Continued use of the Site indicates your acceptance of the updated policy.
Contact
If you have questions or wish to make a data request, please contact:
The Host Notes
Email: [email protected]