Privacy policy

Introduction

Backyard with Ben ("we," "us" or "our") operates BackyardWithBen.com (the "Site"). This Privacy Policy describes how we collect, use and protect information when you visit the Site, subscribe to our newsletter or contact us through the Site.

This policy is written primarily with visitors in the United States in mind. If you are visiting from the European Union, United Kingdom or another region with its own data protection laws, some additional rights described in the "Your Rights and Choices" section below may apply to you.

Information We Collect

We collect information in the following ways:

• Newsletter sign-up: if you subscribe to our newsletter, we collect the email address you provide.
• Contact form: if you use the contact form on our Contact page, we collect your name, email address, subject and the message you send us.
• Automatically collected data: like most websites, our hosting provider and any analytics tools we use in the future may automatically log standard technical information such as your IP address, browser type, device type, referring page and pages visited.

How We Use Your Information

We use the information we collect to:

• Send you the newsletter you signed up for, and let you unsubscribe at any time.
• Respond to questions, feedback or messages sent through the contact form.
• Understand how visitors use the Site so we can improve it.
• Maintain the security and proper functioning of the Site.

We do not sell your personal information.

Third-Party Services

We rely on a small number of third-party services to run the Site. These providers process data on our behalf and are bound by their own privacy policies:

• Contact form processing: messages submitted through our contact form are delivered using Formspree, a third-party form processing service.
• Newsletter storage: email addresses submitted through our newsletter forms are stored using Supabase, a database hosting provider, secured with access controls that prevent public access to the subscriber list. We plan to also use a dedicated email newsletter provider (such as Mailchimp, Beehiiv, ConvertKit or Brevo) to actually send newsletter emails; this section will be updated to name that provider once one is selected.
• Hosting: the Site is hosted by a third-party web hosting provider, which may log standard technical/server data as part of normal operation.

Cookies & Tracking

We use cookies and similar technologies in three groups. You choose which optional groups to allow in the cookie banner, and you can change your mind at any time with the "Cookie settings" link in the footer.

• Necessary. Needed for the Site to work, for example to remember your cookie choice (a first-party cookie called wb_consent, kept for up to 6 months). These are always on.
• Analytics. Privacy-friendly usage statistics (Vercel Web Analytics) that help us see which pages are useful. Loaded only if you accept.
• Marketing. We do not currently use marketing or advertising cookies. If we add any, they will only load after you agree.

Our hosting provider may use minimal technical data necessary for the Site to function.

Data Retention

We retain newsletter email addresses for as long as you remain subscribed, and contact form submissions for as long as reasonably needed to respond to your message and keep a record of the correspondence. You can request deletion of your information at any time using the contact details below.

Your Rights and Choices

• Unsubscribe: every newsletter email includes an unsubscribe link, or you can contact us to be removed.
• Access and deletion: you can ask us what information we hold about you, or ask us to delete it, by emailing us at the address below.
• EU/UK/other regional visitors: if data protection laws such as the GDPR apply to you, you may also have rights to correct inaccurate data, restrict or object to certain processing, and data portability. Contact us and we will do our best to accommodate your request.

Children's Privacy

The Site is not directed at children under 13, and we do not knowingly collect personal information from children under 13. If you believe a child has provided us with personal information, please contact us so we can remove it.

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 above. We encourage you to review this page periodically.

Contact

Questions about this Privacy Policy or how your information is handled? Reach out through our Contact page or email us directly at ben@backyardwithben.com.