Privacy Policy

1. What We Collect

Information you give us directly

• Contact form submissions: your name, email address, and the message you send us.
• Newsletter signups: your email address when you sign up for plant care tips and updates.

Information your browser stores locally

• Shopping cart data: items you add to your cart are saved in your browser's localStorage. This data never leaves your device; we do not receive or store it on our servers.

Information collected automatically

• Server logs and analytics: standard request data like your IP address, browser type, and the pages you visit. This is collected by Cloudflare as part of hosting and CDN services (see Section 4).

We do not collect payment information. We have no checkout system. No credit card numbers, billing addresses, or financial data of any kind pass through this site.

2. How We Use Your Data

We use the information you provide to:

• Respond to your messages: if you fill out the contact form, we use your name and email to reply to you.
• Send the newsletter: if you sign up, we send you plant care content, seasonal picks, and updates about the shop. Every email includes an unsubscribe link.
• Improve the site: aggregate traffic data helps us understand which pages are useful and where the site can be better.

We do not sell your data. We do not share it with advertisers. We do not use it for profiling or automated decision-making.

3. Cookies and localStorage

localStorage is used to save your shopping cart between visits. It works entirely inside your browser -- we never see the contents of your cart unless you complete a purchase (which is not yet available). You can clear it at any time through your browser's developer tools or site settings.

Cookies -- we do not set first-party cookies for tracking or advertising. Cloudflare may set a session cookie (__cf_bm) for bot detection. This is a short-lived security cookie that expires when you close your browser. It is not used for advertising.

We do not use Google Analytics, Facebook Pixel, or any other third-party tracking scripts.

4. Third-Party Services

Cloudflare (hosting and CDN)

Encyclopedia Botannica is hosted on Cloudflare Pages and served through Cloudflare's content delivery network. Cloudflare processes request data -- including IP addresses -- as part of routing traffic and protecting the site from abuse.

Cloudflare's privacy policy: cloudflare.com/privacypolicy

That is the full list of third-party services with access to your data at this time. If we add services (email marketing platform, analytics, etc.) we will update this policy before enabling them.

5. Data Retention

• Contact form messages -- kept for as long as the conversation is relevant (typically 12 months), then deleted.
• Newsletter email addresses -- kept until you unsubscribe. After unsubscribing, your address is removed from active sends within 10 business days.
• Server logs -- retained by Cloudflare per their standard retention policies. We do not maintain separate server-side logs beyond what Cloudflare provides.
• Cart data (localStorage) -- stored only in your browser. We have no copy of it.

6. Your Rights

For everyone

• You can ask us what personal data we have about you.
• You can ask us to delete it.
• You can unsubscribe from the newsletter at any time using the link in any email.

California residents (CCPA)

You have the right to know what personal information we collect and how it is used, the right to request deletion of your personal information, and the right to opt out of sale (we do not sell data, but the right exists). To exercise any of these rights, contact us at the address in Section 9.

EEA / UK residents (GDPR)

You have the right to access, rectify, or erase your personal data. You have the right to restrict or object to processing, and the right to data portability where applicable. Our lawful basis for processing contact form and newsletter data is your consent (you initiated contact or signed up).

To exercise your rights, contact us at the address in Section 9. You also have the right to lodge a complaint with your local supervisory authority.

We will respond to data requests within 30 days.

7. Children's Privacy

This site is not directed at children under 13. We do not knowingly collect personal information from anyone under 13. If you believe a child has submitted personal information to us, contact us and we will delete it promptly.

8. Changes to This Policy

When we make material changes to this policy -- adding a new service, changing how we use data -- we will update the "Last updated" date at the top and note what changed. If you're subscribed to the newsletter, we'll mention it there too.

Minor changes (typos, clarifications) will be updated without notice.

9. Contact

Questions about this policy or requests to access or delete your data:

We are a small shop. We read every email and will get back to you within a few business days.