Privacy Policy.

1. Scope of this policy

This Privacy Policy applies to Golds Web Design (“Golds Web Design,” “we,” “us” or “our”) and the information handled through this website, inquiry and trial forms, onboarding, project communications, monthly subscriptions, website hosting and maintenance, first-party analytics, review-request tools and related support.

A client website may need its own privacy disclosures based on that client’s business, customers, tools and legal obligations. This policy does not replace a client’s responsibility to maintain policies appropriate for its own website and operations.

2. Information we collect

Contact and inquiry information

• Name, business name, email address and optional phone number.
• The website plan you are interested in and the source of your inquiry.
• Project notes, services, service areas, existing website address and other details you choose to provide.
• Website goals, preferred customer actions, page and feature priorities, visual-style and color preferences, inspiration links and logo availability.
• Messages, approvals, support requests, cancellation requests and other communications with us.

Business and project materials

• Business details, service descriptions, hours, service areas, pricing, credentials and customer-facing policies.
• Logos, photos, copy, testimonials, reviews, brand materials and other content supplied for a website.
• Domain, DNS, hosting or account-access information when needed to launch, host, maintain or transfer a website.

Subscription and transaction information

• Selected plan, subscription status, billing history, invoice details, payment status and related account records.
• When payment is authorized, our payment processor collects and stores payment-method details under its own terms and privacy policy. Golds Web Design does not store full card numbers or card security codes on its systems.

Review-request information

Local Authority clients may enter a customer’s name, email address or phone number, a review destination, a request message and request status. For that information, the subscribing client decides why and when it is used, and Golds Web Design handles it on the client’s instructions to operate the tool. The client is responsible for having the authority to provide the information and for giving any notice or obtaining any consent required before sending a review request. Email requests are delivered through the configured mail provider. Phone-only requests are saved for manual sharing and are not sent by text message through this tool.

Information we do not want you to send

Do not send sensitive personal information unless we specifically request it and it is necessary. This includes Social Security numbers, government identification numbers, medical information, full payment-card details, financial-account credentials, passwords used elsewhere or sensitive information about children.

3. How we collect information

• Directly from you: when you submit a form, request a trial, email us, approve work, provide project materials, authorize payment or request support.
• Automatically: through first-party analytics, session storage, security controls, server logs and similar operational technologies.
• From service providers: such as payment, email, hosting, domain, backup, security and infrastructure providers.
• From public sources: such as an existing business website, public listing, public social profile, public review page or search result used to understand the business and prepare the website.

4. How we use information

• Respond to inquiries, confirm fit, plan a trial and communicate about a project.
• Design, write, build, launch, host, secure, back up, maintain and support websites.
• Manage subscriptions, invoices, payments, plan changes, cancellations and buyout or transfer requests.
• Operate website analytics and, for eligible plans, review-request tools.
• Improve our website, services, forms, performance, content and support process.
• Prevent spam, fraud, misuse and unauthorized access, and investigate security or delivery problems.
• Keep business, accounting and legal records, enforce our Terms of Service and comply with applicable law.

5. Legal bases where required

Where privacy law requires a legal basis, we may rely on performance of a contract, steps requested before entering a contract, legitimate business interests, consent or compliance with a legal obligation. The basis depends on the information and why it is being used.

6. First-party analytics and browser storage

Our contact and trial forms keep a temporary copy of your entered details in this browser tab so you can recover progress after navigation or an error. This copy expires after two hours without activity and is cleared after a confirmed submission or when you choose Clear saved details. Consent is not saved. If a send is unconfirmed, a request identifier without your entered details remains in the tab so you can check its receipt. If browser storage is unavailable, you can still use the forms, but progress cannot be restored.

This site uses first-party, cookieless analytics to understand which pages and interactions are useful. A random session identifier is stored in your browser’s session storage for the current tab. The analytics system may record:

• Page path, page title, referring address, traffic source and device category.
• Clicked-control labels and certain destinations for phone, email, text and outbound links.
• Form-submission events, confirmed inquiry events, scroll milestones and active time on the page.
• A short, salted visitor identifier created from network and browser information. The theme does not save the raw network address or raw browser signature in its analytics event table.

Form analytics records the form identifier and whether an inquiry succeeded, not the values typed into the form. Raw analytics events are generally removed after 120 days. Non-identifying daily aggregate totals may be kept longer for historical reporting.

The analytics tracker does not set cookies. Authorized WordPress administrators and third-party services may use essential login, security or payment cookies where needed for their functions.

This site does not use third-party advertising pixels. Hosting, web-server, mail-security and security providers may temporarily log a raw network address, browser headers, request time and requested address as part of ordinary operations. Google Fonts and other infrastructure or payment providers may also receive ordinary connection information or use their own technologies under their policies.

7. Inquiry and trial forms

When you submit an inquiry or trial request, the details are stored privately in WordPress and sent to the site administrator through the configured email service. The network address may be used to create a salted rate-limit key that helps prevent spam and repeated submissions. That rate-limit key expires after ten minutes.

The portfolio sample sites are demonstrations. Their sample forms are not intended to submit or store the information entered into them.

8. How we share information

We do not sell personal information. We also do not share personal information with advertisers for cross-context behavioral advertising. We may disclose information in these limited situations:

• Service providers: providers that support hosting, email, payment processing, domains, backups, analytics, security, project administration, file storage and website operations.
• Professional advisers: accountants, bookkeepers, lawyers, insurers or auditors when reasonably needed.
• Legal and safety needs: when disclosure is required by law or reasonably necessary to prevent fraud, protect people or systems, enforce agreements or respond to a lawful request.
• Business transfers: as part of a merger, financing, reorganization, sale of assets or similar transaction.
• At your direction: when you ask us to publish content, connect a service, configure an account, send a review request or transfer a website.

9. Client website content and public information

Some project information is intended for public display, including a business name, service area, service descriptions, photos, testimonials, credentials, business hours and public contact details. Once published, that information may be viewed, copied, indexed, cached, archived or shared by others.

Only provide photos, logos, reviews, testimonials, names and other materials that you have permission to use and publish.

10. Third-party links and services

Our website and client websites may link to payment pages, social networks, review sites, maps, schedulers, domain registrars or other third-party services. Those services handle information under their own terms and policies. We are not responsible for privacy practices of third parties we do not control.

11. Data retention

We retain information only for as long as reasonably necessary to provide services, maintain continuity, resolve disputes, protect systems and meet accounting, tax, contractual or legal obligations. Inquiry and review-request records remain until they are manually deleted or removed under our business retention schedule.

• Client project files and communications may be kept during the relationship and for a reasonable period afterward.
• Invoices, payment records, contracts and accounting records may be kept for at least seven years or longer where required.
• Backups and technical logs may retain information until their normal rotation or retention period expires.
• Raw first-party analytics events are automatically removed after 120 days. Non-identifying daily aggregate totals may be retained indefinitely for historical reporting.

12. Security

We use reasonable administrative, technical and organizational safeguards designed to protect information. These may include encrypted connections, reputable hosting, access controls, limited administrative access, updates, backups, monitoring and security tools.

No website, email account, database, server, payment system or internet transmission is perfectly secure. We cannot guarantee absolute security.

13. Access, correction and deletion requests

Depending on where you live and which laws apply, you may have rights to access, correct, delete, obtain a copy of, object to or restrict certain uses of personal information. You may also withdraw consent where processing relies on consent and appeal a privacy decision where applicable law provides that right.

To submit a request, email office@goldswebdesign.com with the subject line “Privacy Request.” We may need to verify your identity or authority before acting. Some requests may be limited by security needs, tax or accounting rules, active contracts, disputes, backups or other legal requirements.

14. Marketing communications

If we send marketing email, you can opt out using the unsubscribe instructions or by contacting us. We may still send non-marketing messages such as project updates, invoices, renewal information, security notices, service notices and replies to your requests.

15. U.S. state privacy notices

Where state privacy law applies, the categories we may handle include identifiers, commercial and subscription information, internet activity, professional or business information, location or service-area information you provide, electronic or visual materials and preferences inferred from a request.

16. International visitors

Golds Web Design is based in the United States. If you use the website or services from another country, information may be processed in the United States or other places where service providers operate, and those locations may have different privacy laws.

17. Children’s privacy

The website and services are intended for business owners and adults. They are not directed to children under 13, and we do not knowingly collect personal information from children under 13. Contact us if you believe a child has provided information so we can take appropriate action.

18. Changes to this policy

We may update this Privacy Policy to reflect changes in services, technology, vendors or legal obligations. We will update the date at the top of this page. If a change materially affects active customers, we may also provide notice by email or another reasonable method.

19. Contact us

For privacy questions, access requests, corrections, deletion requests or concerns, contact: