This is the short, plain-English version of what HostingBuff does with data. No dark patterns, no data selling, no tricky legalese. If you have a question this policy does not answer, email [email protected].

01 // What we collect

HostingBuff is a static content site. We do not run user accounts, do not ask you to sign in, and do not collect personal information directly. The only data generated by your visit is what your browser sends automatically:

  • Server logs (Netlify) — our host logs your IP address, user agent, referring URL, and the path you requested. This is standard CDN behaviour and is used to serve the site, detect abuse, and keep the network healthy. See Netlify’s privacy policy for retention details.
  • Google Fonts — the site loads Inter and JetBrains Mono from fonts.googleapis.com. Your browser will request these files from Google and Google will see your IP. Nothing on the page sends them anything else.
  • Local storage — some interactive tools (wipe calendar, hosting calculator) save tiny preferences to your browser’s local storage so the tool remembers your choice next time. This data never leaves your device.

02 // What we do not collect

  • No accounts, no email signups, no newsletters (yet)
  • No Google Analytics, no Meta Pixel, no TikTok Pixel
  • No third-party advertising cookies
  • No session recording tools (Hotjar, FullStory, Microsoft Clarity)
  • No fingerprinting scripts
Transparency

If this changes in the future (for example, if we add basic privacy-respecting analytics like Plausible or a newsletter), this page will be updated and the effective date at the top will change. You can check the git history of this page in the Netlify deploy log to verify what was changed and when.

HostingBuff recommends two hosting providers — Hostinger and Nitrado. When you click an affiliate link and sign up, we earn a commission at no extra cost to you. Full disclosure of the programs and commission amounts is on the affiliate disclosure page. Affiliate links are marked with rel="sponsored" as required by Google’s guidelines.

Clicking an affiliate link sends you to the provider’s site. What that site does with your data is governed by their privacy policy, not ours:

04 // Cookies

HostingBuff itself sets zero cookies. The only browser storage we use is localStorage for tool preferences (wipe calendar timezone, hosting calculator defaults). You can clear this any time through your browser’s settings.

Third-party cookies may be set when:

  • You click an affiliate link and land on Hostinger or Nitrado
  • You click an outbound link to Facepunch, CubeCoders, GitHub, or another external site

Those sites set their own cookies under their own policies.

05 // Your rights (GDPR / CCPA)

Because we do not hold any personal data tied to an identifiable individual, there is nothing for us to delete or export. Netlify, as a data processor, handles IP logs on our behalf — you can reach them through their GDPR/CCPA portal.

If you are in the EU, UK, EEA, Switzerland, or California and believe we hold data about you that you want removed, email [email protected] and we will respond within 30 days.

06 // Children’s privacy

HostingBuff is aimed at technical readers setting up game servers. We do not knowingly collect any data from children under 13 (COPPA) or under 16 (GDPR Article 8). If a parent or guardian believes their child’s data is on the site, contact us and we will remove it.

07 // Security

The site is served exclusively over HTTPS (TLS 1.3) via Netlify’s CDN. All form submissions — should we ever add them — will go through Netlify Forms with server-side validation. We do not store passwords, payment data, or any other sensitive information on this domain.

08 // Changes to this policy

When this policy changes in a material way, we will update the “Last updated” date at the top and, where relevant, add a banner to the homepage for 30 days. Minor fixes (typos, clarifications) may be made without notice but will still be timestamped.

09 // Contact

Questions about this privacy policy, the site, or anything else: