Leafmend

Privacy Policy

Last updated: 24 May 2026

This Privacy Policy explains how Leafmend (operated at leafmend.com) collects, uses, and protects your information when you visit our website. We believe in plain language — no legal-jargon-as-cover-for-tracking. If anything here is unclear, contact us via the methods on our How We Research page.

What we collect (and what we do NOT)

What we DO NOT collect

  • We do not require accounts. You can read every article on Leafmend without registering, signing in, or providing any personal information.
  • We do not collect financial information. We do not process payments and never see your credit card details.
  • We do not sell any user data to any third party. Ever.
  • We do not knowingly collect data from anyone under 13 years old.

What we DO collect

  • Basic server logs: like nearly every website on the internet, our hosting provider records standard HTTP information (IP address, browser type, time of request, page requested). These logs are used for security and debugging only.
  • Anonymous analytics: we may use anonymized analytics tools (such as Google Analytics or Microsoft Clarity) to understand which articles are popular and how users navigate the site. These tools may set cookies on your browser.
  • Affiliate link tracking: when you click an affiliate link (e.g., to Amazon), the destination retailer’s tracking system records that the click came from us. This lets the retailer pay us a commission. We do not see your purchase details; we only see aggregate click and commission reports.

Cookies

Cookies are small data files that websites store on your browser. We use cookies sparingly:

  • Essential cookies: for the WordPress platform to function correctly (e.g., remembering your cookie consent preference). These are technically necessary.
  • Analytics cookies: if we run Google Analytics or similar, these set cookies to distinguish anonymous visitors. You can decline these via your browser settings or by using browser extensions like Privacy Badger or uBlock Origin.
  • Third-party cookies from embedded content: if a Leafmend page embeds a YouTube video, Pinterest pin, or Amazon affiliate widget, those third parties may set their own cookies. Their cookie practices are governed by their own privacy policies.

You can disable cookies in your browser settings. Some site features (e.g., remembering you accepted cookies) require essential cookies and will not work if all cookies are blocked, but article reading is fully functional without cookies.

Amazon Associates Program

Leafmend participates in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program. When you click an Amazon affiliate link from Leafmend, Amazon’s tracking system identifies the referral and may set Amazon cookies on your browser. Amazon’s data practices are governed by Amazon’s own privacy policy. We do not transmit your personal information to Amazon; their tracking is automatic.

For full details on our affiliate program participation, see our Affiliate Disclosure page.

Pinterest, social embeds, and third-party content

Leafmend has a Pinterest presence and our pages may embed Pinterest content (saved buttons, pin previews). When you interact with embedded Pinterest content, Pinterest may set its own cookies and collect data per their privacy policy. Similar applies to any embedded YouTube videos or other third-party widgets we may add in the future.

Email and contact

If you contact us via email or any future contact form, we will use your message and contact information only to respond to your inquiry. We do not add contact form submissions to marketing lists without your explicit opt-in. If we add a newsletter or email subscription feature in the future, you will be able to opt in or out at any time.

Data retention and security

We retain server logs only as long as needed for security and debugging (typically 30-90 days at the hosting-provider level). Analytics data is retained per the analytics provider’s settings (Google Analytics defaults to 26 months). We do not have any other long-term personal data store on Leafmend itself.

Our hosting provider (Hostinger) uses standard industry security practices including HTTPS encryption for all traffic. While no website is 100% breach-proof, we follow current best practices.

Your rights (GDPR & CCPA)

If you are in the European Union (under GDPR), the United Kingdom (UK GDPR), California (CCPA), or any other jurisdiction with data privacy laws, you have rights including:

  • Right to know what information is collected about you
  • Right to request deletion of personal information we hold
  • Right to opt out of any future marketing communications
  • Right to opt out of analytics tracking (via browser settings or our consent banner when applicable)

Because we collect minimal personal information (no accounts, no payment data, no contact lists without opt-in), most of these rights are automatically satisfied. For specific requests, contact us via the channels on our How We Research page.

International data transfers

Our hosting infrastructure is provided by Hostinger and may store and process data in various jurisdictions. Third-party services (Google Analytics, Amazon Associates, Pinterest) may also process data in their respective jurisdictions. All such transfers are conducted under those providers’ standard data-protection commitments.

Changes to this policy

We may update this Privacy Policy as our practices evolve or as required by law. The “Last updated” date at the top reflects the most recent revision. Significant changes will be noted on the homepage or via an inline notice on the affected pages.

Contact

Questions about this Privacy Policy or how we handle data? Reach out via the contact information on our How We Research page, or via any contact form we may add in the future.