Privacy Policy

Who is responsible

RecipeBook is run by an individual, not by a registered company. That person decides how your data is used and is your contact for anything in this policy. Reach out through the contact form on this site.

What data we collect

We only process what the site needs to work:

• Your account, if you create one: your email address, your password (stored only in protected form, never in readable form), your role and the dates the account was created and last changed. We also record which version of this policy was shown when you signed up.
• What you do while signed in: your favourite recipes, your meal plan and cooking log (planned and cooked dates, your ratings) and your shopping lists. This stays tied to your account so it is there on every device. We also note which days you used the site while signed in (dates only, not which pages), so we can count how many readers are active.
• Recipes you write: the text, ingredients and steps you submit, with the visibility you choose. Private recipes are visible only to you; a recipe shared by link is visible to anyone who has the link; a public recipe is visible to everyone. Shared and public recipes are reviewed by an administrator first, and are deleted together with your account if you ask us to.
• If you are not signed in: an anonymous cookie holding a random identifier, which keeps your shopping list between visits. It contains no name or email.
• If you use the contact form: the name, email address and message you write are emailed to us so we can reply. They are not saved in our database.
• Technical data for security: your IP address is used briefly to limit abuse such as repeated login attempts, and we keep short-lived technical logs.
• Usage statistics from a web analytics service (pages viewed, approximate location, device type) to understand what to improve. This runs only if you accept analytics, and we do not use it to identify you or for advertising.
• A record of your cookie choice: whether you accepted or declined analytics, when, and which version of this policy was current. It holds no IP address or browser details; if you were signed in, it is linked to your account.

Why we use your data

To provide the service you asked for (your account, lists and plan); for our legitimate interests in keeping the site secure and understanding how it is used; and with your consent where the law requires it, such as for analytics cookies, which you can accept or decline in the banner and change at any time through "Cookie settings" in the footer.

We never sell your data

We do not sell your personal data, we do not rent it, and we do not share it with anyone for advertising or marketing. We do not hand it to data brokers. It is shared only with the service providers listed below, and only as far as needed to run the site.

Service providers and transfers

To run the site we rely on trusted service providers for hosting and data storage, for sending emails, and for web analytics. They process data on our behalf, only for those purposes, and under appropriate data protection terms. Where data is transferred outside the European Economic Area or the United Kingdom, we ensure recognised safeguards are in place, such as standard contractual clauses. We may also disclose data if the law requires it.

Cookies

We use cookies that the site needs to work: one that keeps you signed in (it expires after at most 30 days) and one that remembers your shopping list if you are not signed in (it lasts up to a year). Analytics cookies are set only if you accept them. A small preference cookie remembers your choice for about six months. We use no advertising cookies and do not track you across other websites. You can delete or block cookies in your browser at any time; this signs you out and starts an empty guest list.

How long we keep data

Your account data is kept while your account exists. When you ask us to delete it, we remove it from our live systems within one month. Copies in routine backups are overwritten as the backups expire, which can take up to a year. Contact messages stay in our inbox only as long as needed to reply. Security data is deleted within days. Analytics data follows the analytics provider's own retention settings. Records of cookie choices are kept for up to three years as proof. The record of which days you were active is deleted together with your account.

Your rights

You can ask us at any time to show you the data we hold about you, correct it, give you a copy, or delete it. You can also withdraw from using the site, object to how your data is used, or tell us you do not agree with this policy, and we will delete your data on request. In the EU and UK this is your right under the GDPR; US state laws such as the CCPA give you similar rights. To ask, use the contact form from the email address of your account so we can confirm it is you, and we will answer within one month. You also have the right to complain to your data protection authority. You can withdraw your consent to analytics at any time through "Cookie settings" in the footer.

Children's privacy

RecipeBook is not aimed at children, and accounts are for people aged 16 or older. If you believe a child has given us personal data, contact us and we will delete it.

Changes to this policy

If we change this policy in a meaningful way, we will update the date below and, where we hold your email address, tell you about it.

Questions about this policy

If you have questions about this policy or want to use any of your rights, please write to us through the contact form. We read every message.