This privacy policy explains how String Light Calculator ("we", "us", "the site"), available at https://stringlightcalc.com, handles information when you visit. We've tried to write it in plain language rather than legal boilerplate.
The short version
- We do not ask you to create an account, and we do not collect your name or email unless you choose to email us.
- Everything you type into the calculator is processed in your browser only. Your measurements are never sent to us or stored anywhere.
- The site is funded by advertising. Our advertising partners may use cookies, and those cookies are the main way data is collected here.
Information we collect
Calculator inputs
The calculator runs entirely in your web browser using JavaScript. The measurements you enter — patio dimensions, trunk circumference, roofline length, strand length, bulb spacing — are used to display your result and are never transmitted to our servers, saved, or logged. Closing or refreshing the page discards them completely.
Standard server and log data
Like nearly all websites, our hosting provider automatically records basic technical information when a page is requested. This may include your IP address, browser type and version, device type, the pages you visited, referring website, and the date and time of your visit. This information is used for security, abuse prevention, and understanding aggregate traffic levels. It is not used to identify you personally.
Information you send us directly
If you email us via our contact page, we receive whatever you include in that message, including your email address. We use it only to reply to you, and we do not add you to any mailing list or share it with third parties.
Cookies
A cookie is a small text file placed on your device by a website. This site does not set any cookies of its own for tracking or personalisation.
However, our third-party advertising partners do set cookies. These are used to serve and measure ads, limit how often you see the same ad, and — where permitted — show ads relevant to your interests.
You can control or delete cookies through your browser settings at any time. Most browsers let you block third-party cookies entirely. Doing so will not affect the calculator, which works without cookies.
Advertising
Google AdSense and the DoubleClick cookie
We use Google AdSense to display advertising on this site.
- Google, as a third-party vendor, uses cookies to serve ads on this site.
- Google's use of advertising cookies enables it and its partners to serve ads to you based on your visit to this site and/or other sites on the internet.
- You may opt out of personalised advertising by visiting Google Ads Settings.
- Alternatively, you can opt out of a third-party vendor's use of cookies for personalised advertising at aboutads.info/choices or optout.networkadvertising.org.
More detail is available in Google's guide to how it uses information from sites that use its services.
Third-party advertisers
Third-party ad networks and exchanges may also serve ads on this site. These vendors may use cookies, web beacons, or similar technologies to measure ad effectiveness and personalise content. We do not control these third-party technologies, and this privacy policy does not cover their practices. We encourage you to review the privacy policies of any third-party advertiser you're concerned about.
Your rights and choices
If you are in the European Economic Area or United Kingdom (GDPR)
You have the right to access, correct, or request deletion of personal data held about you, to object to or restrict its processing, and to data portability. Because we do not maintain user accounts or a customer database, in practice we hold almost no personal data about visitors — the data collected here sits primarily with our advertising partners, whose own tools give you the most direct control.
Where personalised advertising requires consent, our advertising partners are responsible for obtaining it, and you may withdraw consent at any time through the opt-out links above.
If you are a California resident (CCPA/CPRA)
You have the right to know what categories of personal information are collected, to request deletion of personal information, and to opt out of the "sale" or "sharing" of personal information as those terms are defined under California law. We do not sell personal information for money. Interest-based advertising may nonetheless qualify as "sharing" under the CPRA — the opt-out links in the advertising section above are the effective way to exercise this choice. You also have the right not to be discriminated against for exercising any of these rights.
Do Not Track
Some browsers offer a "Do Not Track" signal. There is no industry consensus on how sites should respond to it, and this site does not currently alter its behaviour based on it. The opt-out mechanisms listed above are more reliable.
Children's privacy
This site is a general-audience home improvement tool and is not directed at children under 13. We do not knowingly collect personal information from children under 13. If you believe a child has provided us with personal information, please contact us and we will delete it.
Data retention and security
We do not operate a user database, so there is no stored personal information to retain. Server logs held by our hosting provider are retained only for a limited period for security and operational purposes. Email correspondence is kept for as long as needed to handle your enquiry.
The site is served over HTTPS, so traffic between your browser and the site is encrypted. No method of transmission over the internet is completely secure, and we cannot guarantee absolute security.
External links
This site contains links to external websites. We are not responsible for the privacy practices or content of those sites. This policy applies only to stringlightcalc.com.
Changes to this policy
We may update this privacy policy from time to time — for example, if we add a new analytics or advertising provider. Any changes will be posted on this page with a revised "last updated" date. Material changes will be reflected prominently.
Contact
Questions about this policy can be sent to hello@stringlightcalc.com, or via our contact page.