Last updated: 2026-10-17
This policy explains what information SowByZip (“we”, the website at sowbyzip.com) handles and the choices you have. We have tried to keep it short and plain.
The short version
- No account, no sign-up, no forms. We do not ask for your name or email.
- Everything you save (your ZIP code, chosen weather station and frost-risk setting, and your garden journal entries) stays in your own browser’s local storage. It is never sent to us.
- We do not currently use analytics or advertising cookies. If we add advertising, visitors in the EEA, UK and Switzerland will be asked for consent first (details below).
Information stored on your device
The site uses your browser’s local storage to remember your ZIP code, chosen weather station and frost-risk setting, and your garden journal entries. You can delete it at any time by clearing this site’s data in your browser settings. Local storage is used only to provide features you asked for, so it does not require consent under EU ePrivacy rules.
Third-party requests
Your ZIP code is never sent to us as such: the page downloads a static file covering all ZIP codes that share its first three digits (so our host only sees that 3-digit prefix in its request logs), and the lookup happens in your browser. All calculations run in your browser. Our hosting provider (Cloudflare) processes technical data such as IP addresses and request logs to deliver the site and protect it from abuse; see Cloudflare’s privacy policy.
Advertising (planned)
To keep the site free we plan to show ads served by Google (Google AdSense). When ads are enabled:
- Google and its partners may use cookies or similar identifiers to show ads, limit how often you see an ad, measure performance and prevent fraud. Where allowed and where you consent, ads may be personalised based on your visits to this and other websites.
- Visitors in the European Economic Area, the United Kingdom and Switzerland will see a consent message from a Google-certified consent management platform (IAB Transparency & Consent Framework) before any non-essential cookies are used. You can accept, reject, or choose purposes, and change your choice at any time via the “Privacy settings” link that will appear in the footer. If you do not consent, you may see non-personalised or limited ads.
- U.S. visitors in states with privacy laws (for example California) can opt out of the “sale” or “sharing” of personal information for targeted advertising through the same privacy settings link, and we will honour Global Privacy Control signals.
- You can learn how Google uses information from sites that use its services at policies.google.com/technologies/partner-sites and manage personalised ads at adssettings.google.com.
This page will be updated when advertising goes live, with the date above changed.
Legal bases (EEA/UK visitors)
Serving the website and keeping it secure: legitimate interests. Advertising cookies and personalised ads: your consent, which you can withdraw at any time. Features using local storage: strictly necessary to provide the feature you requested.
Your rights
Depending on where you live, you may have the right to access, correct, delete or object to processing of personal data, and to complain to your data protection authority. Because we do not collect personal data ourselves, most requests will concern our advertising partners once ads are enabled; we will help where we can.
Children
This site is intended for a general adult audience and is not directed at children under 13 (or under 16 in the EEA). We do not knowingly collect information from children.
Contact
Questions about this policy: hello@sowbyzip.com.