Privacy policy

Last updated: July 3, 2026

This Privacy Policy applies to Best Hosting Guide, operated at best-hosting-guide.com. We are committed to protecting the privacy of every person who visits, reads, or interacts with this website. This document explains in plain, specific terms what personal information we collect, why we collect it, how we use it, how long we keep it, who we share it with, what rights you have over it, and how to contact us if you have questions or requests.

We wrote this policy to exceed the minimum requirements of applicable law and to genuinely inform you rather than simply satisfy a legal checkbox. Privacy policies that consist of a few hundred words of vague language do not serve readers. We believe you deserve to know specifically what happens with your data when you visit this site. If anything in this policy is unclear or you would like more information about a specific practice, contact us at besthostingguide@gmail.com.

By using this site, you agree to the practices described in this policy. If you do not agree, please discontinue use of the site.

Section 1: Who we are and how to reach us

Best Hosting Guide is an independent editorial website focused on web hosting reviews, comparisons, tutorials, and practical guides for individuals, freelancers, and small business owners in the United States and globally. We publish content to help readers understand what web hosting products offer, how they compare, what they cost over time including renewal rates, and which options are most appropriate for different types of websites and budgets.

We are not a web hosting company. We do not sell, operate, or support hosting services. We are a media and publishing operation with a focus on one subject area: web hosting for non-technical readers.

For all privacy-related questions, requests, or concerns, contact us at besthostingguide@gmail.com. We will acknowledge receipt of your message within five business days and respond fully within the timeframe required by applicable law.

Section 2: Information we collect and how we collect it

2.1 Information you provide directly

We collect information you choose to provide when you interact with features of this site. The specific information we collect depends on how you interact with us.

Contact form submissions: When you use the contact form on our contact page at best-hosting-guide.com/contact/, we collect your name, your email address, a subject line if you provide one, and the content of your message. We use this information only to respond to your inquiry. We do not add contact form submissions to any marketing list, and we do not use the information you submit through the contact form for any purpose other than responding to your message, unless you explicitly request otherwise.

Comment submissions: If you submit a comment on one of our articles, we collect the name or pseudonym you provide, your email address, and the text of your comment. Your email address is used for comment management purposes only. It is not displayed publicly on the site and is not used for marketing communications. The name you provide is displayed alongside your comment.

Email subscriptions: If we offer an email newsletter, update digest, or subscription service now or in the future, we will collect your email address when you opt in. Every email we send will include a clear and functional unsubscribe link. You can unsubscribe at any time.

2.2 Information collected automatically through your use of the site

When you visit best-hosting-guide.com, certain technical information is collected automatically through standard web infrastructure, cookies, and analytics tools. This collection happens whether or not you take any specific action on the site.

IP address: Your device’s internet protocol (IP) address is recorded in server access logs each time you load a page on this site. We use IP address data for security monitoring, diagnosing technical problems with the site, and understanding the geographic distribution of our audience at an aggregate level. We do not use individual IP addresses to identify specific users for marketing or editorial purposes.

Browser and device information: We collect information about the browser application you use (including its version), your operating system, the type of device you are visiting from (desktop computer, laptop, smartphone, tablet), your screen resolution, and your browser’s language settings. This data is used to ensure the site renders correctly across different combinations of devices, browsers, and screen sizes, and to prioritize our technical development efforts.

Pages visited and on-site navigation: We record which pages and articles you view during your visit, the sequence in which you navigate through the site, the time you arrive at and leave each page, which internal links you click, and which external links you click. This behavioral data helps us understand what content is most useful to our readers, which articles attract sustained engagement versus quick exits, and where the site’s navigation can be improved to help readers find relevant information more easily.

Referring source: We record the URL of the page you were on immediately before arriving at this site, or the search engine and search query that brought you here. This information helps us understand how readers discover Best Hosting Guide and which search terms lead to which articles.

Session data: We collect data about each browsing session, including session start time, session duration, total pages viewed during the session, the page you entered the site on, and the page you were on when you left. This data is analyzed at an aggregate level to understand site traffic patterns.

Interaction data: We may collect data about specific interactions with page elements, such as whether you scrolled to the bottom of an article, how far through a long-form guide you read before leaving, or whether you clicked on an affiliate link. This data is used to improve our content presentation.

2.3 Information received from third-party services

We use third-party services that collect data about your interactions with this site and, in the case of advertising technologies, about your interactions with other websites you have visited. These services operate under their own privacy policies, which we link to in the relevant sections of this policy.

Google Analytics: Provides us with aggregate and anonymized statistical information about site usage. We receive reports rather than raw individual-level data.

Google AdSense: This advertising program uses data about your browsing behavior, including visits to this site and to other websites, to serve you relevant advertisements. Google operates this program under its own privacy policy.

We do not purchase personal data about our readers from data brokers, data aggregators, or other third-party data sources. We do not combine the data we collect on this site with personal data purchased from third parties to build profiles of individual users.

Section 3: Why we collect this information

We collect and process personal information for the following specific, legitimate purposes.

To communicate with you when you reach out to us: When you contact us through the contact form, we use the information you provide to understand and respond to your message. We do not use this information for any secondary purpose without your consent.

To publish and manage reader comments: When you submit a comment, we use your provided name and email to attribute the comment, manage the comment moderation process, and contact you if we have a question about your submission. Comments that are approved are published on the site as part of our content.

To analyze and improve site content: Analytics data showing which articles are read, how long readers spend with them, which sections attract the most engagement, and which topics generate follow-up questions helps us make better editorial decisions. We use this data to write more useful guides, improve article structure, fill coverage gaps, and remove or update content that is no longer accurate or relevant.

To deliver advertising through Google AdSense: This site is primarily monetized through advertising. Google AdSense uses cookies and data about your browsing behavior to select and display advertisements that are relevant to your interests. This is a core operational function of the site, and we disclose it explicitly in this policy as required by Google’s program policies and by applicable law.

To monitor and maintain site security: IP address data and server logs are used to detect and respond to unauthorized access attempts, bot traffic, comment spam, security vulnerabilities, and other threats to the site’s availability and integrity.

To comply with applicable law: We may process and retain certain data where required to do so by applicable laws, to respond to valid legal process, or to enforce our terms of use and protect our legal rights.

To improve advertising relevance and revenue: We receive aggregate performance reports from Google AdSense about the performance of advertisements displayed on this site. These reports do not identify individual users. We use them to understand which types of content attract higher-value advertising inventory and to make editorial decisions that improve the sustainability of the site.

Section 4: Google AdSense and how advertising works on this site

This site participates in Google AdSense, the advertising program operated by Google LLC, headquartered in Mountain View, California. Google AdSense allows website publishers like Best Hosting Guide to display advertisements selected by Google’s automated systems based on a combination of the content of the page being viewed and the inferred interests of the visitor.

The following disclosures are required by Google’s program policies and reflect how advertising actually functions on this site:

Third-party vendors, including Google, use cookies to serve ads based on a user’s prior visits to this website or other websites. This means that if you have previously visited websites about web hosting, software, technology, or other subjects, Google’s systems may use that browsing history to determine which advertisements to show you on this site.

Google’s use of advertising cookies enables it and its partners to serve ads to users based on their visits to this site and other sites on the internet. Google operates an extensive advertising network called the Google Display Network. Advertisements on this site may come from Google directly or from other advertisers who purchase placements through Google’s advertising platforms.

You may opt out of personalized advertising by visiting Google’s Ads Settings at adssettings.google.com. On this page, you can see what interests Google has associated with your browser or account, modify those interests, and opt out of personalized ad targeting entirely. Opting out means you will continue to see advertisements on this and other sites, but those advertisements will be selected based on the content of the page you are reading rather than your browsing history.

You may also opt out of interest-based advertising from many companies participating in the Digital Advertising Alliance by visiting aboutads.info, or from companies participating in the Network Advertising Initiative by visiting networkadvertising.org/choices.

We do not have access to the data used by Google to select advertisements. Google’s use of that data is governed entirely by Google’s Privacy Policy, available at policies.google.com/privacy.

Section 5: Cookies

For a detailed explanation of every cookie active on this site, including the name of each cookie, who places it, what it does, and how long it persists, see our Cookie Policy at best-hosting-guide.com/cookie-policy/.

In summary, this site uses the following categories of cookies:

Strictly necessary cookies, which are required for the site to function and cannot be disabled.

Analytics cookies placed by Google Analytics, which collect anonymized aggregate data about site usage to help us improve our content and site structure.

Advertising cookies placed by Google AdSense and Google’s advertising network, which enable personalized advertising based on your browsing history across the web.

Functional and preference cookies that remember your settings or preferences during a visit to improve your experience.

You have the right to accept or reject non-essential cookies. Instructions for managing cookies in common browsers are available in our Cookie Policy.

Section 6: How we share your information

We share personal information only in the limited circumstances described in this section. We do not sell personal information. We do not share personal information with third parties for their independent marketing purposes.

Google LLC: We share data with Google through our use of Google Analytics and Google AdSense. This includes behavioral data about your use of this site (via Analytics) and browsing data used for advertising targeting (via AdSense). Google processes this data under its own privacy policy.

Web hosting and infrastructure providers: Our site is hosted on web hosting infrastructure operated by third-party providers. These providers have access to server data, including IP addresses in access logs, as part of operating the infrastructure. They are contractually restricted from using this data for any purpose other than providing the services we have engaged them to provide.

Security and fraud prevention services: We may use third-party security services to monitor for unauthorized access, bot traffic, and other threats. These services may process IP address data and other technical information.

Legal compliance: We may disclose personal information when required by applicable law, court order, subpoena, or other legal process. We may also disclose information when we believe in good faith that disclosure is necessary to protect the safety of any person, to address fraud or security issues, or to protect the legal rights of Best Hosting Guide.

Business transfers: In the event that Best Hosting Guide is acquired by, merged with, or transferred to another operator, user data may be transferred as part of that transaction. We will publish a notice on this site before any such transfer and the new operator will be required to comply with the commitments made in this privacy policy or obtain new consent from users.

Section 7: Data retention

We retain personal information only for as long as it is needed for the purposes described in this policy.

Contact form submissions: Retained for up to twelve months from the date of the most recent correspondence, then permanently deleted.

Server access logs containing IP addresses: Retained for up to ninety days for security monitoring purposes, then automatically deleted.

Comment data: Retained for as long as the associated article is published on this site. If you request deletion of a comment you submitted, we will process that request within thirty days.

Analytics data: Retained in accordance with the data retention settings configured in our Google Analytics account, currently set to the minimum available retention period of two months for user and event data.

Email subscription data: Retained until you unsubscribe. Upon unsubscription, your email address is removed from the active subscriber list within a maximum of ten business days.

When personal data is no longer needed, we delete it permanently or anonymize it so that it cannot be linked to any individual.

Section 8: Your privacy rights

8.1 Universal rights

Regardless of your location, you have the following rights in relation to personal data we hold about you:

The right to know what personal data we collect and how we use it. This policy fulfills this right. If you have additional questions about a specific practice, contact us.

The right to access the personal data we hold about you. You may request a copy of this data by contacting us.

The right to correct inaccurate data. If you believe we hold inaccurate information about you, you may request correction.

The right to request deletion of personal data we hold about you, subject to legal and operational exceptions.

The right to withdraw consent for processing based on consent, at any time and without penalty.

8.2 Rights for California residents (CCPA as amended by CPRA, effective January 1, 2026)

California residents have specific rights under the California Consumer Privacy Act and its 2026 amendments under the California Privacy Rights Act.

Categories of personal information collected: Identifiers including email addresses when voluntarily provided and IP addresses. Internet or network activity information including pages visited, session duration, and referring sources. Inferences about interests based on content consumed on this site.

You have the right to opt out of the sale or sharing of your personal information. We do not sell personal information in the traditional sense. The transmission of browsing data to Google for advertising purposes may constitute sharing under CPRA definitions. You may opt out by visiting adssettings.google.com or by using a browser configured to send a Global Privacy Control (GPC) signal.

You have the right to limit the use of sensitive personal information. We do not collect sensitive personal information as defined under the CPRA.

California’s DELETE Act platform (DROP), operational since January 1, 2026, allows California residents to submit a single deletion request to multiple businesses simultaneously.

8.3 Rights for residents of other US states

As of July 2026, twenty US states have enacted comprehensive privacy laws. These include Virginia, Colorado, Connecticut, Indiana (effective January 1, 2026), Kentucky (effective January 1, 2026), Rhode Island (effective January 1, 2026), Texas, Florida, Montana, Nebraska, New Hampshire, New Jersey, Delaware, Iowa, Tennessee, Maryland, Minnesota, and others. Residents of these states have rights to access, delete, correct, and port their personal data, and to opt out of targeted advertising. We honor requests under all applicable state laws.

8.4 Rights for European Economic Area and UK residents (GDPR)

If you are located in the EEA or UK, you have rights under the General Data Protection Regulation including the right of access, rectification, erasure, restriction, portability, and to object to processing. The legal basis for processing your data where required by GDPR is our legitimate interest in operating an editorial website and delivering advertising-supported content.

You have the right to lodge a complaint with your national data protection authority.

To exercise any right, contact us at besthostingguide@gmail.com. We will verify your identity before processing requests and will respond within the legally required timeframe, typically forty-five days.

Section 9: Data security

We implement reasonable and appropriate technical and organizational security measures to protect personal information from unauthorized access, loss, disclosure, alteration, or destruction.

Security measures currently in place include HTTPS encryption for all traffic between your browser and this site (enforced via SSL/TLS), access controls limiting who can access personal data stored in connection with site operations, and active monitoring for security threats and unauthorized access attempts.

No transmission of data over the internet and no electronic storage system is completely immune to security risks. While we work to protect your personal information using industry-standard practices, we cannot guarantee absolute security. If you have reason to believe your personal information has been compromised in connection with your use of this site, contact us immediately at besthostingguide@gmail.com.

Section 10: Children’s privacy

This site is not directed at children under the age of thirteen and does not knowingly collect personal information from children under thirteen. We comply with the Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act (COPPA), including enforcement provisions that took effect on April 22, 2026 under the updated COPPA rule.

If we become aware that a child under thirteen has submitted personal information through this site, we will delete that information immediately. If you are a parent or guardian and believe a child has provided personal information to this site, contact us at besthostingguide@gmail.com and we will take prompt corrective action.

We also comply with Louisiana’s Kids Online Protection and Anti-Grooming Act, effective June 1, 2026, and other state-level children’s privacy laws where applicable to our operations.

Section 11: International users and data transfers

This site is operated from the United States and is primarily directed at US-based readers. If you are visiting from a country with data protection laws that differ from US law, including the EU, UK, Canada, Brazil, or Australia, please be aware that your personal information may be transferred to and processed in the United States.

We process data in a manner consistent with the privacy principles of applicable law in the jurisdictions from which we receive significant traffic. For EEA or UK to US data transfers, we rely on applicable legal transfer mechanisms where required.

For Brazilian residents, we acknowledge your rights under the Lei Geral de Proteção de Dados (LGPD) and will process requests under that law upon verification of your location.

Section 12: Affiliate disclosure and its relationship to data practices

This site participates in affiliate marketing programs with web hosting companies. When you click certain links on this site and make a purchase, we may earn a commission from the hosting provider. The fact that we earn commissions does not affect this privacy policy or the data practices it describes. We receive commission data from affiliate networks at an aggregate level and do not receive personal information about individual purchasers from hosting providers.

We disclose affiliate relationships in compliance with the Federal Trade Commission’s guidelines (16 CFR Part 255). Our affiliate relationships do not affect our editorial independence or our privacy practices.

Section 13: Changes to this privacy policy

We may update this Privacy Policy at any time to reflect changes in our data practices, the services we use, applicable law, or guidance from regulatory authorities. The “Last updated” date at the top of this page reflects the date of the most recent revision.

We encourage you to review this policy periodically. If we make material changes to how we collect, use, or share your personal information, we will provide a more prominent notice on the site.

Your continued use of this site after any changes to this policy constitutes your acceptance of those changes.

Section 14: How to contact us

For questions, concerns, or requests related to this Privacy Policy or your personal data:

Best Hosting Guide
besthostingguide@gmail.com
best-hosting-guide.com/contact/

We will acknowledge your message within five business days and provide a full response within the timeframe required by applicable law.