Privacy, in plain language.

If you're just browsing

You can use MadisonWI.com without an account. We don't use advertising cookies. Our hosting provider keeps standard server logs (such as IP address, browser type and the page requested) for security and to keep the site running.

To understand how many people visit and which pages they read, we use two analytics services, Google Analytics and Clicky. They record things like the pages you view, how you arrived (for example, from a search engine), your browser and device, and your approximate location, and they set their own cookies to tell repeat visits from new ones. We use these reports only to improve the site, never for advertising. You can block them with your browser's privacy settings or a content blocker, and the site works the same.

We count how many times each listing is viewed and how often its phone and website buttons are tapped, as daily totals per listing, so businesses can see how their listing is doing. These counts don't identify you.

Listings with a street address show a map from OpenStreetMap, which loads from their servers and is covered by their own privacy policy.

If you send a message to a business

When you use “Send a message” on a listing, we store your name, email, optional phone number and message, and email them to the business owner so they can reply to you directly. Once it reaches the business, what they do with it is up to them.

If you recommend a business

Once we approve it, your recommendation is shown on the business's listing with your first name, the town you gave and what you hired them for. Your email address is never shown; we keep it only so we can check with you about your recommendation.

If you share a tip on a guide

Once we approve it, your tip is shown on the guide with your first name and the town you gave. Your email address is never shown; we keep it only so we can check with you about your tip.

If you add an event

Once we approve it, the event details you give (name, date, place, cost, description and link) are shown on the events calendar. Your name and email address are never shown; we keep them only so we can check with you about the event.

If you fill in one of our forms

Suggesting a business, reporting a listing, claiming a listing or contacting us stores what you type so we can act on it and reply. To stop spam we keep a one-way scrambled (hashed) version of your IP address, which can't be turned back into the address itself.

If you manage a listing

• We store your email address, your name and role if you give them, and which listings you manage.
• Sign-in works by emailed link instead of a password. Links expire after 30 minutes and can only be used once; we only store a scrambled version of them.
• Signing in sets one cookie that keeps you signed in for up to 30 days. It's essential to the account and isn't used for anything else.
• Anything you add to your listing, including photos, is public. That's the point of it.

Who helps us run the site

We use a small number of service providers, who handle data only to provide their service to us:

• Vercel hosts the website and stores listing photos.
• Supabase hosts our database.
• Resend delivers our emails (sign-in links and messages to businesses).
• Google Analytics and Clicky count visits and page views (see above).

We don't sell or rent personal information, and we don't share it with advertisers.

Business information

Listings describe businesses, not private individuals. Some of that information (names, addresses, phone numbers, websites) comes from Overture Maps Foundation open data. If you run a business and want a detail changed or the listing removed, claim it or contact us.

How long we keep things

We keep form submissions and messages for as long as they're useful for running the directory, and delete them when they aren't. You can ask us to delete your account or anything you've sent us at any time.

Your choices

To see, correct or delete information we hold about you, contact us and choose “My personal information.” We'll reply by email. MadisonWI.com is meant for adults and isn't directed at children.

Changes

If we change how we handle information, we'll update this page and the date at the top.