Privacy Policy

1. Who we are

Elf Planner ("we," "us," "our") is an independent catalog of Elf on the Shelf ideas. The site is operated as a small side project. You can reach us at hello@elfplanner.com.

2. What we collect

Elf Planner collects the minimum information needed to operate the site:

• An anonymous visitor cookie (elf_visitor) — a random ID stored in your browser so we can prevent duplicate "likes" and remember which ideas you've pinned to your plan. We never associate this ID with you personally; it lives only in our server logs and your cookie jar.
• Pin / plan data — when you save an idea to "My Plan," the slug of the idea and the timestamp are stored against your elf_visitor ID. No name, no email.
• Contact-form submissions — if you email us through the contact form, we receive your name, email, and message. We use this only to reply to you.
• Standard server logs — IP address, user agent, requested URL, timestamp. Used for security and debugging; rotated periodically.

We do not collect names, addresses, phone numbers, payment information, account credentials, or precise location data. We do not have user accounts.

3. Cookies

Elf Planner uses two kinds of cookies:

• Site cookies (first-party):
  • elf_visitor — anonymous visitor ID (1 year), used for likes + plan persistence.
  • elf_admin_session — admin session token (server-side only — never exposed to non-admin users).
• Third-party cookies: Google AdSense and (if enabled) other ad partners may set their own cookies for ad personalization and frequency capping. See section 5.

You can clear cookies anytime through your browser. Doing so will reset your "likes" history and "My Plan" contents.

4. How we use information

• To operate the generator, the catalog, and the "My Plan" feature.
• To reply to messages you send via the contact form.
• To prevent abuse — duplicate likes, spam contact submissions, etc.
• To analyze aggregate traffic patterns (popular ideas, popular rooms, peak times) so we can improve the site.
• We do not sell, trade, or rent personal information.

5. Third-party services

Elf Planner integrates with the following third parties. Each has its own privacy practices, which we link below.

• Google AdSense — serves display ads on the site. AdSense uses cookies and similar technologies to personalize ads and measure performance. See Google's ad policy and opt-out controls.
• Amazon Associates — outbound product links carry an affiliate tag so we earn a small commission when you make a qualifying purchase. Amazon receives the click and applies its own tracking. See Amazon's privacy notice.
• Hosting and infrastructure — the site runs on standard cloud infrastructure that may log IPs and request data for security and reliability.

6. Children's privacy

Elf Planner is written for parents, not children. We do not knowingly collect personal information from anyone under 13. If you believe a child has submitted information through our site, please email us at hello@elfplanner.com and we'll delete it.

7. Your rights

Depending on where you live (EU/UK/California/etc.), you may have the right to:

• Access the information associated with your visitor cookie.
• Request deletion of your contact-form messages, pin history, or visitor record.
• Opt out of personalized advertising via the third-party links above.

Email us at hello@elfplanner.com to exercise any of these rights. We'll respond within 30 days.

8. Changes to this policy

We update this policy as the site evolves. The "Last updated" date at the top reflects the most recent revision. For material changes that affect how we collect or use data, we'll post a notice on the home page for at least 30 days.

9. Contact

Privacy questions: hello@elfplanner.com.