Privacy Policy

Last updated: 22 August 2026

This page explains what data MyDeskForge collects, why, and who else is involved. We have tried to write it in plain language rather than boilerplate.

What we collect

Server logs

Our host records standard web server logs for every request: IP address, browser type, referring page, and the date and time. These are used to keep the site running and to spot abuse. We do not use them to build a profile of you.

Your email address, if you give it to us

If you subscribe to the newsletter we store the email address you enter, and nothing else. It is used to send occasional emails about new reviews and guides. The Desk Setup Checklist is not gated behind this — it is on the site, free, and requires no email. Every email includes an unsubscribe link, and unsubscribing deletes the address.

Your theme preference

When you switch between the light and dark theme we store that choice in your browser's local storage under the key theme. It never leaves your device and we cannot read it. Clearing your browser data removes it.

Anonymous usage statistics

We measure how the site is used so we know which articles are worth writing more of. Whatever we use is cookieless: it sets nothing on your device, assigns you no identifier, and cannot follow you to another website. We record page views plus a few actions — a link to a retailer being clicked, the checklist being printed, a newsletter signup — and for each we store only what happened and which page it happened on. Not who did it.

We do not record what you type into the site search unless that is switched on, and it is off. We never attach your email address, or any other identifying detail, to a recorded action. If your browser sends Do Not Track or a Global Privacy Control signal, no analytics script is loaded at all.

The current setting is public and readable at assets/data/analytics.json, including which provider is in use and which events are recorded.

Cookies

MyDeskForge sets no cookies of its own — not for advertising, and not for analytics. Third parties you interact with may set their own — see below.

Third parties

• Netlify hosts the site and processes newsletter form submissions. Netlify sees your IP address as part of serving the page.
• Google Fonts serves the typeface used on the site. Loading it means your browser makes a request to Google's servers, which reveals your IP address to Google.
• Amazon and other retailers receive a referral identifier when you click one of our affiliate links, so they can attribute a purchase to us. Their own privacy policies apply from that point on. See our affiliate disclosure.
• Social networks receive the page URL only when you actively click one of our share buttons. Nothing is sent to them otherwise.

What we do not do

• We do not sell, rent, or trade your email address.
• We do not run third-party advertising networks or retargeting pixels.
• We do not attempt to identify individual visitors from server logs.

Your rights

You can ask us at any time to tell you what data we hold about you, correct it, or delete it. For the newsletter this is immediate — use the unsubscribe link in any email, or reply and ask.

If you are in the UK or EU, the GDPR gives you these rights formally, and our legal basis for processing your email address is your consent, which you can withdraw at any time.

Children

This site is not directed at children under 13 and we do not knowingly collect data from them.

Changes to this policy

If this policy changes we will update the date at the top of this page. Material changes affecting newsletter subscribers will be sent by email.

Contact

Questions about privacy, or a request to see or delete your data: subscribe and reply to any email, or reach us through the details on our about page.