Privacy Policy

1. Information We Collect

When you use PlumberAtlas, we may collect the following types of information:

• Contact form submissions: name, email address, subject, and message content.
• Business listing submissions: business name, owner name, email, phone number, address, website URL, and Google Business Profile URL.
• Claim requests: name, email, phone, and proof-of-ownership details.
• Usage data: pages visited, time on site, and browser type.
• First-party analytics: anonymous session identifiers, a truncated IP address (first three octets only), device type, and the pages and actions (such as revealing a phone number or visiting a website) you take on the site. This is stored in our own database.
• Third-party analytics: we use Google Analytics (loaded via Google Tag Manager) and Google Search Console to understand site traffic and search performance. These Google services may set cookies and collect usage data such as pages visited, device and browser information, and approximate location derived from your IP address. This data is processed by Google under its own privacy policy.

2. How We Use Your Information

• To respond to your inquiries and contact form submissions.
• To process business listing and claim requests.
• To display plumber listings and rankings on the directory.
• To improve the functionality and content of our website.
• To monitor site performance and usage patterns.

3. Data Sharing

We do not sell, trade, or rent your personal information to third parties. We may share data with service providers (such as our hosting and database providers, and Google Analytics and Google Search Console for traffic measurement) solely to operate, maintain, and improve the website. Business listing information (business name, city, state, and ratings) is displayed publicly on the directory by design.

4. Cookies & Tracking

PlumberAtlas uses two kinds of analytics. Our own first-party analyticsstore only anonymous, aggregated usage data in our own database, with IP addresses truncated before storage. We also use Google Analytics (loaded through Google Tag Manager) and Google Search Console, which are third-party Google services that may set their own cookies and collect usage data. We do not use third-party advertising networks or cross-site advertising trackers.

When you first visit, a consent banner lets you Accept or Reject analytics. If you Reject, we set a cookie to remember your choice and stop collecting our first-party analytics. You can change your mind at any time by clearing the pa_consent cookie in your browser.

To opt out of Google Analytics across all websites, you can install the Google Analytics Opt-out Browser Add-on, and you can control cookie behavior through your browser settings.

5. Data Security

We take reasonable measures to protect your information, including encrypted connections (HTTPS) and secure database access. However, no method of electronic transmission or storage is 100% secure.

6. Your Rights

You may request access to, correction of, or deletion of your personal data at any time by contacting us through our contact form.

7. Changes to This Policy

We may update this privacy policy from time to time. Changes will be posted on this page with an updated "Last updated" date.