This Privacy Policy explains what information Baker's Forge collects when you visit https://bakersforge.design (the "Site") or contact us, how we use it, and the choices you have. We've tried to keep it short and in plain English.
1. Who we are
The Site is operated by Anthony Baker, an individual doing business as Baker's Forge, a sole proprietorship based in Preble (Cortland County), New York, USA, serving the Syracuse area ("Baker's Forge," "we," "us," or "our"). We are responsible for the personal information described in this policy.
2. What we collect
We keep data collection to a minimum. The Site has no user accounts, no newsletter, no online checkout, no advertising, and no analytics.
Information you give us
- Project inquiry form. When you send an inquiry, we collect your name, email address, the service you're interested in, your budget range (optional), and your project message, plus anything else you choose to include in it.
- Email. If you email us directly, we receive your email address, your message, any attachments, and anything else you include.
Please don't send us sensitive information (like passwords, Social Security numbers, or financial account details) through the form or by email.
Information collected automatically
- Server and security logs. Like almost every website, when you visit the Site our hosting provider (Netlify) automatically receives standard technical information, such as your IP address, browser type, device and operating system, the page requested, the referring page, and the date and time of the visit. This is used to deliver the Site, keep it secure, and troubleshoot problems.
- Fonts. The Site loads fonts from Google Fonts. When your browser requests those fonts, Google receives your IP address and basic browser information. Google describes how it handles this data in the Google Fonts FAQ and the Google Privacy Policy.
- Analytics. The Site does not use any analytics. We don't use Google Analytics, Netlify Analytics, a Meta (Facebook) pixel, or any other analytics or advertising trackers. If we decide to add analytics in the future, we'll update this policy before turning it on.
Cookies
The Site does not use analytics or advertising cookies, and we don't use cookies to track you. Our hosting provider (Netlify) may set strictly necessary technical cookies or similar mechanisms that are needed to deliver and secure the Site. Your browser may also store small, routine items (like cached fonts and images) to make pages load faster. You can clear or block cookies and cached data in your browser settings.
3. How we use your information
We use the information we collect to:
- Reply to your inquiry and talk with you about your project.
- Prepare a proposal, quote, and timeline if you ask for one.
- Operate, maintain, secure, and improve the Site, including filtering spam submissions.
- Keep basic business records and meet our legal, tax, and accounting obligations.
- Protect our rights and prevent fraud or misuse.
We do not add you to a mailing list or send you marketing emails from an inquiry. As our form says: no spam, no mailing lists.
AI tools. Baker's Forge uses software tools, including AI tools, in its design and production process. We also use AI tools to help draft replies to inquiries and to help draft proposals. This means the contents of your inquiry (such as your name, the service you're interested in, your budget range, and your project message) may be processed by third-party AI service providers, which handle that information under their own terms and policies. We don't use your inquiry details to train AI models ourselves, and where a provider gives us the option to opt out of having our content used to train its models, we opt out. All AI-assisted output is reviewed by a person before it is sent to you; no message or proposal is sent to you automatically.
If you become a client, information you share during your project (such as files, brand assets, and account access) is handled under your Client Agreement and this policy.
4. Who we share it with
We share personal information only with service providers that help us run the Site and the business, and only as needed for them to do that work. These are:
- Netlify, Inc. — hosts the Site, receives server logs, and receives and stores inquiry form submissions (Netlify Forms) and forwards them to us. Netlify Privacy Policy
- Google LLC (Google Fonts) — serves the fonts used on the Site and receives your IP address and browser information when fonts load.
- Google LLC (Gmail and Google Drive) — our email and file storage provider, which stores the emails and form notifications we receive and the business and project records we keep. Google Privacy Policy
- Third-party AI service providers — process the contents of inquiries when we use AI tools to help draft replies and proposals (see Section 3), under their own terms and policies.
Once a project begins, we may also use e-signature, invoicing, or payment tools to sign agreements, send invoices, and receive payments. We'll disclose those tools in your Client Agreement.
We may also disclose information if required by law or legal process, to protect our rights, safety, or property or those of others, or as part of a business transfer (for example, if Baker's Forge is reorganized as a company or sold), in which case this policy will continue to apply to your information.
5. We don't sell your personal information
We do not sell your personal information, and we do not share it for cross-context behavioral (targeted) advertising, as those terms are defined under California and other U.S. state privacy laws. We have not done so in the past 12 months.
6. How long we keep it
- Inquiries and emails that don't turn into a project: we keep them for up to 24 months so we have context if you get back in touch, then delete them.
- Client communications and records: we keep them for 7 years after the project ends, as needed for tax, accounting, and legal reasons, then delete them.
- Form submissions stored in Netlify: we delete them from Netlify within 90 days after they're received. (The copy delivered to our inbox follows the periods above.)
- Server logs are kept by Netlify according to its own retention practices.
You can ask us to delete your information sooner (see Section 9).
7. How we protect it
The Site is served only over encrypted HTTPS connections. We use reputable service providers, limit access to your information within Baker's Forge to Anthony Baker, and use access controls and two-factor authentication where our providers make it available. No method of sending or storing data is 100% secure, so we can't guarantee absolute security. If we learn of a security breach affecting your personal information, we'll notify you as required by law, including New York's data breach notification law.
8. Children's privacy
The Site is meant for businesses and adults. It is not directed to children under 13, and we do not knowingly collect personal information from children under 13. If you believe a child under 13 has sent us personal information, contact us and we'll delete it.
9. Your choices and rights
Wherever you live, you can ask us to:
- Tell you what personal information we have about you and give you a copy.
- Correct information that is wrong.
- Delete your information (unless we need to keep it for legal or business-record reasons, such as tax records for a paid project).
- Stop contacting you.
To make a request, email us at anthony.baker@bakersforge.design with the subject line "Privacy Request." We may need to confirm your identity (for example, by replying from the email address you used to contact us). We'll respond within 45 days, and we won't treat you differently for using your rights.
California and other U.S. state residents. Some states, including California, Colorado, Connecticut, Virginia, and others, give residents specific privacy rights, such as the rights to know, access, correct, and delete personal information, and to opt out of the sale of personal information, targeted advertising, or profiling. Many of these laws apply only to businesses above certain size thresholds, which Baker's Forge may not meet. Even so, we'll honor the requests described above for anyone who asks. In plain terms:
- What we collect: identifiers (name, email address, IP address), the commercial information you choose to share about your project (service and budget), the contents of your messages, and internet activity information (server logs).
- Where it comes from: directly from you, and automatically from your device when you visit.
- Why: the purposes listed in Section 3.
- Who receives it: the service providers listed in Section 4.
- Sale, targeted advertising, sensitive data: we don't sell your personal information, share it for targeted advertising, or use it for profiling, and we don't collect sensitive personal information.
- Authorized agents and appeals: you can use an authorized agent to make a request on your behalf. If we decline your request, you can appeal by replying to our decision, and we'll review it.
Do Not Track and Global Privacy Control. Because the Site doesn't track you across websites or sell or share your data for advertising, there's nothing to opt out of. We treat a Global Privacy Control signal as a valid opt-out request where the law requires it.
Visitors outside the United States. Baker's Forge is based in the United States, and your information is stored and processed in the United States and wherever our service providers operate. Our services are aimed at U.S. businesses.
10. Changes to this policy
We may update this Privacy Policy, for example if we add a new tool to the Site. We'll post the updated version on this page and change the "Last updated" date. If we make a significant change in how we use personal information, we'll make it clear on the Site before the change takes effect.
11. Contact us
Questions or requests about your privacy? Contact us:
Baker's Forge (Anthony Baker, d/b/a Baker's Forge)
PO Box 88, Preble, NY 13141, USA
Email: anthony.baker@bakersforge.design