How we handle your data, in detail.

Scope of this policy

This Privacy Policy describes how Essential Oils Index (“we,” “us,” or “our”) collects, uses, and shares information about you when you visit our website at essentialoilsindex.com, subscribe to our newsletter, contact us through our contact form, or otherwise interact with our services.

This policy applies to information collected through our website and does not apply to information collected by third-party websites we link to. We are not responsible for the privacy practices of other websites — when you click a link that takes you off our site, the privacy policy of that destination applies to any information they collect.

By using this site, you agree to the collection and use of information in accordance with this policy. If you do not agree with our policies and practices, please do not use our site.

Information we collect

Information you provide directly

When you interact with us, you may provide us with personal information. This includes:

• Contact form submissions: your name, email address, and the content of your message
• Newsletter subscriptions: your email address and any name or preferences you provide
• Comments on articles: CONFIRM your name, email address (not publicly displayed), website URL (optional), and the content of your comment, if comments are enabled on our site
• Correspondence: any information you provide when you email us, including the email address you send from and the contents of your message

Information collected automatically

When you visit our site, we and our third-party service providers automatically collect certain information about your device and how you interact with our site. This may include:

• Device and browser information: IP address, browser type and version, operating system, device type, and screen resolution
• Usage information: pages viewed, time spent on pages, links clicked, referring website, search terms used to find our site, and the date and time of your visit
• Location information: approximate geographic location derived from your IP address (country, region, and sometimes city level)
• Performance and error data: technical information about how our site loads and any errors encountered

Information from third parties

We may receive information about you from third-party services we use, such as analytics providers, advertising partners, and affiliate networks. This information is described in more detail in the sections on Cookies, Third-Party Services, and Affiliate Tracking below.

How we use your information

We use the information we collect for the following purposes:

• To operate and improve our site: understanding how readers use our site so we can improve content, navigation, and performance
• To respond to your inquiries: answering messages sent through our contact form or by email
• To send our newsletter: delivering newsletter content to subscribers, including occasional notifications about new articles or site updates
• To display relevant advertising: serving display ads through Google AdSense and other ad networks, which may use information to personalize ads
• To track affiliate referrals: determining when readers purchase products through our affiliate links so commissions are properly attributed
• To comply with legal obligations: meeting our requirements under applicable law, including responding to lawful requests from authorities
• To protect the site and our users: detecting and preventing fraud, abuse, security incidents, and violations of our terms of use

We do not sell your personal information to third parties for monetary consideration. We also do not use your personal information to make automated decisions that have legal or similarly significant effects on you.

Cookies and similar technologies

Cookies are small text files that websites place on your device to remember preferences, track behavior, and enable functionality. We and our third-party service providers use cookies and similar technologies on our site.

Types of cookies we use

• Essential cookies: necessary for the site to function, such as remembering whether you’ve dismissed a notification or accepted our cookie banner
• Analytics cookies: used by services such as Google Analytics to help us understand how visitors use our site (which pages are read, how long people stay, what brings them in)
• Advertising cookies: used by Google AdSense and other ad networks to display relevant advertising and measure ad performance
• Affiliate tracking cookies: used by affiliate networks and our partner brands to track when readers click affiliate links and make purchases, so commissions can be attributed

How to control cookies

Most web browsers allow you to control cookies through your browser settings. You can typically block all cookies, block third-party cookies only, or delete existing cookies. Note that blocking essential cookies may affect site functionality.

For more detail on the cookies we use specifically, see our CONFIRM Cookie Policy, which provides a more detailed list of cookies, their purposes, and their durations.

Third-party services we use

We use the following third-party services on our site. Each of these services has its own privacy policy governing how they handle information they collect.

Analytics and performance

• Google Analytics CONFIRM — for website traffic and behavior analytics. Google’s Privacy Policy.
• WordPress.com / Jetpack CONFIRM — for site statistics and performance monitoring if installed.

Advertising

• Google AdSense CONFIRM — for displaying advertisements on our site. How Google uses information from sites that use its services.

Email and newsletter

• Email service provider CONFIRM — name your provider, e.g., Mailchimp, ConvertKit, Beehiiv, MailerLite — for managing email subscribers and sending newsletter content.

Affiliate networks

• Amazon Associates — for tracking referrals to Amazon. Amazon’s Privacy Notice.
• Other affiliate networks CONFIRM — ShareASale, Impact, Awin, CJ Affiliate if applicable — for tracking referrals to partner brands.

Hosting and security

• Web hosting provider CONFIRM — name your hosting company — for hosting our website infrastructure.
• Content delivery and security services CONFIRM — e.g., Cloudflare if applicable — for site performance and security.

Advertising and Google AdSense

We display advertisements on our site through Google AdSense and may use other advertising networks in the future. These networks use cookies and similar technologies to serve ads based on your prior visits to our site and other sites on the internet.

Google’s use of advertising cookies enables it and its partners to serve ads to our users based on their visit to our site and other sites on the internet. Users may opt out of personalized advertising by visiting Google’s Ads Settings.

Users may also opt out of third-party vendor use of cookies for personalized advertising by visiting www.aboutads.info.

Third-party vendors, including Google, use cookies to serve ads based on a user’s prior visits to our website or other websites. These third parties may collect information about your visits to our site and other websites in order to provide targeted advertisements about goods and services that interest you.

Affiliate tracking

When you click an affiliate link on our site and make a purchase from the destination website, our affiliate partners use tracking cookies to attribute the sale to us. This typically results in a small commission being paid to us by the affiliate partner, at no additional cost to you.

The information collected through affiliate tracking generally includes the link you clicked, the time of the click, and whether you completed a purchase. We do not receive your personal information (name, address, payment details) through affiliate tracking — that information stays with the destination retailer.

For more detail on which affiliate programs we participate in and how affiliate links work, see our Affiliate Disclosure page.

Information sharing and disclosure

We share your information only in the following limited circumstances:

• With service providers: we share information with the third-party services described above (analytics, advertising, email, affiliate networks, hosting) to the extent necessary for them to provide services to us
• For legal compliance: we may disclose information when required by law, court order, subpoena, or other legal process, or when we believe in good faith that disclosure is necessary to protect rights, property, or safety
• In business transfers: if Essential Oils Index is involved in a merger, acquisition, sale of assets, or bankruptcy, information may be transferred as part of that transaction, subject to standard confidentiality protections
• With your consent: we may share information in other circumstances if you have given us specific permission to do so

We do not sell your personal information to third parties in exchange for monetary consideration.

Data retention

We retain personal information for as long as necessary to fulfill the purposes outlined in this policy, unless a longer retention period is required or permitted by law. Specific retention periods include:

• Newsletter subscriber information: retained until you unsubscribe, after which we may keep a record that you unsubscribed to prevent accidentally re-adding you
• Contact form submissions: typically retained for up to 24 months for reference, then deleted unless we are still actively corresponding
• Analytics data: retained according to the retention settings of our analytics provider (Google Analytics defaults to 14 months unless configured otherwise)
• Server logs: typically retained for 30 to 90 days for security and troubleshooting purposes

Data security

We implement reasonable technical and organizational measures designed to protect your information from unauthorized access, disclosure, alteration, or destruction. These measures include:

• HTTPS encryption for all data transmitted between your browser and our site
• Restricted access to systems containing personal information
• Regular software updates and security patches
• Use of reputable third-party services with their own security practices

However, no method of transmission over the internet or method of electronic storage is completely secure. While we strive to use commercially acceptable means to protect your information, we cannot guarantee absolute security.

Your rights and choices

Depending on where you live, you may have the following rights regarding your personal information:

• Right to access: request a copy of the personal information we hold about you
• Right to correct: request that we correct inaccurate or incomplete information
• Right to delete: request that we delete your personal information, subject to certain exceptions
• Right to opt out of marketing: unsubscribe from our newsletter at any time using the unsubscribe link in any newsletter email
• Right to opt out of personalized advertising: as described in the Advertising section above

To exercise any of these rights, contact us using the information at the bottom of this page. We will respond to verified requests within the time frames required by applicable law.

California residents (CCPA and CPRA)

If you are a California resident, the California Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA), as amended by the California Privacy Rights Act (CPRA), gives you specific rights regarding your personal information. In addition to the rights described above, California residents have the right to:

• Know what categories of personal information we collect, the sources, the business purposes, and the categories of third parties we share it with
• Request deletion of personal information, subject to legal exceptions
• Opt out of the “sale” or “sharing” of personal information for cross-context behavioral advertising (note: we do not sell personal information in the traditional sense, but California’s broad definition of “sharing” may apply to certain advertising activities)
• Limit use of sensitive personal information
• Not be discriminated against for exercising these rights

To exercise these rights, contact us using the information below. We may need to verify your identity before responding to your request.

European users (GDPR)

If you are located in the European Economic Area, United Kingdom, or Switzerland, the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) and related laws give you specific rights regarding your personal information. In addition to the rights described above, you have the right to:

• Receive your personal information in a structured, commonly used, machine-readable format (data portability)
• Object to processing of your personal information for certain purposes, including direct marketing
• Restrict processing of your personal information in certain circumstances
• Withdraw consent at any time where we rely on consent to process your information
• Lodge a complaint with your local data protection authority

Legal bases for processing

We process personal information of European users on the following legal bases:

• Consent: when you have given us specific permission, such as subscribing to our newsletter
• Legitimate interests: when processing is necessary for our legitimate business interests (such as analytics and security) and these interests are not overridden by your rights
• Legal obligation: when processing is required to comply with applicable law

Children’s privacy

Our site is not intended for children under the age of 13, and we do not knowingly collect personal information from children under 13. If we learn that we have collected personal information from a child under 13 without verified parental consent, we will delete that information promptly.

If you are a parent or guardian and believe your child under 13 has provided us with personal information, please contact us using the information below so we can delete the information.

For users between 13 and 16 in the European Union (or older ages where required by member states), we rely on the legal basis of parental consent where required by applicable law.

Changes to this policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time to reflect changes in our practices, technology, legal requirements, or other factors. When we make material changes, we will:

• Update the “Last updated” date at the top of this policy
• Post a notice on our homepage or in a prominent location on our site
• For significant changes affecting subscribers, send an email notification to active newsletter subscribers

Your continued use of our site after changes take effect constitutes acceptance of the updated policy. We encourage you to review this policy periodically to stay informed about our information practices.

Contact us

If you have questions, concerns, or requests regarding this Privacy Policy or our information practices, please contact us at:

Essential Oils Index
Email: privacy@essentialoilsindex.com CONFIRM email exists
Website: essentialoilsindex.com/contact-us

For privacy-specific inquiries, please include “Privacy Request” in your subject line so we can route your message appropriately and respond within the time frames required by applicable law.