This is the privacy policy for Color Palette Guide (colorpaletteguide.com), operated by Lucas Hue. We've written it in plain language because privacy policies that hide behind legalese aren't policies — they're traps.
Short version: we collect the minimum data needed to run the site, we never sell it, and you can ask us to delete it any time.
- 1. Who we are
- 2. What information we collect
- 3. How we use your information
- 4. Cookies & tracking technologies
- 5. Third-party services we use
- 6. Comments & reader-submitted content
- 7. Email subscriptions & newsletters
- 8. Data sharing & disclosure
- 9. How long we keep your data
- 10. Your rights (GDPR, CCPA)
- 11. Children's privacy
- 12. Changes to this policy
- 13. Contact us about privacy
1. Who we are
Color Palette Guide is owned and operated by Lucas Hue, an independent designer publishing color, branding, and interior design content. The site is hosted in the United States and reaches readers worldwide. For privacy-related correspondence, email privacy@colorpaletteguide.com.
2. What information we collect
We collect two categories of data: information you give us directly, and information collected automatically as you use the site.
Information you give us
- Contact form submissions — your name, email, and message content.
- Newsletter signups — email address (and first name, optional).
- Blog comments — name, email, comment text, and (if you check the box) website URL.
- Email replies — anything you send to one of our email addresses.
Information collected automatically
- IP address (anonymized for analytics).
- Browser type, device type, operating system, screen size.
- Pages visited, time on page, referring website.
- Approximate geographic location at country/region level (not street address).
- Cookies and similar technologies — see Section 4.
3. How we use your information
We use collected data only for the purposes below. Nothing else.
- Reply to your emails, comments, or contact form submissions.
- Send newsletters or new-post notifications, but only if you've explicitly subscribed.
- Understand which posts are useful (and which aren't) so we can write better ones.
- Detect spam, abuse, or scraping bots and protect the site from them.
- Comply with legal obligations when required.
We do not sell, rent, or trade your personal information. We do not share your email address with paint brands, design tools, or affiliate partners. Ever.
4. Cookies & tracking technologies
Like most websites, we use cookies — small text files stored on your device — to make the site work and to understand how it's being used.
| Type | Purpose | Can you disable? |
|---|---|---|
| Essential cookies | Core site functionality (security, comment forms, login if applicable). | No — site won't work without them |
| Analytics cookies | Track aggregated reader behavior via Google Analytics 4. | Yes — opt out via consent banner or browser settings |
| Advertising cookies | Used by third-party ad partners (if displayed) for relevance and frequency capping. | Yes — opt out via consent banner |
| Affiliate tracking | Identifies clicks on affiliate links to Amazon, paint brands, etc. | Yes — opt out via consent banner or browser tracking-protection |
You can clear or block cookies from your browser settings at any time. Most browsers also let you set "do not track" preferences, which we honor where technically possible.
5. Third-party services we use
We rely on a small number of third-party tools to operate the site. Each has its own privacy policy, which we recommend reading.
- Google Analytics 4 — site usage analytics. Privacy policy.
- Google Search Console — search performance data.
- WordPress & hosting provider — content management and hosting infrastructure.
- Mailing list provider (e.g., MailerLite, ConvertKit, or equivalent) — for opt-in newsletter delivery only.
- Akismet or similar — spam comment filtering.
- Amazon Associates & affiliate networks — see our disclaimer for the full list of affiliate relationships.
- Pinterest, Instagram, X, Facebook, Reddit — social embeds may set cookies if you interact with them.
6. Comments & reader-submitted content
When you leave a comment on a post, we collect the data shown in the comment form, your IP address, and your browser user-agent string to help with spam detection.
An anonymized hash of your email address may be sent to Gravatar to display your avatar. After your comment is approved, your profile picture (if any) is visible alongside your comment.
Comments may be edited or deleted at our discretion if they violate our terms — spam, hate speech, personal attacks, or self-promotion get removed.
7. Email subscriptions & newsletters
If you sign up for our newsletter, we use double opt-in — you'll receive a confirmation email before being added. You can unsubscribe with one click from any newsletter, and we will permanently remove your email from our list.
We do not add anyone to a list because they emailed us, commented on a post, or filled out the contact form. Subscription is always explicit.
8. Data sharing & disclosure
We share your data only in the following situations:
- With service providers who help operate the site (hosting, email delivery, analytics) — under contracts that require data protection.
- For legal compliance if required by court order, subpoena, or applicable law.
- To protect the site from fraud, security threats, or illegal activity.
- In a business transfer — if Color Palette Guide is ever sold or merged, your data may transfer to the acquiring entity, with notice.
That's the complete list.
9. How long we keep your data
- Comments — kept indefinitely so threads remain readable, unless you request deletion.
- Newsletter subscribers — kept until you unsubscribe.
- Contact form / email correspondence — kept for up to 24 months for reference, then deleted.
- Analytics data — retained per Google Analytics 4 default settings (currently 14 months for event-level data).
10. Your rights (GDPR, CCPA, and similar laws)
Depending on where you live, you have specific rights regarding your personal data. We honor these rights for all readers regardless of jurisdiction, because that's the right thing to do.
- Right to access — request a copy of any data we hold about you.
- Right to correction — ask us to fix inaccurate data.
- Right to erasure — ask us to delete your data ("right to be forgotten").
- Right to portability — receive your data in a machine-readable format.
- Right to object — opt out of analytics, marketing, or specific processing activities.
- Right to withdraw consent — change your mind about cookies, newsletters, or any opt-in.
- CCPA-specific (California residents) — right to know what categories of data we collect and the right to opt out of any sale of personal information. We do not sell personal information.
To exercise any of these rights, email privacy@colorpaletteguide.com with your request. We respond within 30 days.
11. Children's privacy
Color Palette Guide is not directed at children under 13. We do not knowingly collect data from anyone under that age. If you believe a child has submitted personal information through our site, contact privacy@colorpaletteguide.com and we'll delete it immediately.
12. Changes to this policy
Privacy laws change. So do the tools we use. When we update this policy, we update the "Last updated" date at the top of the page. Material changes (new categories of data collected, new sharing relationships) get announced via newsletter and a banner on the site for at least 14 days before they take effect.
13. Contact us about privacy
Privacy questions, data requests, or concerns:
- Email: privacy@colorpaletteguide.com
- Contact form: colorpaletteguide.com/contact
- Mailing address available on request for legal correspondence.
See also: Disclaimer · Terms & Conditions