Last updated: 27 September 2026
This policy explains what information FoodsGuider (foodsguider.com) collects when you visit the site or contact us, why, who processes it for us, how long it is kept and what choices you have. We have tried to write it plainly and to list every service we actually use.
In short: you can read every guide and use every tool without giving us your name or email. We use analytics to learn which guides are useful. We only get personal details such as your name and email if you choose to contact us. We do not sell your information and we do not show ads.
Who we are
FoodsGuider is an independent food travel website. For this policy, “we” means the people who run FoodsGuider. For privacy questions or requests, email [email protected].
Information we collect
When you browse the site
Like almost every website, our servers and our network provider receive technical information with each request: your IP address, browser and device type, the page you asked for, the page that sent you, and the date and time. We also use analytics tools, described below, that record how visitors use the site: pages viewed, time on page, scrolling and clicks, approximate location (country or city, worked out from your IP address), device, browser and how you arrived (for example from a search engine).
Our tools (the food travel budget calculator and the tipping guide) run in your browser. The choices you make in them are not sent to us, apart from the page address, which may include the country you picked (for example ?country=JP) and is therefore visible in our analytics.
When you contact us
If you use our contact form, we collect your name, email address, the topic you choose, your message and your confirmation that you agree to this policy. We then send you an automatic confirmation email. If you email or message us directly, we receive your email address or phone number and whatever you write.
What we do not collect
- We have no user accounts, newsletter, comments, shop or payments.
- We do not run advertising on the site and do not sell your personal information.
- The share button builds links to social networks only when you click it, so those networks are not contacted just because you opened a page.
- Fonts and images are served from our own site, not loaded from Google Fonts or other image services.
Services that process data for us
| Service | What it does for us | Data involved | Privacy policy |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cloudflare (Cloudflare, Inc.) | Delivers the site quickly and securely (content delivery, caching, protection against attacks and bots). Also serves our Google tag from our own domain. | IP address, request details, security signals; may set a short-lived security cookie. | Cloudflare privacy policy |
| Cloudflare Zaraz | Loads third-party tools such as analytics through Cloudflare, which keeps extra scripts off your browser. | The page data those tools need (see Google Analytics and Microsoft Clarity). | Cloudflare privacy policy |
| Google Analytics 4 and Google Tag Manager (Google LLC / Google Ireland Ltd) | Measures visits: which guides people read, where they come from and which pages help them. Tag Manager is the tool that loads the analytics tag. | Pages viewed, events such as clicks and scrolls, approximate location, device and browser, a random identifier stored in cookies. | Google privacy policy and how Google uses data from sites |
| Microsoft Clarity (Microsoft Corporation) | Shows us how people use pages (heatmaps and session replays) so we can fix confusing layouts. | Mouse movement, clicks, scrolling, the page content you see, device and browser, a random identifier. Clarity is designed to mask text you type into fields. | Microsoft privacy statement and Clarity privacy disclosure |
| Our web host and email provider | Store the website, its database and our mailbox, and send the site’s emails. | Server logs, contact form messages, emails. | Used only to provide the service to us. |
| SureMail Content Guard (Brainstorm Force) | Checks outgoing emails from the site, including contact form messages and confirmations, for spam and abuse before they are sent. | The content of the email. | SureMail privacy policy |
| WhatsApp (Meta) | Only if you choose to message us on WhatsApp from the contact page. | Your phone number, profile and messages. | WhatsApp privacy policy |
Cookies and similar technologies
Cookies are small files stored by your browser. We do not use cookies for advertising. The cookies you may see on foodsguider.com are:
| Cookie | Set by | Purpose | Kept for |
|---|---|---|---|
_ga, _ga_<ID> | Google Analytics | Tell visits apart and count returning visitors | Up to 2 years |
_gcl_ls (browser storage) | Google tag | Records how you arrived at the site | Until cleared |
_clck, _clsk | Microsoft Clarity | Link page views into one visit and one visitor | 1 day to 1 year |
CLID, MUID | Microsoft (clarity.ms, bing.com) | Identify the browser across Clarity sessions | Up to 1 year |
__cf_bm and other Cloudflare cookies | Cloudflare | Security and bot protection | Usually 30 minutes to 1 day |
wordpress_*, wp-settings-* | WordPress | Only for our editors when logged in | Session to 1 year |
You can block or delete cookies in your browser settings; the site works without them. To stop Google Analytics on every site you visit you can also install the Google Analytics opt-out browser add-on. Tracker blockers and privacy-focused browsers also stop most of these tools.
Why we use your information (legal bases)
- Running and protecting the site (server logs, Cloudflare security): our legitimate interest in keeping the site available, fast and secure.
- Understanding and improving the guides (Google Analytics, Microsoft Clarity): our legitimate interest in knowing which content is useful, or your consent where the law in your country requires it.
- Replying to you (contact form, email, WhatsApp): your request, and your agreement when you send the form. We use your details only to reply and to follow up on the same matter, never for marketing.
- Legal obligations: if we are required by law to keep or disclose information.
How long we keep information
- Contact form messages and emails: as long as needed to handle your message and any follow-up, and no longer than 12 months after the conversation ends. The site’s own log of emails it has sent is deleted automatically after 30 days.
- Google Analytics: event data is kept for no longer than 14 months; our reports show totals, not individuals.
- Microsoft Clarity: kept according to Microsoft’s retention periods (session replays for a short time, aggregated reports longer).
- Server and security logs: kept for a limited time for security and troubleshooting, then deleted or overwritten by our providers.
- Website backups, which may include form messages, are overwritten as new backups are made.
International transfers
Cloudflare, Google and Microsoft process data in many countries, including the United States. When personal data from the European Economic Area, the UK or Switzerland is transferred, these providers rely on recognised safeguards such as the EU-US Data Privacy Framework and standard contractual clauses.
Your rights
Depending on where you live (for example under the GDPR in the EU and UK, or state laws such as the California Consumer Privacy Act in the US), you can ask us to:
- tell you what personal information we hold about you and give you a copy;
- correct it, or delete it;
- stop or limit using it, or object to how we use it (including analytics);
- withdraw your consent at any time, where we rely on consent.
Email [email protected] and we will reply within 30 days. Analytics data is stored under random identifiers rather than your name, so for requests about it please tell us roughly when you visited and from which device; blocking cookies stops any further collection immediately. You also have the right to complain to your local data protection authority.
Children
FoodsGuider is written for adults planning trips. It is not directed at children under 16, and we do not knowingly collect personal information from them. If you believe a child has sent us personal information, contact us and we will delete it.
Links to other websites
Our guides link to tourism boards, reference sites and other sources. Those sites have their own privacy practices, which this policy does not cover.
Security
The whole site uses HTTPS, access to the site’s administration is restricted, and we keep software up to date. No website can promise perfect security, so please do not send sensitive personal information (such as passport or payment details) through the contact form.
Changes to this policy
We update this page when the services we use or the way we handle information change, and we change the “Last updated” date at the top. Earlier versions are available on request.
Contact
Questions about this policy or your information: [email protected], or use our contact page.