Privacy Policy

1. Information We Collect

Account information. When you create a free Boutels membership, we collect your email address. If you choose to sign in with Google, we also receive basic profile information (your name and email) from Google.

Your saved data. Content you create in your account: favorites, “Going” and “Visited” trip status, private notes, and your Trip Planner list. Your notes and status are private to you.

Media you share. Photos and notes you explicitly choose to share with the community, which are then displayed publicly on the site. Please be aware that photos uploaded from mobile devices may contain embedded location data (EXIF data). We may store this data to help map the photo, but you should remove it prior to upload if you wish to keep the exact capture location private.

Location. If you tap “Locate Me” on the map, we ask your browser for your device’s location, used only to center the map on your area. We do not track your location in the background. Separately, when you use the search box we record an approximate location (your general city and state, derived from your IP address by our hosting provider) to understand where interest is coming from. This is coarse and never your exact position.

Search activity. The towns and property names you search for, so we can understand demand and decide where to grow the directory.

Usage & analytics. Standard, largely anonymized data about how visitors use the site (pages viewed, browser type, referring site), collected through our analytics providers.

2. How We Use Your Information

We use your data to create and manage your account; sync your favorites, trips, and notes across your devices; display the media you choose to share; understand what and where people search so we can improve and expand the directory; improve the performance and design of the map and site; and send you optional updates (the Boutels Monthly email, if you opt in) along with essential account and sign-in emails.

3. How We Share Information

We do not sell your personal data to advertisers, aggregators, or data brokers. We share information only with trusted third-party service providers that help us operate Boutels, and only as needed. Our service providers include, but are not limited to:

Supabase: account authentication and secure database storage for your saved data.

Resend: delivery of sign-in (magic link) and newsletter emails.

Cloudinary: hosting the photos you upload.

Cloudflare: website hosting, security, and privacy-first (cookieless) analytics, including the approximate location described above.

Google: Google Analytics, Google Sign-In, and Google Sheets / Apps Script, where form submissions and search activity are recorded.

MapLibre, OpenFreeMap, and komoot’s Photon: displaying the interactive map and powering location search.

As our platform evolves, we may use additional or alternative service providers within these functional categories to help us deliver the Boutels experience. These providers process data strictly on our behalf and are obligated to protect it. We may also disclose information if required by law, or to protect the rights and safety of Boutels and our users.

Business transfers: In the event of a merger, acquisition, restructuring, or sale of the company, we reserve the right to transfer ownership of Boutels, including all operational assets and user information (such as account email and saved trip data), as part of that transaction. Any successor entity will be bound by privacy commitments and terms substantially similar to, or more protective than, those established here.

4. Analytics & Cookies

Google Analytics uses cookies to measure how the site is used. You can opt out on any device with Google’s Analytics Opt-out Browser Add-on. Cloudflare Web Analytics is cookieless and does not track you across other websites.

5. Data Security

We use standard security measures to protect your information from unauthorized access, alteration, or disclosure. However, no method of transmission over the internet is 100% secure, and we cannot guarantee absolute security.

6. Data Retention

We retain your account information and saved data for as long as your account is active. If you request account deletion, we will delete your personal data within 30 days, except where retention is required by law.

7. Your Choices & Rights

Account deletion. You can permanently delete your account and all associated data (favorites, notes, trips, and shared media) at any time, for any reason, from your profile settings, or by contacting us.

Location. You can revoke the map’s access to your location at any time through your browser or device settings.

Email. You can unsubscribe from the Boutels Monthly email at any time.

Privacy Rights. Depending on your location (such as California under the CCPA or the European Economic Area under the GDPR), you may have the right to request access to, correction of, or deletion of your personal data. To exercise these rights, please contact us.

8. Children’s Privacy

Boutels is not directed to children under 13, and we do not knowingly collect personal information from them. If you believe a child has provided us information, please contact us and we will remove it.

9. Changes to This Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy as Boutels grows and adds features. We will note any significant changes by updating the “Last updated” date above and posting the revised policy on this page.

10. Contact Us

If you have any questions about this Privacy Policy or your data, contact us at feedback@boutels.com.