1. Information We Collect

Recipe Finder is designed with privacy in mind. You do not need to create an account to use the service, and we never ask for your name, address, or payment details. We collect minimal information to provide our service:

• Local Storage: Your favorite recipes and shopping lists are stored locally on your device using browser local storage
• Search Queries: The ingredients you search for are sent to our recipe data provider to return matching results; they are not linked to your identity
• Usage Data: We may collect anonymous usage statistics (pages viewed, approximate region, browser and device type) to improve our service
• Technical Data: Your IP address and user agent are processed automatically by our hosting provider as part of delivering the website
• Cookies and Similar Technologies: Used to maintain your preferences, measure traffic, and serve advertising (see sections 5 and 6)

If you contact us by email, we process the details you choose to include in that message solely to reply to you.

2. How We Use Your Information

The information we collect is used to:

• Provide and maintain our service
• Improve and personalize your experience
• Analyze how our service is used
• Detect and prevent technical issues

3. Data Storage

All personal data (favorites, shopping lists, preferences) is stored locally on your device. We do not transmit, store, or process this data on our servers. This means:

• Your data remains on your device
• We cannot access your personal data
• Clearing your browser data will remove all stored information
• Your data is not synchronized across devices

4. Third-Party Services

We rely on the following categories of third-party services:

• Recipe data and images: TheMealDB, which receives your search terms and serves recipe images
• Analytics: To understand aggregate usage patterns
• Advertising: Google AdSense and its partners (see section 5)
• Hosting and content delivery: To serve the website and its static assets

These services process data under their own privacy policies, and we encourage you to review them. We do not sell or share your personal information for monetary consideration.

5. Advertising and Personalized Ads

Recipe Finder is supported by advertising. We use Google AdSense, and third-party vendors including Google use cookies and device identifiers to serve ads based on your prior visits to this website or other websites.

• Google's use of advertising cookies enables it and its partners to serve ads to you based on your visit to our site and/or other sites on the Internet
• You may opt out of personalized advertising by visiting Google Ads Settings
• For details on how Google uses data when you use our partners' sites or apps, see How Google uses information from sites or apps that use our services
• You can opt out of third-party vendor advertising cookies at aboutads.info or Your Online Choices (EU/EEA)

Opting out of personalized ads does not remove ads entirely; you will continue to see non-personalized advertising. If you are located in the EEA, the UK, or Switzerland, we ask for your consent before setting non-essential advertising or analytics cookies, and you can withdraw that consent at any time through your browser settings or our consent controls.

6. Cookies

We use cookies and similar tracking technologies to track activity on our service. The cookies we rely on fall into three groups:

• Essential: Required to load the site and remember your basic preferences
• Analytics: Help us measure aggregate traffic and improve the service
• Advertising: Set by Google and its partners to measure and personalize ads

You can instruct your browser to refuse all cookies or to indicate when a cookie is being sent, and you can delete existing cookies at any time. If you do not accept cookies, you may not be able to use some portions of our service.

7. Data Security

The security of your data is important to us. Since all personal data is stored locally on your device, we recommend:

• Using a secure browser
• Keeping your device protected
• Being cautious when using public computers

The site is served over HTTPS. No method of transmission or storage is completely secure, so we cannot guarantee absolute security.

8. Your Privacy Rights

Because your favorites and shopping lists never leave your browser, you have direct control over that data: clearing your browser storage deletes it immediately and permanently.

Depending on where you live, you may also have the right to access, correct, delete, or restrict processing of your personal data, to object to processing, to data portability, and to withdraw consent. Residents of California and other US states with comparable laws may request disclosure of the categories of personal information collected and may opt out of targeted advertising and of the "sale" or "sharing" of personal information; we do not sell personal information, and you can limit targeted advertising through the opt-out links in section 5. To exercise any of these rights, contact us at [email protected]. You may also lodge a complaint with your local data protection authority.

Where the GDPR applies, we process technical and analytics data on the basis of our legitimate interest in operating and securing the site, and we process advertising and non-essential analytics data on the basis of your consent.

9. Data Retention

Data stored in your browser remains until you delete it. Aggregated analytics data is retained only for as long as needed to understand usage trends. Email correspondence is kept only as long as necessary to handle your request. Retention periods for advertising cookies are set by the relevant provider and described in their policies.

10. International Data Transfers

Our hosting, analytics, advertising, and recipe data providers may process data in countries other than your own, including the United States. Where such transfers involve personal data from the EEA, the UK, or Switzerland, they rely on the safeguards offered by those providers, such as the European Commission's standard contractual clauses.

11. Children's Privacy

Our service is not directed to children under 13. We do not knowingly collect personal information from children under 13. If you are a parent or guardian and believe your child has provided us with personal information, please contact us.

12. Changes to This Privacy Policy

We may update our Privacy Policy from time to time. We will notify you of any changes by posting the new Privacy Policy on this page and updating the "Last updated" date.

13. Contact Us

If you have any questions about this Privacy Policy, please contact us at [email protected]