1. Introduction
ProBuddy ("probuddy.ai", "we", "us", "our") is committed to protecting your privacy. This Privacy Policy explains what information we collect when you use our AI-powered home services marketplace, how we use it, and the choices you have.
2. Information We Collect
Information collected automatically
- Location data (approximate) — We use Cloudflare's network to detect your approximate city and region from your IP address. This is used to personalize results and is not stored permanently.
- Device and browser data — Standard information such as browser type, operating system, screen size, and referring URL may be collected through analytics.
- Usage data and session recordings — We use Microsoft Clarity to understand how visitors interact with our site. Clarity may record mouse movements, clicks, and scrolls. No personally identifiable information is collected by Clarity.
Information you provide
- Search queries — The services you search for and zip codes you enter.
- Chat messages — Messages you send to the AI Pro Buddy assistant on service pages.
- Account information — If you create an account, we collect your email address and a securely hashed password.
Information from third parties
- Professional listings — We receive business profiles, ratings, and reviews from Thumbtack to display search results.
3. How We Use Your Information
We use collected information to:
- Display personalized search results based on your location and query.
- Generate AI-powered rankings and recommendations of local professionals.
- Provide AI chat assistance with context about the service and your area.
- Create location-specific service pages when you search by zip code.
- Improve and optimize the Service through analytics.
- Protect against fraud, abuse, and automated bot traffic.
4. Third-Party Services
We share limited data with the following third-party services in order to operate ProBuddy:
Thumbtack
Receives your search query and zip code to return matching professional listings.
Google Gemini AI
Processes professional profile data to generate rankings and powers the AI chat assistant. Your chat messages are sent to Google's API for processing but are not used to train Google's models.
Cloudflare
Provides hosting infrastructure, CDN, DNS, and Turnstile bot-protection. Cloudflare processes your IP address for security and geo-detection purposes.
Microsoft Clarity
Collects anonymized usage data including clicks, scrolls, and session recordings to help us improve the user experience. See Microsoft's Privacy Statement.
OpenStreetMap
Provides map tile imagery for location-based features. Your browser loads map tiles directly from OpenStreetMap servers.
5. Cookies & Tracking
ProBuddy uses minimal cookies and tracking:
- Cloudflare Turnstile — Sets cookies necessary for bot protection. These are essential for the Service to function and cannot be disabled.
- Microsoft Clarity — Uses first-party cookies and session storage to track user interactions anonymously.
- Authentication — If you sign in, a session cookie is used to keep you logged in.
We do not use advertising cookies or sell data to advertisers.
6. Data Retention
- Search results — Cached for up to one week to improve performance, then automatically deleted.
- Chat messages — Not stored permanently. Messages are sent to the AI for processing and are not retained after the session.
- Location data — Used in real time for personalization and not stored in a way that identifies you.
- Account data — Retained for as long as your account is active. You may request deletion at any time.
7. Data Security
We take reasonable measures to protect your information, including:
- All traffic is encrypted via HTTPS/TLS through Cloudflare.
- Passwords are securely hashed and never stored in plain text.
- Access to the database and admin features is protected by authentication and middleware.
- Bot protection (Cloudflare Turnstile) prevents automated abuse.
However, no method of transmission over the internet is 100% secure. We cannot guarantee absolute security.
8. Your Rights
Depending on your jurisdiction, you may have the right to:
- Access — Request a copy of the personal data we hold about you.
- Correction — Request correction of inaccurate data.
- Deletion — Request deletion of your account and associated data.
- Opt out of analytics — You can block Microsoft Clarity by using a browser extension that blocks tracking scripts, or by enabling "Do Not Track" in your browser settings.
To exercise any of these rights, contact us at hello@probuddy.ai.
9. California Privacy Rights
If you are a California resident, you may have additional rights under the California Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA), including the right to know what personal information we collect, the right to request deletion, and the right to opt out of the sale of personal information. We do not sell your personal information.
To exercise your California privacy rights, contact us at hello@probuddy.ai.
10. Children's Privacy
ProBuddy is not intended for children under the age of 13. We do not knowingly collect personal information from children under 13 in compliance with the Children's Online Privacy Protection Act (COPPA). If you believe we have collected information from a child, please contact us and we will promptly delete it.
11. Changes to This Policy
We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time. When we do, we will revise the "Last updated" date at the top of this page. We encourage you to review this page periodically. Continued use of the Service after changes are posted constitutes your acceptance of the revised policy.
12. Contact Us
If you have questions about this Privacy Policy or how we handle your data, please contact us at hello@probuddy.ai.