Your information, in context.

Last updated 12 September 2026.

Browsing the site

You can read the public guides, directory, and published conversations without creating an account. We do not install advertising pixels. Optional Google Analytics cookies require a separate choice below.

Colour preferences

When you save a colour preference, it is stored in this browser on this device. It is not sent to your account or shared with other devices. You can change it from Appearance or remove it by clearing this site's browser data.

Optional usage analytics

With your permission, we collect basic statistics about public pages you visit to improve the collective. You can decline without affecting access, or withdraw your permission below. We remember only your yes or no preference on this browser for 180 days. We respect Do Not Track and Global Privacy Control signals.

Our first-party collector records the public page, its section, time, referring website domain, a broad screen-size group, source-link clicks and whether a page was visible for at least 30 seconds. It does not collect search terms, URL queries, form contents, your account identifier, email address or advertising identifiers. The public page address being viewed may identify its published author or member profile. Account, sign-in, support, admin and other private pages are excluded. Signed-in staff browsing is excluded too.

A random browsing-visit identifier exists only in memory while the page is open. It resets on reload, after 30 minutes without a recorded action or at the next UTC day. The server stores a daily keyed hash rather than the original identifier. This measures browsing visits, not unique people, and is not connected to profiles, likes, endorsements or tool usage. We do not use session replay or fingerprinting.

Analytics is stored privately in our Supabase database and administrators see aggregate reports. Events older than 90 days and spam-control network hashes older than 24 hours are removed by an hourly cleanup job. Reports exclude expired events even if cleanup is delayed. The analytics database does not store raw IP addresses or browser user-agent strings. Hosting services process normal request information and backups follow their separate retention settings. Turning analytics off stops new collection; it does not remove earlier aggregate statistics.

Optional Google Analytics

Google Analytics has a separate, optional permission. An earlier choice about basic site statistics does not enable Google. When configured in production and allowed by you, Google Tag Manager loads Google Analytics to measure section visits, 30-second visible-page engagement, source-link and download clicks, likes, tool-usage changes, sharing actions, following and filter changes. We send section-level page labels, not page titles, profile names, full content URLs, query strings, search terms, form contents or account identifiers. Your browsing account is not linked.

Google Analytics uses cookies and processes network information such as your IP address under Google's service practices. The basic collector's memory-only identifiers and 90-day database retention do not describe Google's processing. Google account retention and sharing settings are managed separately. Advertising consent stays denied, Google signals and advertising personalization are disabled in our container configuration, and Google tracking is excluded on private pages and for signed-in staff. Turning permission off removes the active Google runtime and stops new site events; it cannot recall requests already sent.

We remember this separate preference on this browser for 180 days and respect Do Not Track and Global Privacy Control. You can use the site without allowing either analytics option. Google's privacy policy

Accounts and authentication

Community accounts use the Paid Media Collective Supabase service. When you sign in with email and password, those details are sent directly to Supabase for authentication. Session information is stored in your browser to keep you signed in. Your password is never displayed in your profile.

When you choose Google or Microsoft sign-in, that provider verifies your identity and shares your account identifier, email address and available basic profile details, such as your name and profile photo, with Supabase. Supabase stores the returned identity information with your authentication record and uses it to sign you in. We use your email and name to create your private account profile and prefill your editable display name. These sign-in requests do not ask for access to your mailbox, contacts, files or advertising accounts. Your Google or Microsoft password is entered with that provider, not on this website.

Your account email and provider account identifiers are not displayed on public member pages. A photo returned during sign-in is not automatically copied to your public participation profile. Profile details you choose to save and publish are handled as described under Member profiles and recognition below. Google and Microsoft also process your sign-in under their own privacy practices.

Videos and YouTube

Video thumbnails are supplied by YouTube, so viewing them sends a request to its image service. Embedded players load only when you press play and use YouTube’s privacy-enhanced mode. Playback connects to YouTube, which processes information under its own privacy policy. You can also use the Watch on YouTube link to open a video directly.

Likes, tool usage and private feedback

Likes display an aggregate count. We use a signed, essential browser cookie for up to one year to remember your likes and tool usage choices and prevent duplicate submissions. This does not identify you publicly or connect your activity to a member profile. Clearing browser data resets this device identifier.

On individual tools you can choose how often you use the tool, change your answer or clear it. We store one current frequency per browser in Supabase and a private, dated history of changes for future analysis. Your frequency is visible only to you; any usage counts are aggregate, self-reported browser responses, not verified customer numbers. Your choice is not linked to a public profile or sent to Slack. Clearing removes your current answer and its count; previous changes remain in the private analysis history. Clearing browser data alone removes your device identifier, so it does not remove earlier responses.

Feedback, change requests and suggestions are private. We save your message, the relevant section or item, an optional reply email, screen size, colour preference and any screenshot in our Supabase database. Reports are delivered to a private Slack channel for the Paid Media Collective team. If Slack is unavailable, the report stays saved for retry. Public members cannot read these records or screenshots.

Screenshots are optional. Capture starts only when you choose it, takes one frame from your selected browser tab and stops sharing immediately. You can review or remove the image before sending. We remove file metadata and the original filename when processing the image. Drafts stay in memory while this site is open and are not saved in browser storage.

We store a keyed hash of your browser identifier with likes, tool usage choices and reports, and a short-lived network hash to limit spam. The feedback database does not store raw IP addresses. Hosting services may process normal request logs. Optional email addresses are used to respond to your report. To request removal of a report, contact the team with its reference number. Slack copies and screenshots also need to be removed by the team.

Private member support

Contact support is available after sign-in. We verify your active account and confirmed email before accepting a request. Your category, subject, message, supplied name, verified account identifier, account email and optional related page or screenshot are saved in the private feedback database. These details are available to the support team and queued for its private Slack channel and support email inbox. Email notifications are processed by Resend and can include the screenshot as a private attachment. They are not published on your profile or the feature request board. The team can use your account email to reply.

Support uses the same private screenshot storage and image processing described above. Your draft stays in memory while this page is open and is cleared when you sign out. Keep your request reference if you need to follow up or ask the team to remove the request and any copies.

Member profiles and recognition

Your community account signs you in. The website verifies that session before saving your participation profile and contributions in the Paid Media Collective database. Public profiles can include your photo link, expertise, experience, availability and featured work. Remote profile photos load from the link you provide.

Turn off public visibility in My profile to hide your profile and approved contributions from member pages and rankings. Drafts and review notes are private. Evidence links remain private after approval; verified factor scores may be public. Profile completeness does not award leaderboard points. Unsaved edits stay in memory while the page is open. Contact the team to remove participation records as well as your sign-in account.

Claiming an existing contributor profile

Signed-in members can request a link between their account and an existing contributor profile. We save the selected profile, your account identifier, verification link, explanation and request history privately. Administrators and moderators assigned to contributor profiles can review this information and record a decision. Review feedback is visible to you. Claims are not approved automatically from a matching name or email address.

An approved claim links one contributor profile to your account and may show a public claimed badge. Your verification evidence, account identifier and email remain private. Claiming does not change original source credits, award points or grant administrator permissions. You can withdraw a pending request from your claim history. Contact support about a correction or removal; the review history is retained so the team can explain ownership decisions.

What you share

Your display name, profile details, questions, and approved answers may be visible to other visitors. Your account email is not included in the public pages of this version. Do not post client secrets, personal information about others, or content you do not have permission to share.

Community records

Community records are stored in Supabase. Account permissions and moderation rules control access. Accounts and records from an earlier sign-in service do not transfer automatically. Contact the team if you need help with an earlier account or contribution.

External websites

Directory links open websites operated by their respective providers. Those services have their own privacy practices and account requirements.

Managing your information

You can edit your display name and profile information from your account page. For account deletion or an existing contribution that needs attention, use Contact support or email hello@paidmediacollective.com.