Fix It Field Guide

Privacy Policy

Effective date: January 7, 2026

Welcome to FixItFieldGuide.org. We build straightforward, practical repair guides and tools for hobbyists, technicians, and curious do‑it‑yourselfers. Protecting your privacy and handling your personal information responsibly is a primary part of how we operate. This Privacy Policy explains what data we collect, why we collect it, how we use and share it, and the choices and rights you have regarding that data.

1. Who we are and why this matters

FixItFieldGuide.org is the operator of this website and the content, tools, and community features available here. We are a small team of repair specialists, content creators, and engineers who publish hands‑on instructions, diagnostic checklists, and product recommendations. Because we produce practical, technical content and sometimes recommend parts or partners, you’ll see a mix of editorial content and affiliate relationships. That mix is described below so you can make informed choices when using our site.

2. Information we collect

We gather only the information needed to deliver and improve our services. We collect data in three primary ways: information you provide directly, information collected automatically, and information obtained from third parties.

2.1 Information you provide directly

  • Account details: If you create an account to save guides, submit corrections, or participate in community features, we may collect your name, username, email address, and a password (stored securely).
  • User contributions: When you submit comments, corrections, or upload photos related to repair projects, you provide text, images, and any optional metadata you include.
  • Support requests: When you contact us about an issue, we retain the message content and any contact details you supply to respond effectively.
  • Newsletter subscriptions: To send our newsletter, we collect your email address and may collect your name to personalize communications.

2.2 Information collected automatically

  • Usage data: We log pages you visit, the time and duration of your visits, interaction events (clicks, downloads), and feature use. This helps us improve content and prioritize fixes.
  • Device and connection data: We collect device type, operating system, browser type and version, screen resolution, language settings, and IP address for performance, security, and content optimization.
  • Analytics cookies and identifiers: We use cookies and similar technologies to collect anonymized identifiers and session data. More detail is below in the Cookies section.

2.3 Information from third parties

We may receive information about you from third‑party services you use to log in (for example, OAuth providers), payment processors for donations, or analytics and advertising partners. Any data received from these services is handled according to this policy and applicable agreements.

3. How we use your data

We use collected data to operate, maintain, and improve our services, and to communicate with you. Our lawful bases for processing depend on the nature of the data and the action involved: consent, performance of a service, legitimate interests, or compliance with legal obligations.

  • Deliver services: Provide account functionality, enable saved guides, and process donations or purchases if applicable.
  • Personalize content: Tailor recommendations and highlight relevant repair guides or tools based on usage patterns.
  • Communication: Send important notices, transactional emails, updates you explicitly subscribe to, and responses to support inquiries.
  • Improve the site: Use aggregated usage statistics to refine content organization, detect bugs, and prioritize new features.
  • Security and fraud prevention: Monitor activity to detect, investigate, and prevent malicious activity or abuse of our systems.
  • Legal compliance: Comply with applicable laws, respond to lawful requests, and protect our rights and property.

4. Cookies and similar technologies

Cookies, web beacons, local storage, and similar technologies let us recognize and remember visitors, preserve user preferences, and measure site performance. We use cookies for different purposes and with different lifespans.

4.1 Types of cookies we use

  • Essential cookies: Necessary for site functionality (e.g., session cookies for login, saving preferences). These cannot be disabled if you want to use account features.
  • Performance and analytics cookies: Collect aggregated, anonymous information about page views, click paths, and load times to help us improve the site.
  • Functional cookies: Remember user preferences such as chosen units (metric/imperial), saved drafts of comments, or display options for guides.
  • Advertising and affiliate cookies: Used to measure the effectiveness of affiliate links and, where applicable, manage ad personalization through third‑party partners.

4.2 Managing cookies

You can control or reject cookies through your browser settings. Note that blocking or removing cookies may degrade the functionality of certain features, such as login sessions, saved guides, or comment drafts. When cookies relate to analytics or marketing and are not essential, we respect opt‑out preferences managed through our cookie consent tool and partner opt‑out mechanisms.

5. Third‑party links and embedded content

Our site often links to external resources, embeds videos, or includes widgets from third‑party providers (for example, video hosting, social platforms, or tool vendors). These third parties may collect data about your interaction with their content and use cookies or other tracking mechanisms independent of FixItFieldGuide.org.

  • External links: We include links to manufacturers, parts suppliers, community forums, and reference materials. Clicking those links takes you to another site whose privacy policies apply.
  • Embedded media: Videos and interactive tools embedded from hosts may set cookies or collect analytics. We do not control those practices.
  • Social features: Social sharing buttons and login integrations may share information with the social network according to their policies.

When you follow a third‑party link or use embedded content, please review that provider’s privacy policy to understand how they handle your information.

6. Affiliate links and sponsored content

We sometimes recommend tools, parts, or services and may include affiliate links. When you click an affiliate link and make a purchase, we may receive a commission at no extra cost to you. This helps fund the research, testing, and maintenance of our guides.

  • Disclosure: We disclose affiliate relationships clearly in the content where they appear and in any applicable product recommendation sections.
  • How affiliate tracking works: Affiliate networks use tracking cookies or referral parameters to attribute purchases. Those partners may collect data necessary to process affiliate commissions.
  • No editorial influence: Our editorial integrity is independent of affiliate programs. We test and evaluate items based on utility and reliability rather than commission potential.

7. Sharing and disclosure of information

We do not sell your personal information. We may share information in limited circumstances:

  • Service providers: We engage vendors to support hosting, analytics, email delivery, payment processing, and security. They process data on our behalf and are bound by contractual restrictions.
  • Legal requirements: We may disclose information when required by law, to respond to legal process, or to protect rights, safety, or property.
  • Business transfers: If FixItFieldGuide.org or substantially all assets are acquired, information collected by the site may be transferred to the buyer.
  • Aggregated or anonymized data: We may share aggregated, de‑identified metrics publicly or with partners for research and performance benchmarking.

8. Data retention and security

We retain personal data only as long as necessary to provide services, comply with legal obligations, resolve disputes, and enforce agreements. Retention periods will vary by the type of data and the purpose of processing.

We implement reasonable administrative, technical, and physical safeguards to protect data from unauthorized access, disclosure, alteration, or destruction. Examples of these measures include encrypted backups, secure password storage, TLS for data in transit, and access controls. No system is perfectly secure, and we cannot guarantee absolute security of data, but we continuously review and strengthen our protections.

9. Children’s privacy

FixItFieldGuide.org is intended for a general audience and is not directed to children under 13. We do not knowingly collect personal information from children under 13. If we become aware that we have inadvertently collected personal information from a child under 13 without verifiable parental consent, we will take steps to delete that information promptly.

10. Your rights and choices

Depending on where you live, you may have specific rights regarding your personal data. Common rights include:

  • Access: You can request a copy of the personal information we hold about you.
  • Correction: You can ask us to correct inaccurate or incomplete information.
  • Deletion: You can request deletion of your personal data, subject to legal exceptions (for example, records we must retain for compliance or security).
  • Portability: You may request a machine‑readable copy of certain personal data you provided.
  • Restriction or objection: You can ask us to restrict or object to certain processing activities, such as direct marketing or profiling.

To exercise these rights, you may use available account settings (for example, to update your email) or follow the request procedures built into the site. We will verify your identity before responding to sensitive requests to protect your privacy and security.

11. Marketing communications

If you opt in to receive newsletters or marketing messages, you can unsubscribe at any time via an unsubscribe link in the email or through your account settings. We will honor your unsubscribe request as required by law. Even if you opt out of marketing, we may still send transactional or service messages related to your account, site changes, or legal obligations.

12. International transfers

FixItFieldGuide.org operates and stores data in the United States. If you are located outside the U.S., your information may be transferred to, stored, and processed in the U.S. or other jurisdictions where our service providers operate. We take steps to ensure appropriate protections for international data transfers, such as contractual safeguards and reasonable security controls.

13. Changes to this Privacy Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time to reflect changes in our practices or legal obligations. When revisions are significant, we will post a prominent notice on the site and update the effective date. Continued use of the site after changes indicates your acceptance of the revised policy.

14. How we demonstrate trust and accountability

We aim to be transparent and accountable. Our team members are experienced technicians and content professionals who follow a published editorial approach, including equipment testing and clear disclosure of potential conflicts of interest, such as affiliate relationships. We restrict internal access to personal data to staff who need it, perform periodic privacy reviews, and maintain records of processing activities to satisfy legal and regulatory expectations.

Key practices we follow

  • Minimal collection: We collect only what we need to deliver services and improve the site.
  • Clear disclosures: Affiliate links, sponsored posts, and partnerships are labeled in content where they appear.
  • Secure handling: Passwords are hashed, network traffic is encrypted, and vendors are vetted for data protection practices.

15. How to manage your account and privacy settings

Within your account dashboard you can:

  • Update or correct profile information
  • Manage email preferences and unsubscribe from newsletters
  • Download a copy of your data where available
  • Request deletion of your account and associated personal data (subject to retention exceptions)

Please note that deleting an account may remove personalized features like saved guides and comment history.

16. Dispute resolution and governing law

This Privacy Policy is governed by the laws of the jurisdiction where FixItFieldGuide.org operates, except where local consumer laws require otherwise. If you have a dispute regarding this policy or our practices, we will seek to resolve it in good faith. Formal disputes may be handled through applicable legal channels as permitted by law.

Summary: We respect your privacy, collect limited information to provide and improve our services, use cookies for functionality and analytics, work with trusted third parties, disclose affiliate relationships, and support rights to access, correction, and deletion. Our practices emphasize transparency, security, and editorial independence so you can rely on our repair guidance with confidence.

Note: This policy describes our current practices and does not create contractual rights beyond those in any applicable terms of service. If you need to manage your account or data, use the settings available on the site. For legal requests, we process them in accordance with applicable law and reasonable verification procedures.