Privacy policy
What we collect, why, and how to get it removed.
This policy explains what personal information The Hydroponist collects, why we collect it, and what you can do about it.
What we collect
| Data | When | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Email address | When you subscribe to the newsletter or download a plan | To send the newsletter and the file you requested |
| Name and message | When you use the contact form | To reply to you |
| Usage data (pages, referrer, approximate location, device) | Automatically, via analytics | To understand which guides are useful and improve them |
| Cookies | On visit, subject to your consent choices | Site function, analytics, and affiliate attribution |
Third parties we use
- Google Analytics 4 (Google LLC). To measure traffic in aggregate. See Cookies and analytics below.
- Email marketing. To store subscriber addresses and send the newsletter.
- Affiliate networks. Retailers may set cookies to attribute a purchase to a referral from this site.
- Hosting and security providers. Server logs, which may include IP addresses, are retained for a limited period.
Cookies and analytics
We use Google Analytics 4, provided by Google LLC, to understand which guides people actually find useful. It tells us which pages are read, which links are followed, how far down a page people get, and roughly which country or region a visit came from. It does not tell us who you are, and we never upload your email address or any other identifying detail to it.
Analytics sets two first-party cookies, _ga and _ga_8E0B0681ET, which last up to two years and distinguish one visitor from another without naming anyone. Google uses your IP address to work out an approximate location and then discards it; full IP addresses are not stored in our analytics. We keep analytics data for 14 months, after which Google deletes it.
We do not run adverts, and we have not enabled Google Signals. That means no advertising or cross-device profile is built from your visit: the advertising-related permissions stay switched off even if you accept cookies.
If you are in the UK, EU, or EEA, analytics cookies are withheld until you accept them. Elsewhere they are set unless you decline. You can change your mind at any time using the Cookie settings link in the footer of every page, and you can opt out of Google Analytics on every site you visit with Google’s browser add-on. Your choice is remembered in a cookie called hp_consent for six months.
Our shop software also sets a small group of cookies beginning sbjs_. These record which page and which referring site brought you here, so that if you ever buy something we can credit the guide that led you to it. They are first-party and are not shared with advertisers.
How Google handles the data it processes is described in Google’s privacy policy and in how Google uses data from sites that use its services.
Your rights
Depending on where you live, you may have the right to access the personal data we hold about you, correct it, request its deletion, object to processing, or request a copy in a portable format. To exercise any of these, contact us and we will respond within the period required by applicable law.
Unsubscribing
Every email we send has a one-click unsubscribe link. It works immediately, and we do not require a reason.
Children
This site is not directed at children under 13, and we do not knowingly collect their personal information.
Changes
If we change this policy materially, we will update the date below and, where required, notify subscribers by email.
Last updated: September 2026