Privacy Policy

01 Who We Are

GuideFlow is a professional technical documentation agency based in Florissant, Missouri, United States. We provide documentation, content writing, and knowledge management services to businesses and organizations worldwide. For the purposes of this Privacy Policy, GuideFlow acts as the data controller for personal information collected through our website and service engagements.

Our website is located at guideflow-guides.com. If you have any questions about how we handle your personal data, you can reach us at the contact details provided at the end of this policy. We take our responsibilities as a data controller seriously and are committed to complying with applicable data protection laws, including but not limited to applicable U.S. state privacy laws and, where relevant, the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR).

02 Information We Collect

We collect information in several ways depending on how you interact with us. The categories of information we may collect include the following:

• Contact and Inquiry Information: When you fill out a contact form, submit a project inquiry, or reach out to us via email, we collect your name, email address, company name, job title, and any other details you choose to include in your message.
• Project and Business Information: During onboarding and throughout a project engagement, you may share business information, internal documents, product data, process descriptions, brand materials, and other proprietary information necessary for us to deliver our services.
• Billing and Payment Information: We collect invoicing information such as your name, billing address, and company details. Payment processing is handled by third-party providers; we do not store full payment card details on our systems.
• Communications: We retain records of email communications, feedback, revision requests, and other correspondence related to active or past project engagements.

• Usage Data: When you visit our website, we automatically collect information such as your IP address, browser type and version, operating system, referring URLs, pages visited, time spent on pages, and clickstream data.
• Device Information: We may collect information about the device you use to access our website, including device type, screen resolution, and general geographic location inferred from your IP address.
• Cookies and Similar Technologies: We use cookies and related tracking technologies to understand how visitors use our site and to improve the user experience. See Section 7 for detailed information about our use of cookies.

We may receive information about you from third-party sources, such as referral partners, analytics providers, or publicly available professional directories, where this is consistent with applicable law and the terms of those platforms.

03 How We Use Your Information

We use the information we collect for the following purposes:

We do not use your personal information for automated decision-making or profiling that would produce legal or similarly significant effects without your explicit consent. We do not sell your personal data to third parties under any circumstances.

04 Legal Basis for Processing

For users located in the European Economic Area, the United Kingdom, or other jurisdictions that require a legal basis for the processing of personal data, GuideFlow processes your information on the following grounds:

• Contractual Necessity: Processing is necessary for the performance of a contract with you, or to take steps at your request prior to entering into a contract. This includes delivering our documentation services, managing projects, and invoicing.
• Legitimate Interests: Processing is necessary for our legitimate business interests, such as improving our website, preventing fraud, maintaining business records, and communicating with prospective clients, provided those interests are not overridden by your privacy rights.
• Legal Obligation: Processing is necessary to comply with applicable legal obligations, including tax, accounting, and record-keeping requirements.
• Consent: Where we rely on consent as a legal basis, such as for the use of non-essential cookies or the sending of marketing communications, you have the right to withdraw that consent at any time without affecting the lawfulness of processing carried out prior to withdrawal.

05 Information Sharing and Disclosure

GuideFlow does not sell, rent, or trade your personal information to any third party. We may share information in the following limited circumstances:

We may share information with trusted third-party vendors and contractors who assist us in operating our business and delivering our services, such as email hosting providers, project management tools, cloud storage services, and accounting software. These parties are contractually required to handle your data securely and only for the purposes we specify.

We may share information with our legal counsel, accountants, or other professional advisors when necessary for the legitimate operation of our business, subject to appropriate confidentiality obligations.

We may disclose your information if required to do so by law, subpoena, court order, or other governmental authority, or if we believe in good faith that such disclosure is necessary to protect our rights, protect your safety or the safety of others, investigate fraud, or respond to a government request.

In the event that GuideFlow is involved in a merger, acquisition, asset sale, or other business transfer, your information may be transferred as part of that transaction. We will provide notice before your personal information is transferred and becomes subject to a different privacy policy.

06 Data Retention

We retain personal information for as long as is necessary to fulfill the purposes described in this policy, comply with our legal obligations, resolve disputes, and enforce our agreements. The specific retention period depends on the type of data and the purpose for which it was collected.

• Project and Client Records: We retain project files, correspondence, and deliverables for a minimum of five years following the completion or termination of a project, in line with standard business record-keeping practices and potential legal requirements.
• Invoice and Financial Records: Financial records are retained for a minimum of seven years as required by applicable tax and accounting laws.
• Website Usage Data: Aggregated analytics data may be retained indefinitely; data linked to identifiable individuals is retained for no longer than 26 months.
• Contact Inquiries: Records of pre-project inquiries from prospective clients who did not engage our services are retained for up to 24 months, after which they are securely deleted.
• Email Communications: General email correspondence is retained for up to three years unless it relates to an active project or legal matter.

When personal data is no longer required, we will securely delete or anonymize it in accordance with our internal data management procedures.

07 Cookies and Tracking Technologies

Our website uses cookies and similar tracking technologies to enhance your browsing experience and collect usage data. Cookies are small text files placed on your device by your browser when you visit a website. They help us understand how visitors use our site and allow us to make improvements over time.

• Strictly Necessary Cookies: Essential for the website to function correctly. These cookies cannot be disabled without affecting core functionality.
• Performance and Analytics Cookies: Used to collect information about how visitors interact with our website, including pages visited, time on site, and error messages. This data is aggregated and anonymous.
• Functional Cookies: Allow the website to remember your preferences and settings to provide a more personalized experience.
• Third-Party Cookies: Set by external services we use, such as analytics platforms. These are subject to the privacy policies of those third parties.

For detailed information about the specific cookies we use, their purposes, and how to manage your cookie preferences, please refer to our separate Cookie Policy. You can manage or disable cookies through your browser settings at any time, though doing so may affect the functionality of our website.

08 Third-Party Services and Links

Our website may contain links to third-party websites, tools, or services that are not operated or controlled by GuideFlow. This Privacy Policy applies only to our website and services. We have no control over and assume no responsibility for the content, privacy policies, or practices of any third-party sites or services.

We encourage you to review the privacy policy of every third-party website you visit. The inclusion of a link on our website does not constitute an endorsement or recommendation of that third party or their privacy practices.

Third-party services we may use in the delivery of our services or operation of our website include project management platforms, cloud storage providers, email delivery services, and analytics tools. Each of these services operates under its own privacy terms. We take reasonable steps to ensure that any third-party service provider we engage offers an adequate level of data protection.

09 International Data Transfers

GuideFlow is based in the United States. If you are accessing our website or services from outside the United States, please be aware that your information may be transferred to, stored, and processed in the United States, where data protection laws may differ from those in your country.

For individuals located in the European Economic Area or the United Kingdom, we take steps to ensure that any transfer of personal data outside those regions is conducted in accordance with applicable data protection laws, including through the use of standard contractual clauses or other appropriate safeguards where required.

By using our website or engaging our services, you consent to the transfer of your information to the United States and acknowledge that your data will be processed in accordance with this Privacy Policy.

10 Your Rights and Choices

Depending on your location, you may have certain rights regarding your personal data. GuideFlow is committed to honoring these rights wherever they apply. These rights may include:

• Right of Access: The right to request a copy of the personal data we hold about you.
• Right to Rectification: The right to request correction of inaccurate or incomplete personal data.
• Right to Erasure: The right to request deletion of your personal data, subject to our legal obligations to retain certain records.
• Right to Restriction: The right to request that we limit the processing of your personal data in certain circumstances.
• Right to Data Portability: The right to receive your personal data in a structured, commonly used, and machine-readable format.
• Right to Object: The right to object to processing of your personal data where we rely on legitimate interests as the legal basis.
• Right to Withdraw Consent: Where processing is based on consent, the right to withdraw that consent at any time.

To exercise any of these rights, please contact us using the details provided in Section 14. We will respond to your request within 30 days. We may need to verify your identity before processing certain requests. We will not charge a fee for reasonable requests but reserve the right to charge for manifestly unfounded or excessive requests.

11 Data Security

We take the security of your personal data seriously and implement appropriate technical and organizational measures to protect it against unauthorized access, alteration, disclosure, or destruction. These measures include:

• Encrypted transmission of data via HTTPS across our website and communications
• Access controls limiting data access to authorized personnel only
• Use of reputable third-party platforms with industry-standard security certifications for data storage and communication
• Regular review and updating of our security practices in line with evolving threats
• Confidentiality agreements with all team members and contractors who handle client data

Despite our best efforts, no method of transmission over the internet or electronic storage is completely secure. We cannot guarantee absolute security of your data. If you become aware of any potential security issue involving your data shared with GuideFlow, please notify us immediately at hello@guideflow-guides.com.

In the event of a data breach that is likely to result in a risk to your rights and freedoms, we will notify affected individuals and relevant authorities as required by applicable law.

12 Children's Privacy

Our website and services are not directed to individuals under the age of 18. We do not knowingly collect personal data from children. GuideFlow's services are intended exclusively for business use by adults acting in a professional capacity.

If we become aware that we have inadvertently collected personal information from a minor under the age of 18, we will take immediate steps to delete that information from our records. If you believe we may have collected information from a minor, please contact us immediately using the details in Section 14.

13 Changes to This Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time to reflect changes in our practices, legal requirements, or the way we operate our business. When we make changes, we will update the effective date at the top of this page and, where appropriate, notify you of significant changes by posting a notice on our website or by other reasonable means.

We encourage you to review this Privacy Policy periodically to stay informed about how we protect your information. Your continued use of our website or services after any changes to this policy constitutes your acknowledgment of the updated terms.

If we make material changes to how we collect or use your personal data, we will take reasonable steps to inform you in advance of those changes taking effect, and where required by law, we will seek your renewed consent.