Last updated: November 8, 2026
This Privacy Policy explains what information The Illinois Guide (“we,” “us” or “our”) collects when you visit theillinoisguide.com (the “Site”), how we use it and the choices you have. By using the Site, you agree to the practices described here.
1. Information we collect
Information you choose to provide
Most of the Site can be used without giving us any personal information. If you leave a comment on a guide, we collect the name, email address and optional website you enter, the comment itself, and the IP address and browser user agent connected to the comment to help detect spam. Your email address is never published.
If you send us a message through our Contact Us form, we collect the name, email address and message you enter. We use this information only to read and reply to your message. Messages are stored in the Site’s administration area and sent to our inbox by email.
If you use the search feature, the words you search for are processed by the Site to show results.
Information collected automatically
Like most websites, our hosting provider automatically records basic technical information when you visit, such as your IP address, browser type, device type, the pages you request, the referring page and the date and time of your visit. These server logs are used to keep the Site secure, diagnose problems and understand overall traffic.
2. Cookies
The Site uses only a small number of cookies needed for it to work:
- Comment cookies: if you leave a comment and choose to have your details remembered, your name, email address and website are saved in cookies on your device for one year so you do not have to enter them again.
- Login cookies: used only by site administrators who sign in to manage the Site.
We do not currently use advertising cookies or cross-site tracking cookies. You can block or delete cookies in your browser settings; the Site will still work, although saved comment details will not be remembered.
3. How we use information
- To operate, maintain and secure the Site.
- To display and moderate comments, reply to messages you send us and prevent spam and abuse.
- To understand which guides are useful so we can improve and update our content.
- To comply with legal obligations and enforce our Terms of Use.
We do not sell your personal information, and we do not share it for cross-context behavioral advertising.
4. Third-party services
We use trusted service providers to run the Site, including our web hosting and content delivery provider, which processes server logs and delivers pages to you. These providers may only use information as needed to provide their services to us.
When you comment, the Site may show a profile image through Gravatar, a service operated by Automattic. To do this, an anonymized string created from your email address (a hash) may be sent to Gravatar to check whether you have a Gravatar profile. Gravatar’s privacy policy is available at automattic.com/privacy.
Our guides link to official city, county, agency, provider and other external websites. We are not responsible for the privacy practices of those websites, and we encourage you to read their policies.
If we add analytics, advertising or other third-party tools in the future, we will update this policy before or at the time they are introduced.
5. How long we keep information
Approved comments and their related details are kept until they are removed. Contact form messages are kept only as long as needed to respond and keep a record of the conversation, after which we delete them. Comments marked as spam may be deleted automatically. Server logs are kept by our hosting provider for a limited period according to its own retention practices.
6. Your choices and rights
Depending on where you live, you may have the right to request access to the personal information we hold about you, ask us to correct or delete it, or object to certain uses. If you have left a comment, you can ask us to remove it and the information connected to it.
California residents: under the California Consumer Privacy Act, as amended, you may request to know, correct or delete personal information we have collected about you, and you have the right not to be discriminated against for exercising these rights. We do not sell or share personal information as those terms are defined by that law.
Visitors from the European Economic Area and United Kingdom: we process limited personal information based on our legitimate interest in operating and securing the Site, or on your consent where you choose to leave a comment. You may also lodge a complaint with your local data protection authority.
7. Children’s privacy
The Site is intended for a general adult audience and is not directed to children under 13. We do not knowingly collect personal information from children under 13. If you believe a child has provided us with personal information, please let us know so we can delete it.
8. Security
We use reasonable technical and organizational measures to protect the Site and the information it processes, including encrypted connections (HTTPS). No method of transmission or storage is completely secure, so we cannot guarantee absolute security.
9. Changes to this policy
We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time. When we do, we will change the “Last updated” date at the top of this page. Your continued use of the Site after an update means you accept the revised policy.
10. Questions
If you have questions about this Privacy Policy or want to make a request about your information, please send us a message through our Contact Us page.