Privacy Policy

Word to Share("we", "us", or "our") operates a free publishing platform where writers publish long-form articles and readers discover stories through feeds, search, and profiles.

This Privacy Policy applies to your use of our website, writer dashboard, and related services (collectively, the "Service"). By creating an account or using the Service, you agree to the practices described here. Please also read our Terms of Service.

Account and profile information

When you register with email and password, we collect:

• Name and email address (required)
• Password (stored securely as a one-way hash — we never store plain-text passwords)
• Optional profile fields: username, bio, website URL, and profile photo
• Email verification status and notification preferences

Google sign-in

You may create an account or sign in using Google. When you choose Google, you are redirected to Google to authenticate. If you authorize the connection, Google provides us with limited account information so we can create or sign you into your Word to Share account. We may receive:

• Your Google account name
• Your Google account email address
• Your Google profile photo URL (if available)
• A Google account identifier used only to link your Google account to your Word to Share profile

We do not receive or store your Google password. Google-authenticated accounts may not have a local password unless you later set one in account settings. If Google confirms your email, we treat that email as verified for Service features that require a verified address.

Google's processing of your data is governed by Google's Privacy Policy. You can revoke Word to Share's access to your Google account through your Google account settings; you may still need to contact us to delete your Word to Share account separately.

X (Twitter) sign-in

You may also create an account or sign in using X. When you choose X, you are redirected to X to authenticate. If you authorize the connection, X may provide limited account information such as your display name, username/handle, profile photo URL, email address (when X shares it), and an X account identifier used only to link that account to your Word to Share profile.

We do not receive or store your X password. X-authenticated accounts may not have a local password unless you later set one. X's processing of your data is governed by X's Privacy Policy.

LinkedIn sign-in

You may also create an account or sign in using LinkedIn (OpenID Connect). When you choose LinkedIn, you are redirected to LinkedIn to authenticate. If you authorize the connection, LinkedIn may provide your name, email address, profile photo URL, and a LinkedIn account identifier used only to link that account to your Word to Share profile.

We do not receive or store your LinkedIn password. LinkedIn's processing of your data is governed by LinkedIn's Privacy Policy.

Content you create

This includes articles, drafts, comments, highlights, publications, tags, and uploaded images (such as featured images and in-article media). Drafts and rejected articles are private until published.

Engagement and social activity

• Claps, bookmarks, follows, topic follows, and reading-list saves
• Comments and replies on published stories
• Highlights and private notes on passages while reading
• In-app notifications and their read/unread status

Reading analytics

When you read a published article, we collect limited analytics to power writer dashboards and platform statistics:

• Article views and read-progress milestones (e.g. 25%, 50%, 75%, 100%)
• For signed-in readers: your account is associated with the view (visible to the article's author in their analytics)
• For anonymous readers: a random visitor identifier stored in your browser's local storage
• Approximate country (derived from request metadata, when available)

Technical and usage data

• Authentication tokens (API session tokens for signed-in users)
• IP address, browser type, and request logs for security and abuse prevention
• Error and performance logs to keep the Service reliable

We use the information we collect to:

• Provide, operate, and improve the Service
• Authenticate you and maintain your account (including Google sign-in)
• Process article publishing and run safety moderation
• Display your public profile and published content to other users
• Power discovery features: feeds, search, categories, tags, and recommendations
• Send transactional emails (verification, password reset, article status updates)
• Send optional emails you opt into (daily digest, article-status notifications)
• Provide writer analytics: views, read percentage, claps, audience insights, and bookmarks
• Calculate reputation scores that affect reference-link attributes (dofollow/nofollow)
• Detect spam, plagiarism, duplicate content, and policy violations
• Enforce our Terms of Service and protect the security of the platform

We do not sell your personal information to third-party advertisers or data brokers.Word to Share is free and does not run third-party ad tracking on the platform.

If you publish on Word to Share, your writer dashboard shows analytics about who engages with your stories. This is a core product feature, not a hidden data practice.

• Signed-in readers: their name and avatar may appear in your audience insights when they view or bookmark your article
• Anonymous readers: counted in aggregate; not individually identified by name
• Country data: shown in aggregate to help you understand your readership geography

By publishing on the platform, you acknowledge that engaged readers who are logged in may be visible to you as the author. Readers who prefer not to be identified should browse without signing in — though we still count anonymous views using a browser-local visitor identifier.

Word to Share uses browser storage to keep the Service working. We do not use third-party advertising cookies for ads. We may use privacy-oriented analytics tools to understand how the Service is used.

• Authentication token — stored in local storage while you are signed in, so you stay logged in between visits
• Visitor identifier — a random ID in local storage to count anonymous article views without repeating the same view in one session
• Session flags — short-lived session storage entries to avoid duplicate view/read-progress reports per article per tab
• Onboarding preferences — local storage to remember dismissed workspace tips
• Google Analytics — aggregated traffic and engagement metrics (when enabled). Processed under Google's Privacy Policy
• Microsoft Clarity — session replays, heatmaps, and usage insights to improve the product experience. Clarity may record interactions such as clicks and scrolls. Processed under Microsoft's Privacy Statement

You can clear local storage and cookies through your browser settings. Doing so will sign you out and reset anonymous analytics identifiers. You may also use browser extensions or settings that block analytics scripts.

We may send you:

• Transactional emails — account verification, password reset, and article approval/rejection notices. These are necessary to operate the Service.
• Optional emails — daily digest and article-status notifications. You can toggle these in your account settings.

Every marketing-style email includes an unsubscribe link that updates your preferences immediately. You cannot opt out of essential security and account emails while your account is active.

We do not sell personal data. We may share information only in these limited cases:

• Public content: published articles, your public profile (name, username, bio, avatar), comments, and clap counts are visible to anyone on the internet
• Google authentication: if you use Google sign-in, you interact with Google to complete authentication. We send only what is required for the OAuth sign-in flow; Google may receive technical data such as your IP address and browser information as part of that process
• Service providers: infrastructure hosts, email delivery, and storage providers that process data on our behalf under confidentiality obligations
• Link intelligence: when you submit reference links, we may check URL reachability and optional third-party domain metrics to prevent spam. Only the URL is sent — not your personal data
• Legal requirements: when required by law, court order, or to protect rights, safety, and security of users and the platform
• Business transfers: in connection with a merger, acquisition, or sale of assets, with notice where required by law

We retain your information for as long as your account is active or as needed to provide the Service.

• Published articles may remain on the platform after account deletion to preserve the public archive, unless removal is required by law or requested under applicable rights
• Drafts and rejected articles are deleted when you delete them or close your account
• Analytics data is retained in aggregated form for writer dashboards and platform statistics
• Logs are retained for a limited period for security and debugging, then deleted or anonymized

You may request account deletion by contacting us at privacy@wordtoshare.com.

We use industry-standard measures to protect your data, including encrypted connections (HTTPS), hashed passwords for email/password accounts, access controls, and monitoring for abuse. We do not receive or store Google passwords for users who sign in with Google. No method of transmission or storage is 100% secure; we cannot guarantee absolute security.

If you believe your account has been compromised, change your password immediately and contact us.

Depending on where you live, you may have rights to:

• Access the personal data we hold about you
• Correct inaccurate profile information (via Dashboard → Settings)
• Delete your account and associated personal data
• Export your data (contact us for assistance)
• Opt out of non-essential emails via notification settings or unsubscribe links
• Object to or restrict certain processing where applicable law provides these rights

To exercise these rights, email privacy@wordtoshare.com. We will respond within a reasonable timeframe as required by applicable law.

Word to Share is not directed at children under 13 (or the minimum age required in your jurisdiction). We do not knowingly collect personal information from children. If you believe a child has provided us with personal data, contact us and we will delete it promptly.

Word to Share may be operated from servers in different countries. If you access the Service from outside your home country, your data may be transferred to and processed in jurisdictions with different data-protection laws. By using the Service, you consent to such transfers where permitted by law.

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time. When we make material changes, we will update the "Last updated" date at the top of this page and, where appropriate, notify you by email or in-app notice. Continued use of the Service after changes take effect constitutes acceptance of the revised policy.