Privacy Policy

The short version

Website Rating is a directory of startups. If you just browse, we collect almost nothing. If you submit a startup or pay for a listing, we collect what we need to review it, contact you, and take payment.

• No analytics, no ad trackers, no newsletter, no affiliate cookies.
• We only collect personal data if you submit a startup or contact us.
• Payments are handled by Stripe; we never see or store your card details.
• We don't sell your data or share it for marketing. Ever.

Who we are

Website Rating (websiterating.com) is operated by Search Ventures Pty Ltd (ACN 639 906 353), Australia. For any privacy question or request, use our contact form.

What we collect

If you only browse

We don't run analytics or tracking. Our host, Cloudflare, may process technical information (such as your IP address, browser, and time of access) to serve and secure the site. The only thing stored in your browser is your theme preference (dark/light), which never leaves your device.

If you submit a startup

Our submission form collects the startup's name, website URL, category, description, and your email address. We store these in our database so we can review the submission and let you know the outcome. Approved profiles are published on the site (the startup's public details, not your email).

If you pay for a listing

Paid tiers (Fast Track and its add-ons) are processed by Stripe. You enter your payment details directly with Stripe, on Stripe's checkout. We never receive or store your card number. We do receive confirmation that a payment succeeded, along with the email and submission details you provided.

How we use it

• To review submissions and decide what gets published.
• To email you about your submission (a confirmation, an approval or rejection, and, for the interview tier, interview questions).
• To take and confirm payment for paid tiers.
• To operate, secure, and improve the site.

We do not send marketing emails or run a newsletter. The only emails we send are about a submission you made.

Who we share it with

We use a small number of service providers to run the site, and only share what each needs:

• Cloudflare: hosting, security, the submission database, and sending our transactional emails. See the Cloudflare Privacy Policy.
• Stripe: payment processing for paid tiers. See the Stripe Privacy Policy.
• GitHub: approved startup profiles are committed to our source repository, which is how the site is built and published.

We do not sell your personal information, share it with marketers, or provide it to the startups listed in the directory. We may disclose information if required by law or to investigate fraud or abuse.

Cookies

We don't use tracking or advertising cookies. Your theme preference is kept in your browser's local storage. Site administrators receive a session cookie when they sign in to the private admin area; this is not set for normal visitors. Stripe may set its own cookies on its checkout pages, governed by Stripe's privacy policy.

How long we keep it

• Submissions: kept while we review them and, once published, for as long as the profile is listed. You can ask us to remove a listing or delete a submission.
• Payment records: Stripe retains transaction records under its own policies and applicable financial/tax law.

Your rights

You can ask us to access, correct, or delete the personal information we hold about you, or to remove a listing. Reach us through our contact form and we'll action reasonable requests (subject to any legal retention we're required to keep).

We're based in Australia and handle personal information in line with the Australian Privacy Principles. If you're in the EU/UK or California, you also have rights under the GDPR/UK GDPR or CCPA respectively (access, correction, deletion, and objection); contact us to exercise them. If you're unhappy with how we've handled your data, you can complain to the Office of the Australian Information Commissioner (oaic.gov.au) or your local regulator.

International transfers & security

Our providers (Cloudflare, Stripe, GitHub) operate globally, so your information may be processed outside Australia. We use reputable providers and HTTPS throughout, but no method of transmission or storage is ever completely secure.

External links & children

The directory links to the official websites of listed startups; those sites have their own privacy policies. External links use rel="noopener noreferrer". The site isn't intended for children under 13, and we don't knowingly collect their data.

Changes

We may update this policy as the site evolves. Changes are posted here with a new "Last updated" date. Questions? Use our contact form.