Privacy Policy

Effective date: July 20, 2026

ShoeCompass ("we," "us," or "our") is committed to protecting your privacy. This Privacy Policy explains what information we collect, how we use it, who we share it with, and your rights regarding your data. By using ShoeCompass, you agree to the practices described in this policy.

1. Information We Collect

Information you provide directly:

• Account information: your email address and a password when you register. Passwords are hashed and encrypted by Supabase — we never see or store your plain-text password.
• Profile preferences: shoe size, shoe width, gender preference, and any foot conditions you choose to enter. All of this is voluntary — you can use ShoeCompass without completing a profile.
• Conversation messages: the text you type into ShoeCompass during a session. This content is processed by our AI to generate shoe recommendations.
• Photos you upload: if you use the photo upload feature to share an outfit or shoe image, that image is sent to our AI for processing and is not stored on our servers or in our database. Images are used only to generate your recommendation and are discarded immediately after.

Information collected automatically (with your consent):

• Analytics data: if you accept cookies, we use Google Analytics 4 (GA4) to collect anonymized, aggregated usage data — including your general geographic region (city/country), browser type, and how you navigate the site. This data is never linked to your name or email address and is used solely to understand usage patterns and improve the service. You can decline cookies at any time via the banner shown on your first visit.
• Session data: basic information about how you use the service, such as when you log in. We do not track your browsing behavior across other websites.
• Device information: your browser type and general device type, used to ensure the app displays correctly.

What we do not collect:

• Payment or financial information (we don't process purchases)
• Precise location or GPS data
• Contacts or files from your device (photos uploaded through the app are processed in memory and immediately discarded — they are never stored)
• Any information from children under 13

2. How We Use Your Information

• To provide the service: Your profile preferences (size, width, foot conditions) are used to personalize shoe recommendations so you don't have to repeat yourself.
• To send transactional emails: We send a welcome email when you sign up and may send emails about features or updates you've opted into. You can unsubscribe at any time.
• To improve ShoeCompass: Aggregated, anonymized usage patterns help us understand what's working and what to build next.
• To comply with legal obligations: We may use or retain information as required by applicable law.

We do not use your data for advertising. We do not build advertising profiles. We do not sell your personal information to any third party.

3. How We Share Your Information

We share your information only in the following circumstances:

Service providers: We use trusted third-party services to operate ShoeCompass. Each receives only the data necessary to perform their function:

• Anthropic: Our AI recommendations are powered by Anthropic's Claude. Your conversation messages are sent to Anthropic's API for processing. Anthropic does not use API data to train its models. See Anthropic's Privacy Policy.
• Supabase: Your account credentials and profile data are stored securely in Supabase's database infrastructure. See Supabase's Privacy Policy.
• Resend: We use Resend to deliver transactional emails. Your email address is shared with Resend solely for this purpose. See Resend's Privacy Policy.
• Google Analytics: If you consent to cookies, we use Google Analytics 4 to collect anonymized usage and geographic data. Google may process this data on servers outside your country. We have enabled Google Consent Mode v2, which means no analytics data is collected if you decline cookies. See Google's Privacy Policy.
• Amazon Associates: ShoeCompass participates in the Amazon Associates affiliate program. When you click a product link, Amazon may set cookies to track purchases for commission purposes. Amazon's privacy practices are governed by Amazon's Privacy Policy.

Legal requirements: We may disclose information if required to do so by law, court order, or governmental authority, or if we believe disclosure is necessary to protect the rights, property, or safety of ShoeCompass, our users, or the public.

Business transfers: If ShoeCompass is acquired by or merged with another company, your information may be transferred as part of that transaction. This is a standard part of any business acquisition — your data would transfer as a business asset, not as a standalone sale. We will notify you by email or a prominent notice on our site before your information becomes subject to a different privacy policy, and you will have the option to delete your account before any transfer takes effect.

4. Affiliate Links and Disclosure

ShoeCompass participates in the Amazon Associates Program and may participate in other affiliate programs. Product links in our AI recommendations may be affiliate links — meaning if you click a link and make a purchase, we earn a small commission at no additional cost to you. Our recommendations are based on relevance to your search, not on commission rates.

5. Data Storage and Security

Your data is stored in Supabase's secure cloud infrastructure. We implement reasonable technical and organizational measures to protect your information against unauthorized access, alteration, disclosure, or destruction. These measures include:

• Encrypted password storage (bcrypt hashing via Supabase Auth)
• HTTPS encryption for all data transmitted between your browser and our servers
• Row-level security policies ensuring users can only access their own data
• API keys and secrets stored as environment variables, never in source code

No method of transmission over the Internet or electronic storage is 100% secure. While we strive to use commercially acceptable means to protect your information, we cannot guarantee absolute security.

6. Cookies and Local Storage

ShoeCompass uses your browser's local storage to keep you logged in between sessions and to remember your cookie preference. This stores your authentication token and basic account information locally on your device.

Analytics cookies: With your consent, we use Google Analytics 4 cookies to collect anonymized usage data. When you first visit ShoeCompass, a consent banner will ask whether you accept or decline analytics cookies. If you decline, no analytics data is collected. You can change your preference at any time by clearing your browser's local storage, which will reset the banner on your next visit.

We do not use advertising cookies or third-party tracking cookies for any purpose other than analytics.

7. Data Retention

We retain your account and profile information for as long as your account is active. Conversation messages are used to generate your response in real time and are not permanently stored in our database after your session. If you delete your account, all your personal information — including your profile, preferences, and account data — is permanently deleted from our systems within 30 days.

8. Your Rights and Choices

You have the following rights regarding your personal information:

• Access: You can view and update your profile information at any time from the profile panel inside ShoeCompass.
• Correction: You can update any inaccurate information in your profile at any time.
• Deletion: You can permanently delete your account and all associated data at any time from your profile settings (scroll to "Delete My Account").
• Unsubscribe: You can unsubscribe from emails at any time using the unsubscribe link at the bottom of any email we send.
• Data portability: You can request a copy of your personal data by emailing us at hello@shoecompass.com.

For users in the European Union (GDPR): You have additional rights including the right to object to processing, the right to restrict processing, and the right to lodge a complaint with your local supervisory authority. Our legal basis for processing your data is your consent (given when you create an account) and our legitimate interest in providing the service.

For users in California (CCPA): You have the right to know what personal information we collect and how it is used, the right to delete your personal information, and the right to opt out of the sale of personal information. We do not sell personal information.

9. Children's Privacy

ShoeCompass is not directed at children under 13 years of age. We do not knowingly collect personal information from children under 13. If you are a parent or guardian and believe your child has provided us with personal information, please contact us at hello@shoecompass.com and we will delete that information promptly.

10. Environmental Commitment

ShoeCompass runs on infrastructure provided by AWS (via Render and Supabase). Amazon matched 100% of its global electricity consumption with renewable energy in 2025 and is the world's largest corporate buyer of renewable energy. We chose these providers in part because of their environmental commitments.

We also believe ShoeCompass contributes positively by helping people find the right shoe the first time — reducing returns, overproduction, and the environmental waste those create. We are committed to reviewing our environmental footprint as we grow and taking meaningful steps to offset what we cannot eliminate.

11. Third-Party Links

ShoeCompass may contain links to third-party websites and retailers (such as Amazon). This Privacy Policy does not apply to those sites. We encourage you to review the privacy policies of any third-party sites you visit.

12. Changes to This Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time to reflect changes in our practices or applicable law. When we make material changes, we will notify you by updating the effective date at the top of this page and, where appropriate, by sending an email notification. Your continued use of ShoeCompass after any changes constitutes your acceptance of the updated policy.

13. Contact Us

If you have any questions, concerns, or requests regarding this Privacy Policy or how we handle your personal information, please contact us:

Email: hello@shoecompass.com
Website: shoecompass.com

We aim to respond to all privacy-related inquiries within 30 days.