Privacy Policy

Who we are

The Online Works is an informational website that publishes articles and guides about freelancing, online work, digital tools, productivity and career skills. In this policy, “we”, “us” and “our” refer to The Online Works, and “you” refers to anyone who visits or uses the website.

By using this website, you agree to the collection and use of information as described in this policy. If you do not agree, please stop using the website.

Information we collect

You can read everything on The Online Works without creating an account or telling us who you are. We collect information in two ways.

Information you give us

• Contact form: when you send us a message, we receive your name, email address, the topic you choose, any article link you include and the content of your message.
• Newsletter: if you subscribe, we receive your email address.
• Direct email: if you email us, we receive your email address and anything you include in your message.

Information collected automatically

Like most websites, our hosting provider and the services we use may automatically record basic technical information when you visit, such as:

• your IP address and approximate location (country or city level)
• browser type, device type and operating system
• pages you visit, the time and date of your visit and how long you stay
• the website or search that brought you here

This information does not tell us your name, and we use it in combined form to understand how the website is used.

How we use your information

We use the information we collect to:

• reply to your messages, questions and suggestions
• send the newsletter to subscribers who asked for it
• understand which articles are useful so we can improve the website
• keep the website secure and prevent spam and abuse
• display advertising that helps keep the website free to read
• meet our legal obligations

We do not sell your personal information.

Cookies

Cookies are small text files that a website saves in your browser. They help a site remember your preferences and understand how it is being used.

The Online Works and the third-party services we use may place the following kinds of cookies:

• Essential cookies that help the website load and work correctly.
• Analytics cookies that count visits and show which pages are read, so we can improve our content.
• Advertising cookies that help show ads and measure how they perform.

You can block or delete cookies at any time in your browser settings. Most browsers explain how in their help section. If you block all cookies, some parts of the website may not work as expected.

Analytics and advertising

Analytics

We may use analytics services, such as Google Analytics, to understand how visitors use the website. These services collect information such as the pages you visit and how long you stay, using cookies and similar technologies. You can learn how Google uses this data at policies.google.com/technologies/partner-sites, and you can opt out with the Google Analytics opt-out browser add-on.

Advertising

We may display ads from third-party advertising partners, such as Google AdSense. These partners may use cookies to show ads to you.

• Third-party vendors, including Google, use cookies to serve ads based on your previous visits to this website or other websites.
• Google’s use of advertising cookies enables it and its partners to serve ads to you based on your visits to this site and/or other sites on the internet.
• You may opt out of personalized advertising by visiting Google’s Ads Settings. You can also opt out of some third-party vendors’ use of cookies for personalized advertising at www.aboutads.info/choices.

When we share information

We only share information when it is needed to run the website or when the law requires it. This may include:

• Service providers who help us operate the website, such as hosting, email, form handling, newsletter, analytics and advertising services. They may only use the information to provide their service to us.
• Legal requirements, if we are required to share information by law, court order or a valid request from a government authority.
• Protecting rights and safety, where needed to prevent fraud, abuse or harm to our website, our visitors or others.

How long we keep it

We keep personal information only for as long as we need it for the purpose it was collected. Messages sent through the contact form are kept while we respond and for a reasonable time afterwards in case you write again. Newsletter subscriptions are kept until you unsubscribe. Analytics data is kept according to the settings of the analytics service we use.

How we protect it

The website uses a secure HTTPS connection, and we take reasonable steps to protect the information we hold. However, no method of sending or storing information over the internet is completely secure, so we cannot guarantee absolute security.

Your rights and choices

Depending on where you live, you may have the right to:

• ask what personal information we hold about you
• ask us to correct information that is wrong
• ask us to delete your personal information
• object to or limit how we use your information
• withdraw your consent at any time, where we rely on consent
• make a complaint to your local data protection authority

You can unsubscribe from the newsletter at any time using the link in any email we send. To make any other request, contact us using the details below. We may need to confirm your identity before acting on a request.

Children’s privacy

The Online Works is intended for adults and is not directed at children under 13. We do not knowingly collect personal information from children. If you believe a child has sent us personal information, please contact us and we will delete it.

Links to other websites

Our articles may link to other websites, tools and services. We are not responsible for the content or privacy practices of those websites. We encourage you to read the privacy policy of any website you visit.

Changes to this policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time, for example when we add a new service or when the law changes. When we do, we will change the “Last updated” date at the top of this page. We encourage you to check this page occasionally.

Contact us

If you have any questions about this Privacy Policy or how your information is handled, please get in touch.