Privacy Policy

Overview

This Privacy Policy explains what information HostDudes LLC ("HostDudes") may collect from website visitors, leads, and clients, how that information is used, and how it is handled. It works alongside our Terms of Service (the HostDudes Service Agreement), which governs the paid client relationship.

Information We May Collect

We collect the minimum information needed to run the service. What we collect depends on how you interact with HostDudes:

• Website visitors. We use Cloudflare Web Analytics to measure website traffic and performance. Its browser beacon sends usage and performance data to Cloudflare as described below. We do not use advertising pixels or set application cookies of our own. Our hosting, content-delivery, and security providers may process technical request data such as IP address, browser or device information, referral source, requested URLs, traffic-routing data, and security information to deliver and protect the website. Some links on this site use Short.io redirects; if you follow one, Short.io may collect click and technical data as described in the Website Analytics, Cookies, and Logs section below.
• Contact form. If you use the form on our homepage, we receive the name, email address, and message you submit.
• Discord. If you join our server, Discord processes your Discord username and messages under its own policy. If you open a support or hosting ticket, we also receive the details you share there. Ticket messages may be archived through Tickety as described later in this policy.
• Clients. When you host nodes with us, we collect your Discord username, an email address for invoicing, how many nodes you want hosted and in which ecosystems, any API key or identifier your ecosystem requires, and related node configuration details. Where an ecosystem requires one, or for referral payouts, we may also collect a public wallet receiving address.

HostDudes never asks for anything that controls your wallet or funds: your seed phrase, recovery phrase, wallet-controlling private key, wallet login, or a wallet connection. Some ecosystems issue a node key or API key that the project may even call a "private key"; those are node credentials, not wallet credentials, and they are the only kind we ask for.

Payment Information

HostDudes does not directly collect or store full credit card or bank account numbers. Payment providers may make limited billing details visible to HostDudes, such as the payment method type, card expiration, and the last four digits. Payments are processed through third-party providers such as Stripe and PayPal, whose own privacy practices govern that data. Review their policies for details on how payment information is handled.

How We Use Information

We may use collected information to:

• Respond to inquiries and communicate with prospective clients
• Provision, operate, and support hosted node services
• Process billing, invoices, and account-related communication
• Provide customer support through Discord, email, or other approved channels
• Maintain service security, performance, and reliability
• Understand website usage and improve website performance, our offerings, and our support workflow
• Meet legal, accounting, or operational requirements

Website Analytics, Cookies, and Logs

We use Cloudflare Web Analytics to understand website traffic and performance. Its browser beacon sends Cloudflare page and referral URLs, performance measurements such as page-load timing, and related technical information. Analytics reports can include browser and device type and country. We use this information to understand how the website is used and improve it, not for behavioral advertising.

According to Cloudflare's documentation, the analytics beacon does not use cookies or other browser storage. Cloudflare also states that Web Analytics does not track individual visitors across its customers' websites. The analytics service receives the source IP address as part of handling a request; Cloudflare states that it discards that address at the nearest data center without storing it in its core databases or logs. This describes the analytics service; hosting and security request processing is separate.

We use Cloudflare for website hosting, content delivery, and security. Cloudflare may process technical request information, including IP addresses, requested URLs, browser or device information, traffic-routing data, and security information, to deliver, operate, and protect the website. Provider-side data handling is described in Cloudflare's privacy policy.

During the hosting transition, and while Hostinger remains a hosting or rollback provider, it may also process requests sent to its servers and retain standard server logs under its privacy policy. Keeping a rollback copy does not mean every website request is sent to both providers.

Some HostDudes links use Short.io redirects so their destinations can be managed and updated. When you follow one of these links, Short.io may record click and technical data such as the short link and destination, date and time, IP address, approximate location, browser or device information, and referrer according to its own privacy policy. HostDudes does not use this data for behavioral advertising.

If we add other analytics tools, advertising pixels, or similar technologies, we will update this policy before using them.

How Information May Be Shared

HostDudes does not sell personal information. We share information with service providers only when reasonably necessary to operate the business: web hosting, content-delivery, and security vendors (including Cloudflare, and Hostinger while it continues to provide hosting or rollback services); website analytics (Cloudflare); branded-link management (Short.io); form processing (Formspree, which receives the information you submit through our contact form along with standard technical data such as your IP address); internal business and record-keeping tools (for example, Google Workspace, which we use for email and operational records); invoicing providers (for example, Xero); and payment processors (for example, Stripe and PayPal).

Onboarding and support happen through our Discord server using Tickety. Messages and information shared in tickets may be archived in transcripts for support and recordkeeping. This can include node API keys, invoicing email addresses, Discord usernames, attachments, timestamps, and other details you provide. Discord processes information posted there under its own privacy policy, and transcripts are stored through Tickety and retained according to its policies.

If HostDudes is involved in a merger, acquisition, reorganization, or sale of some or all of its business or assets, information we hold may be transferred as part of that transaction, and this policy would continue to apply to it. Information may also be disclosed if required by law, legal process, or to protect HostDudes, its clients, or the public.

Data Security

HostDudes takes reasonable measures to protect the information it receives. However, no storage or transmission method is guaranteed to be completely secure.

Never share your seed phrase, recovery phrase, wallet-controlling private key, or wallet login with anyone, including us; we will never ask for them. For credentials you do share with us, such as ecosystem API keys, share them only inside a private Discord ticket, never in public channels. You remain responsible for protecting your own wallet credentials, passwords, and related access data.

If HostDudes becomes aware that personal information or credentials you provided may have been compromised, we will make reasonable efforts to notify affected individuals through Discord or email, as appropriate and in accordance with applicable law. When an incident involves a service provider, notification timing may depend on when that provider informs us.

Data Retention

HostDudes deletes personal information under its direct control when it is no longer needed. When paid hosting ends, HostDudes deletes the client's virtual machine and related configuration and removes the client from its active customer tracking records. HostDudes does not provide a virtual machine or node-data backup service.

Certain business or provider records, including invoices, payment records, ticket transcripts, and security logs, may remain with service providers such as Xero, Stripe, PayPal, Discord, and Tickety for accounting, auditing, support history, dispute resolution, security, or legal purposes. Their retention and deletion are governed by applicable law and the providers' own policies. HostDudes cannot guarantee immediate deletion of records outside its direct control.

International Users

HostDudes is based in the United States. Information described in this policy is processed and stored in the United States and in the systems of the service providers named above, which may store data in other countries. By using the website or services, you understand that your information will be handled in the United States as described in this policy.

Children's Privacy

Our website and services are not directed to children under 13, and we do not knowingly collect personal information from children under 13. If we learn that a child under 13 provided us personal information, we will delete it.

Your Choices and Requests

You may request access to, correction of, or deletion of certain personal information that HostDudes holds about you, subject to legal, operational, contractual, or security limitations. We may not be able to delete copies held solely by service providers under their own retention rules (for example, invoices in Xero or ticket transcripts in Tickety). To make a privacy-related request, email support@hostdudes.com or open a ticket in our Discord server.

External Sites and Links

The HostDudes website and Discord link to third-party platforms, such as ecosystem dashboards and social profiles. HostDudes is not responsible for the privacy or security practices of external websites, platforms, or tools. Review their terms and privacy policies separately.

Where this policy links to a third-party privacy policy, that link is provided for convenience. Third-party sites can move or change their pages, so a link may stop working. If a link is broken or out of date, look for the current privacy policy on that company's own website.

Policy Changes

HostDudes may update this Privacy Policy from time to time. For clients, the version in place when they accept the then-current Service Agreement applies from that point forward to information HostDudes already holds and information collected later. For everyone else, an update applies from the "Last Updated" date forward. An update does not change what was permitted before it took effect. If a material update would allow HostDudes to use or disclose previously collected information in a significantly different way, HostDudes will provide any notice or obtain any consent required by law before doing so.

Contact

If you have questions about this Privacy Policy or how we handle your data, email support@hostdudes.com, open a ticket in our Discord server, or use the contact form on our homepage.