Your lists are personal. We treat them that way.

Information we collect

Information you provide

• Account email address, optional display name and a securely hashed password.
• Saved names, ratings, private notes, shortlist titles and Couples Mode votes.
• Natural-language search requests and other information you intentionally submit.

Information collected automatically

• An essential session cookie used to keep you signed in, protect forms and associate an anonymous shortlist with your browser.
• Your analytics choice, stored in your browser so the site remembers whether you allowed or declined optional analytics.
• Short-lived, one-way hashes derived from an IP address for rate limiting and security monitoring. The raw address is not stored in the application’s authentication and AI-usage tables.
• Basic server logs that may contain request time, requested URL, browser information and IP address, subject to the hosting provider’s configuration.

How we use information

• Provide search, accounts, saved lists, sharing and Couples Mode.
• Send verification, password-reset and essential account messages.
• Prevent abuse, enforce usage limits, diagnose errors and protect accounts.
• Improve the relevance and reliability of name recommendations.

We do not sell personal information or use advertising cookies.

Optional Google Analytics

If you choose “Allow analytics,” the site loads Google Analytics to help us understand visits, popular pages, general engagement and device/browser categories. Google may receive information such as the page visited, approximate location derived from an IP address, browser/device details and identifiers stored in analytics cookies.

Analytics is off by default. No Google Analytics script or request is made until you allow it. Advertising storage, ad personalization and Google signals remain disabled. Choosing “No thanks” keeps Analytics unloaded.

Review analytics choice

AI-assisted search and service providers

When you use smart search, the words you enter are sent to an AI service provider so they can be interpreted into name-search criteria. Avoid putting sensitive personal information into a search. Search responses may be cached temporarily to improve speed and control cost.

Hosting, database, email, analytics and AI providers process limited information as necessary to operate the service or when you consent to analytics. They are governed by their own terms and privacy practices.

Shortlists and Couples Mode

Shortlist notes are private. If you create a share link, anyone possessing that link can see the shortlist’s name, saved names and ratings, but not private notes. Disable sharing by deleting the associated account or contact us if a shared link needs assistance.

In Couples Mode, each participant can see the connected partner’s identity and the names available for voting. Individual partner votes are withheld; mutual favorites are revealed when both participants choose the same name.

Retention and deletion

Account and shortlist information is retained while the account remains active. Expired account tokens are scheduled for removal after seven days, authentication-attempt records after 30 days and security-event records after one year. Cached AI searches normally expire after seven days. Google Analytics retention is controlled through the site’s Analytics property settings.

You can permanently delete your account from the account settings page after confirming your password. This removes the account, saved names, notes, ratings, Couples Mode connection and votes from the active database. Backups and provider logs may persist temporarily until their normal rotation completes.

Security

We use password hashing, HTTPS, restricted session cookies, CSRF protection, rate limiting and expiring verification/reset tokens. No online service can promise absolute security, so use a unique password and notify us if you suspect unauthorized access.

Children

This service is intended for adults choosing or discussing names. It is not directed to children under 13, and we do not knowingly collect personal information from children under 13. Contact us if you believe a child has created an account.

Your choices and contact

You may use core name discovery without an account. Account settings let you update your display name, change your password or delete the account. For privacy questions, corrections or requests, email jwhite@coolbabynames.com.