Votably lets a group make a decision from a single shared link. You do not create an account to use it, and we collect as little as we can get away with. This page explains exactly what that means.
What we collect
A device cookie
When you create a decision or join one, we set a cookie called v_device containing a random, signed identifier. It is not linked to your name, email, or any account. It does two jobs: it tells us you are the creator of decisions you made (so only you can reveal or reopen them), and it keeps you from accidentally voting twice in the same decision. It is set for one year and marked HttpOnly and Secure, so scripts and other sites cannot read it.
What you type
We store the content of decisions: the question, the options, and the votes cast. If the creator turns on a named mode, we also store the display name each participant enters. In anonymous mode we do not collect names at all. Please do not put sensitive personal information into decision titles or options.
Technical data
Our servers process your IP address transiently to rate-limit abuse (creating floods of decisions, stuffing ballots). We do not store IP addresses alongside your votes.
Analytics
We use Google Analytics to understand how the product is used, for example how many people finish voting after opening a link. Google Analytics sets its own cookies and collects data such as your approximate location (derived from IP), device and browser type, pages viewed, and product events (a decision was created, a vote was submitted, a result was shared). We do not send your display name, decision content, or votes to Google. You can opt out with the Google Analytics opt-out add-on or by blocking analytics cookies in your browser. Google's handling of this data is described in Google's privacy policy.
What we never collect
- No accounts, passwords, or email addresses.
- No payment information. Votably is free.
- No advertising trackers and no selling of data to anyone.
Who can see what
Anyone with a decision's link can open it and vote, so treat the link as the key. What voters can see about each other depends on the privacy mode the creator chose:
- Anonymous. No names are collected or shown.
- Named. Participants see who has voted, but not what anyone chose.
- Open. Participants see who voted and what they chose.
Results stay hidden until the creator reveals them. Decision pages are marked so search engines do not index them.
Where it is stored
Votably runs on Vercel and stores decision data in a Google Cloud SQL database hosted in the United States. Rate-limiting counters may be held briefly by Upstash. These providers process data on our behalf. Votably is operated from the United States and intended for users there; if you use it from another country, your data is transferred to and processed in the United States.
How long we keep it
Decisions expire 30 days after they are created. Once expired, a decision is closed and no longer viewable at its link. Expired records may remain in backups and in our database for a period after that before they are cleared. If you want a decision removed sooner, ask us using the contact below.
Your choices and rights
Several US states, including Oregon and California, give residents rights over their personal information: to know what is collected, to get a copy, to correct it, and to have it deleted. We extend these choices to everyone who uses Votably, regardless of where you live.
Because Votably has no accounts, the practical way to exercise them is to email us the decision link and tell us what you want done. We may ask for enough detail to locate the right records. You can also clear the v_device cookie in your browser at any time, which disconnects this browser from decisions you created, and opt out of analytics using the add-on linked above.
We do not sell your personal information, and we do not share it for cross-context behavioral advertising. We do not use your data to build advertising profiles.
Children
Votably is not directed at children under 13, and we do not knowingly collect their personal information. If you believe a child has provided us information, contact us and we will remove it.
Changes
If we change this policy we will update the date at the top of this page. Continuing to use Votably after a change means you accept the updated policy.
Contact
Questions or requests: privacy@votably.app. See also our terms of service.