Effective Date: April 5, 2026

1. Overview

LOTRO Guides (lotroguides.com) respects your privacy. This policy explains what data we collect, how we use it, and your rights regarding that data.

2. Data We Collect

Automatically Collected

  • Analytics data — We use Google Analytics (GA4) and Google Tag Manager to collect anonymized usage data such as page views, session duration, device type, and approximate geographic location. This data helps us understand how the site is used and improve it.
  • Cookies — Google Analytics sets cookies (e.g. _ga, _ga_*) to distinguish unique visitors. Google AdSense may set cookies for ad personalization.

Voluntarily Provided

  • Comments — When you post a comment via Cusdis, your display name and comment text are stored. No email or account is required.
  • Community Builds — When you save a trait build, the build data (class, traits, name) is stored publicly. No personal information is attached to builds.
  • Editor Access — Site editors authenticate via Google Sign-In. We verify the Google ID token and email address against an allowlist. We do not store Google account data beyond the session.

3. How We Use Data

  • To operate and improve the site
  • To display relevant content and advertisements
  • To prevent spam and abuse (via Google reCAPTCHA)
  • To understand traffic patterns and popular content

4. Third-Party Services

We use the following third-party services that may collect data:

5. Cookies

This site uses cookies for analytics and advertising. You can control cookies through your browser settings. Disabling cookies may affect some site functionality.

Cookie Purpose Duration
_ga Google Analytics — distinguishes users 2 years
_ga_* Google Analytics — maintains session state 2 years
_gid Google Analytics — distinguishes users 24 hours

6. Data Retention

Analytics data is retained according to Google Analytics default settings (14 months). Comments and community builds are retained indefinitely unless you request deletion.

7. Your Rights

You have the right to:

  • Request access to any personal data we hold about you
  • Request deletion of your comments or community builds
  • Opt out of analytics tracking by using browser extensions such as Google Analytics Opt-out
  • Disable cookies in your browser settings

8. Children's Privacy

LOTRO Guides is not directed at children under 13. We do not knowingly collect personal information from children. If you believe a child has provided us with personal data, please contact us.

9. Changes to This Policy

We may update this privacy policy from time to time. Changes will be posted on this page with an updated effective date.

10. Contact

For privacy-related questions or data requests, please reach out via the About page.