Privacy Policy

At Citedly, we take your privacy seriously. This Privacy Policy explains how we collect, use, disclose, and safeguard your information when you use our AI-powered SEO and Answer Engine Optimization platform.

1. Information We Collect

Account Information

Registration Data: Name, email address, and password when you create an account
OAuth Profile: If you sign in with Google or GitHub, we receive your name, email, and profile picture from those services
Payment Information: Billing address and payment method (processed securely by Stripe - we do not store full card numbers)

Website and SEO Data

Sites You Add: URLs, domain names, and site configurations for websites you choose to analyze
Crawl Data: Page content, meta tags, headings, links, images, structured data, and other SEO elements from crawled pages
SEO Issues: Detected issues, health check results, and diagnostic reports
Crawl History: Historical crawl data to track changes and improvements over time

Google Search Console Data

OAuth Tokens: Encrypted access and refresh tokens for GSC API access
Indexed URLs: List of URLs indexed by Google for your connected properties
Coverage Data: Indexing status, errors, and warnings from Google
Performance Data: Clicks, impressions, and position data when used for analysis

Chat and AI Data

Conversations: Messages you send to our SEO Chat assistant and AI responses
URL Analysis: SEO data extracted from URLs you share in chat (meta tags, headings, schema markup)
Conversation History: Chat history stored for continuity and context

Keyword Research Data

Search Queries: Keywords and phrases you research
Research Results: Keyword metrics, search volumes, difficulty scores, and related keywords from DataForSEO
Content Briefs: AI-generated content outlines and recommendations

Automatically Collected Data

Device Information: Browser type, operating system, device identifiers
Usage Analytics: Pages visited, features used, and interaction patterns via Vercel Analytics
Error Data: Application errors and performance issues captured by Sentry for debugging
Log Data: IP address, access times, referring URLs
Cookies: As described in our Cookie Policy

2. How We Use Your Information

We use the information we collect to:

Provide SEO analysis, crawling, and diagnostic services
Generate AI-powered recommendations and content briefs
Connect to and retrieve data from Google Search Console
Fetch keyword data and backlink information from DataForSEO
Process transactions and manage your subscription
Send you technical notices, updates, and support messages
Respond to your comments, questions, and requests
Monitor and analyze usage trends to improve our service
Detect, investigate, and prevent fraudulent or unauthorized activity
Debug errors and improve application performance
Personalize your experience based on your usage patterns
Send you marketing communications (with your consent)

4. AI Data Processing

Our AI-powered features process your data through third-party AI providers. Here's how this works:

What's Sent: When you use chat features or generate content briefs, your prompts and relevant context (including URL content you've shared) are sent to AI providers for processing.
Model Selection: We use models from OpenAI, Anthropic, and Google. The specific model used depends on the feature and your configuration.
Data Retention by AI Providers: AI providers may retain data according to their own policies. We encourage you to review their privacy policies linked above.
Training: We do not use your data to train our own AI models. Third-party providers may have their own policies regarding model training.
Sensitive Information: Avoid sharing sensitive personal information, passwords, or confidential business data in AI chat conversations.

5. Website Crawling Data

When you use our Site Crawler, we collect and process data from the websites you choose to analyze:

What's Crawled: Publicly accessible pages, including HTML content, meta tags, headings, links, images, and structured data.
Storage: Crawl data is stored in our database to provide analysis, historical comparisons, and reporting.
Access: Crawl data is only accessible to you (the site owner) and our systems for analysis. We do not share your crawl data with other users.
Deletion: You can delete individual sites and their associated crawl data at any time through your dashboard.
Robots.txt: Our crawler respects robots.txt directives and does not crawl pages that disallow our user agent.

6. Google Search Console Data

If you choose to connect Google Search Console to use our Indexing Doctor feature:

OAuth Consent: Connection requires explicit OAuth authorization through Google. You control which properties to share.
Scope: We request read-only access (webmasters.readonly) and cannot modify your Search Console settings.
Token Storage: OAuth tokens are encrypted at rest and automatically refreshed when needed for API calls.
Data Synced: We sync indexed URLs, coverage status, and related metrics from the properties you authorize.
Disconnection: You can disconnect GSC at any time through your dashboard. This revokes our access and deletes stored tokens.
Google's Policies: Your GSC data remains subject to Google's Terms of Service and Privacy Policy.

7. Cookies and Tracking

We use cookies and similar tracking technologies to collect and track information about your use of our service. You can control cookies through your browser settings.

For detailed information about the cookies we use, please see our Cookie Policy.

8. Data Security

We implement appropriate technical and organizational measures to protect your personal information, including:

Encryption of data in transit (TLS) and at rest
Secure password hashing using industry-standard algorithms
OAuth token encryption for third-party integrations
Regular security assessments and updates
Access controls and authentication measures
Infrastructure security provided by Vercel

However, no method of transmission over the Internet is 100% secure, and we cannot guarantee absolute security.

9. Data Retention

We retain different types of data for different periods:

Account Data: Retained while your account is active. Deleted within 30 days of account deletion request.
Crawl Data: Retained based on your plan limits and until you delete the associated site.
Chat History: Retained until you delete conversations or close your account.
Keyword Research: Retained while your account is active for historical reference.
GSC Data: Retained while connected. Deleted when you disconnect GSC or close your account.
Payment Records: Retained for 7 years as required for tax and legal compliance.
Error Logs: Retained by Sentry for 90 days for debugging purposes.
Analytics Data: Retained by Vercel Analytics according to their retention policies.

10. Your Rights

Depending on your location, you may have the following rights:

For All Users

Access and receive a copy of your personal data
Correct inaccurate personal data
Delete your personal data
Withdraw consent for marketing communications
Export your data in a portable format
Disconnect third-party integrations (GSC)

Additional Rights (EU/UK - GDPR)

Restrict processing of your personal data
Data portability
Object to processing
Lodge a complaint with a supervisory authority

California Residents (CCPA)

Know what personal information is collected
Know whether personal information is sold or disclosed
Say no to the sale of personal information
Equal service and price (non-discrimination)

To exercise any of these rights, please contact us using the information provided below.

11. Children's Privacy

Our service is not directed to children under 13 (or 16 in the EU). We do not knowingly collect personal information from children. If you become aware that a child has provided us with personal information, please contact us.

12. International Transfers

Your information may be transferred to and processed in countries other than your own, including the United States where our infrastructure providers and AI services are located. We ensure appropriate safeguards are in place for such transfers, including standard contractual clauses approved by relevant authorities.

13. Changes to This Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time. We will notify you of any changes by posting the new policy on this page and updating the "Last updated" date. For material changes, we will notify you via email or through a notice on our service. We encourage you to review this policy periodically.

14. Contact Us

If you have any questions about this Privacy Policy or our data practices, please contact us at:

Email: privacy@www.citedly.io

For GDPR-related inquiries, you may also contact our Data Protection Officer at the same email address.