Privacy and cookies
Last updated
This page explains what data this site handles. It applies to nigeriapostcodes.com.
When you browse
- Pages are static files. Our web server keeps standard access logs (IP address, page, time and browser) to run and protect the site.
- Search and the tools run in your browser. What you type in search, the address formatter or a table filter isn't sent to us.
- The near-me tool uses your device's location only after you tap the button, and only on your device. Your location isn't sent to our server, logged or put in a web address.
- We keep a few settings in your browser's local storage: your colour theme and your last five searches. You can clear them with your browser settings or the "Clear" link in search.
When you ask a question
The “Ask a question” form sends us your question, the page you asked it on, your first name (only if you give one) and your email address (only if you give one).
- Why: to answer the question publicly on that page, so the next person with the same question finds the answer, and, if you left an email, to send you one message when it's answered.
- AI drafting: questions are processed by an AI provider, Anthropic, to draft an answer from our own postcode data. We send the question text and the page it was asked on, not your name or email address. Answers are checked before they're published.
- What's published: the question (with any phone numbers, email addresses, house addresses or account numbers removed), your first name or “A reader”, the date and the answer. Q&As are anonymised: we never publish surnames, emails or IP addresses.
- Spam and limits: we may use Cloudflare Turnstile, which checks your browser without a puzzle. To limit each device to 3 questions a day we keep a one-way hash of your IP address and browser, not the address itself.
| Data | Kept for | Then |
|---|---|---|
| Published Q&A (anonymised question and answer) | While it's accurate; reviewed every 12 months | Updated or unpublished if out of date; removed on request within 7 days |
| Q&As about the new postcode (facts may change during the rollout) | Reviewed every 3 months until NIPOST's rollout is complete | Updated or unpublished |
| Your email address (optional) | Until we send the “answered” email, 30 days at most | Deleted |
| IP and device hash (rate limits and abuse) | 30 days | Deleted |
| Rejected, spam and misdirected questions | 30 days | Deleted |
| Comments from the old version of this site (names as typed; emails and IP addresses exist only in our WordPress backups, never in the copy used to build Q&A) | Until the move to anonymised Q&A is checked, 90 days at most after the switch | Deleted; only the anonymised Q&A is kept |
| AI usage logs (token counts, cost, ids; no question text) | 12 months | Deleted |
Removing a question: if you'd like a question you asked (or an old comment of yours shown as a Q&A) taken down, use the contact form, choose “Report a wrong code”, say it’s a removal request, and give the page and the question. We remove it within 7 days. Each published answer also has a “Report a problem” link.
When you report a wrong code
The report form sends us your message, the page you were on, the code you suggest (if any) and your email address (only if you give one). We use it to check and fix the data and, if you left an email, to reply. Reports are never answered publicly by AI, and emails are never published or shared.
How long we keep it: reports are deleted 6 months after you send them, and an email address you give with a report is deleted after 30 days. If we accept a correction, we keep only the corrected code, its source and the date. We don't store your IP address with your message.
Ads and analytics
When they're switched on, this site shows Google AdSense ads and uses Google Analytics 4 to count visits and tool use. Both use cookies. Visitors in the EEA, UK and Switzerland are asked for consent through Google's consent message first, and can change their choice with the "Privacy choices" link in the footer. We never send Google what you type in search beyond a shortened, anonymised search term, and never send locations, codes you copy or new postcodes.
Your rights
Under the Nigeria Data Protection Act 2023 (and the GDPR if you're in the EEA or UK) you can ask what we hold about you, and ask us to correct or delete it. Use the contact form and say it's a privacy request.