1. Introduction
This Privacy and Cookie Policy explains how Shop Pros collects, uses, stores, shares, protects, and otherwise processes information when you visit, browse, subscribe to, interact with, or otherwise use shop-pros.com. This Policy is intended to help you understand what information may be collected, why that information may be collected, how it may be used, and what choices or rights may be available to you.
Shop Pros provides expert shopping guides, in-depth reviews, curated recommendations, product comparisons, buying tips, affiliate links, and newsletter signup functionality. The website is designed to help readers research products, compare options, understand features, and make more informed decisions before visiting third-party merchants or retailers. Shop Pros operates as an informational and affiliate marketing website, not as a direct online store.
Shop Pros does not sell products directly, does not process payments, does not provide a shopping cart, does not manage purchasing accounts, and does not directly fulfill, ship, return, exchange, repair, or warrant any product. When you click a product link or affiliate link on Shop Pros, you may be taken to a third-party website where a product or service may be available for purchase. Any purchase, return, refund, warranty claim, shipping issue, payment issue, account issue, or customer service matter is handled by the third-party retailer, merchant, marketplace, manufacturer, or service provider, not by Shop Pros.
This Policy applies to visitors, readers, newsletter subscribers, and other users who interact with Shop Pros content, forms, affiliate links, cookies, pixels, analytics tools, advertising technologies, embedded content, or similar website features. It also applies to information collected through newsletters and related communications sent by or on behalf of Shop Pros.
By accessing or using Shop Pros, you acknowledge that information may be collected and processed as described in this Policy. If you do not agree with this Policy, you should not use the website, subscribe to newsletters, click affiliate links, or submit information through website forms.
This Policy is intended to address privacy expectations under applicable United States federal and state laws, including state consumer privacy laws where applicable, the California Consumer Privacy Act as amended by the California Privacy Rights Act, commonly known as the CCPA/CPRA, the CAN-SPAM Act, and the Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act, commonly known as COPPA. Where applicable, this Policy also addresses the General Data Protection Regulation, the UK GDPR, and related privacy requirements for users located in the European Economic Area, the United Kingdom, Switzerland, or other jurisdictions with similar privacy laws.
2. Important Summary
Shop Pros generally collects a more limited amount of personal information than a traditional e-commerce website because Shop Pros does not operate a direct checkout system. You do not purchase products from Shop Pros, and Shop Pros does not collect payment card numbers, billing details, shipping addresses, or direct order information for product purchases.
However, even informational and affiliate websites may collect certain information. Shop Pros may collect information that you voluntarily provide, such as your name or email address when you sign up for a newsletter. Shop Pros may also collect technical information automatically when you visit the website, such as your IP address, browser type, device type, operating system, referring website, pages viewed, links clicked, and approximate location derived from your IP address.
Shop Pros may also collect cookie, analytics, advertising, and affiliate tracking information. This information helps Shop Pros understand how users interact with the website, which shopping guides are most useful, which product links are clicked, whether affiliate referrals are properly attributed, and how the website can be improved.
Shop Pros does not intentionally collect payment card information, government identification numbers, precise GPS location, health records, biometric information, or passwords for product purchasing accounts. If you provide such information to a third-party retailer after clicking a link from Shop Pros, that information is collected by the third party under its own privacy policy and not by Shop Pros.
For example, if you read a Shop Pros review about a home appliance and then click a link to purchase that appliance from an external retailer, Shop Pros may collect or receive limited information showing that an affiliate link was clicked. The external retailer may separately collect your name, shipping address, payment information, order history, and account login details. Shop Pros does not control the retailer’s collection or use of that information.
3. Scope of This Policy
This Policy applies only to information collected through Shop Pros or through services used in connection with Shop Pros. It applies when you visit shop-pros.com, read articles or reviews, click links, interact with website features, subscribe to newsletters, open emails from Shop Pros, click links in newsletters, or submit information through forms that may be available on the website.
This Policy does not apply to third-party websites, retailers, marketplaces, merchants, manufacturers, advertisers, affiliate networks, social media platforms, payment processors, delivery companies, or other external services that are not owned or controlled by Shop Pros. When you leave Shop Pros and visit another website, the privacy policy and terms of that third-party website apply.
Shop Pros may link to third-party websites for convenience, editorial reference, product availability, price comparison, affiliate marketing, advertising, or promotional purposes. A link from Shop Pros does not mean that Shop Pros controls the third party’s privacy practices, security standards, product claims, checkout process, payment systems, shipping policies, or customer service procedures.
For example, if Shop Pros links to a product on a marketplace website, that marketplace may place cookies, ask you to log in, collect payment information, track your browsing, recommend related products, or process your order. Those activities are governed by the marketplace’s own policies, not this Policy.
4. Categories of Information We Collect
4.1 Information You Provide Voluntarily
Shop Pros may collect information that you choose to provide directly. This may include your name, email address, newsletter preferences, product interest preferences, feedback, survey responses, messages submitted through available website forms, or other information you voluntarily choose to share.
You are not required to provide this information simply to read most content on Shop Pros. You may browse product guides and reviews without subscribing to a newsletter. However, if you choose to subscribe to a newsletter, respond to a survey, submit a message, or use an available form, Shop Pros may need to collect certain information to provide the requested feature.
You should avoid submitting sensitive personal information through Shop Pros unless the website specifically requests it and it is appropriate to do so. Shop Pros is not designed to collect highly sensitive information such as health records, biometric identifiers, government identification numbers, financial account credentials, or precise geolocation data.
4.2 Newsletter Signup Information
If you subscribe to a Shop Pros newsletter, Shop Pros may collect and process information related to your subscription. This may include your email address, your name if requested and provided, the date and time of signup, the page or form where you subscribed, your consent status, your topic preferences, and information about whether emails are delivered, opened, clicked, bounced, or unsubscribed from.
Newsletter communications may include expert shopping guides, product recommendations, curated lists, buying tips, sponsored content, affiliate links, promotional offers, seasonal guides, and editorial updates. Because Shop Pros is an affiliate marketing website, newsletters may contain links that generate compensation for Shop Pros if you click them or complete a qualifying action on a third-party website.
For example, if you subscribe to a newsletter from a page about kitchen appliances, Shop Pros may send you future content about cookware, small appliances, home organization, cleaning products, and related recommendations. Shop Pros may also use engagement data, such as which links are clicked, to understand what types of content are most useful to subscribers.
4.3 Automatically Collected Technical Information
When you visit Shop Pros, certain technical information may be collected automatically. This may include your IP address, browser type and version, device type, operating system, screen size, language settings, referring website, pages viewed, time spent on pages, links clicked, approximate location, date and time of visit, cookie identifiers, session identifiers, and interaction data such as scrolling, navigation, and button clicks.
This type of information is commonly collected by websites to operate properly, measure performance, detect errors, understand traffic patterns, and improve user experience. Shop Pros may use this information to determine which guides are most popular, whether pages load correctly, whether users are encountering broken links, and whether website design changes make content easier to read.
For example, if many users leave a product comparison page quickly, Shop Pros may review the page layout, loading speed, or content structure to determine whether improvements are needed. Similarly, if a large number of users access the website from mobile devices, Shop Pros may prioritize mobile-friendly formatting.
4.4 Cookies and Similar Technologies
Shop Pros may use cookies, pixels, tags, scripts, local storage, session storage, tracking URLs, log files, and similar technologies. These technologies may help the website function, remember preferences, measure traffic, support affiliate attribution, deliver or measure advertising, prevent fraud, improve performance, and understand how users interact with content.
Cookies may be placed directly by Shop Pros or by third-party service providers, including analytics providers, advertising partners, affiliate networks, embedded content providers, newsletter platforms, or social media tools. Some cookies may be necessary for basic website operation, while others may be used for analytics, advertising, affiliate tracking, or preference management.
For example, an affiliate tracking cookie may help a merchant determine that you clicked from Shop Pros before making a purchase. An analytics cookie may help Shop Pros understand that users are spending more time on laptop buying guides than on other categories. A preference cookie may help remember that you dismissed a newsletter popup or selected a cookie preference.
4.5 Affiliate Link Tracking Information
Shop Pros may use affiliate links that contain tracking identifiers. These identifiers allow affiliate networks, retailers, merchants, or advertisers to determine whether a user clicked a link from Shop Pros and whether a qualifying purchase, signup, lead, download, trial, subscription, or other action occurred.
Affiliate tracking may involve information such as an affiliate ID, publisher ID, merchant ID, click ID, campaign ID, referring URL, timestamp, browser information, device information, approximate location, conversion status, commission amount, or limited product category information.
Shop Pros may receive reports from affiliate networks or merchants showing aggregate or limited transaction information. These reports may help Shop Pros understand which product categories are performing well, whether affiliate links are working properly, and whether commissions are owed. Shop Pros generally does not receive your full payment card number, complete shipping address, or full third-party account information from merchants.
For example, Shop Pros may learn that a user clicked a link to a recommended office chair and that a qualifying purchase occurred, but Shop Pros typically would not receive the user’s complete checkout information.
5. How Shop Pros Uses Information
5.1 To Operate and Improve the Website
Shop Pros may use collected information to operate the website, display content, maintain functionality, improve page speed, troubleshoot technical issues, detect broken links, prevent abuse, and improve the overall reader experience.
This information helps Shop Pros understand how visitors use the website. If analytics show that a guide is especially popular, Shop Pros may update it more frequently or create related content. If users frequently click a specific type of product recommendation, Shop Pros may create additional guides in that category. If certain pages load slowly, technical information may be used to diagnose and improve performance.
5.2 To Provide Newsletter Communications
Shop Pros may use subscriber information to send newsletters, deliver shopping guides, share product recommendations, provide curated offers, send editorial updates, manage unsubscribe requests, and track email performance.
Newsletter information may also be used to improve future communications. For example, if subscribers often click links related to budget-friendly products, Shop Pros may create more content focused on affordability. If users rarely engage with a certain type of email, Shop Pros may reduce that content or adjust the format.
Shop Pros may send promotional or affiliate content through newsletters. This means that some newsletter links may generate compensation for Shop Pros if you click the link or complete a qualifying action with a third-party merchant.
5.3 To Support Affiliate Marketing
Shop Pros may use information to track affiliate clicks, attribute referrals, measure commissions, prevent fraudulent activity, evaluate merchant performance, and improve product recommendations.
Affiliate marketing helps support Shop Pros as an informational website. Instead of charging users to read product guides, Shop Pros may earn commissions from third-party merchants or affiliate networks when users click links and complete qualifying actions.
For example, if a product guide includes links to several retailers, affiliate tracking may help determine which link was clicked and whether a purchase occurred after that click.
5.4 To Analyze Website Performance
Shop Pros may use analytics information to understand traffic volume, visitor behavior, page popularity, referral sources, device usage, link engagement, and content performance.
Analytics information may be used in aggregated or pseudonymous form. For example, Shop Pros may analyze whether readers spend more time on long-form reviews or shorter comparison guides.
5.5 To Comply With Legal Obligations
Shop Pros may use or disclose information where reasonably necessary to comply with applicable laws, respond to lawful requests, enforce website policies, protect legal rights, investigate misuse, maintain records, honor privacy requests, or respond to security incidents.
6. Legal Bases for Processing Under GDPR and Similar Laws
For users located in jurisdictions where GDPR, UK GDPR, or similar laws apply, Shop Pros relies on one or more lawful bases for processing personal information.
Shop Pros may rely on consent when you subscribe to newsletters, submit optional forms, accept non-essential cookies, or agree to receive promotional communications. Where consent is used, you may withdraw that consent where applicable.
Shop Pros may rely on legitimate interests to operate, secure, and improve the website, including measuring performance, preventing fraud, protecting systems, improving content, and analyzing affiliate performance.
Shop Pros may rely on legal obligation when processing is necessary to comply with laws, maintain records, respond to lawful requests, honor privacy rights, or meet consumer protection and compliance obligations.
Shop Pros may rely on contractual necessity or pre-contractual steps where processing is needed to provide something you request, such as sending a newsletter after you subscribe.
7. Email Marketing Practices
Shop Pros may send email communications to users who subscribe, opt in, or otherwise request communications. These emails may include shopping guides, expert reviews, product recommendations, comparison articles, buying checklists, curated deals, promotional content, sponsored placements, affiliate links, new article announcements, and website updates.
You may unsubscribe from marketing emails using the unsubscribe mechanism provided in emails where available. After you unsubscribe, Shop Pros may retain limited information necessary to honor your request, such as placing your email address on a suppression list.
Even if you unsubscribe from promotional communications, Shop Pros may still send limited non-promotional communications where permitted by law, such as important policy updates, security notices, or administrative messages.
8. Cookies and Similar Technologies
Cookies are small text files or identifiers stored on your browser or device. They help websites recognize a browser, remember choices, measure activity, and support functionality.
Shop Pros may use different types of cookies, including strictly necessary cookies, analytics cookies, affiliate tracking cookies, advertising cookies, and preference cookies.
You may manage cookies through browser settings, device settings, privacy extensions, cookie preference tools if available, and legally recognized preference signals where applicable. If you block or delete cookies, some features may not function as intended and affiliate attribution may be affected.
9. Google Analytics and Similar Analytics Tools
Shop Pros may use Google Analytics or similar analytics services to understand website traffic and user behavior. These services may collect information such as IP address, device type, browser type, operating system, pages viewed, referring websites, approximate location, session duration, and interaction events.
10. Affiliate Networks and Merchant Tracking
Shop Pros may work with affiliate networks, advertising partners, retailers, merchants, marketplaces, manufacturers, and product brands. These third parties may use tracking technologies when you click affiliate links or interact with product-related content.
11. Social Media Widgets and Embedded Content
Shop Pros may include social media buttons, sharing tools, embedded videos, product widgets, images, feeds, or other embedded third-party content. These third parties may collect information when embedded content loads or when you interact with it.
12. Newsletter Service Providers
Shop Pros may use third-party newsletter or email service providers to manage subscriptions, deliver messages, track engagement, process unsubscribes, and maintain suppression lists.
13. How Information May Be Shared
Shop Pros may share information with service providers that help operate the website, affiliate networks and advertisers (through cookies and tracking), and recipients as needed for legal and compliance purposes. Shop Pros may also share aggregated or de-identified information that does not reasonably identify an individual.
14. Data Retention
Shop Pros retains information only as long as reasonably necessary for the purposes described in this Policy, unless a longer period is required or permitted by law.
15. Security Measures
Shop Pros uses reasonable administrative, technical, and organizational safeguards designed to protect information. However, no system can guarantee absolute security.
16. Data Breach Notification
If Shop Pros becomes aware of a data breach affecting personal information, Shop Pros will evaluate the incident and take steps required by applicable law.
17. International Data Transfers
Shop Pros may use service providers in or transfer information to countries outside your location, including the United States, subject to appropriate safeguards where required.
18. Your Privacy Rights
Depending on your location and applicable law, you may have rights regarding your personal information, including access, correction, deletion, restriction, objection, portability, and withdrawal of consent where processing is based on consent.
19. California Privacy Rights
California residents may have rights under the CCPA/CPRA if Shop Pros meets applicable legal thresholds. Where legally required, Shop Pros will provide a method to opt out of sale or sharing activities.
20. “Do Not Track” Signals
Some browsers transmit “Do Not Track” signals. Shop Pros may not respond to all such signals but may recognize certain legally required preference signals where applicable.
21. Children’s Privacy
Shop Pros is not directed to children under 13 years old and does not knowingly collect personal information from children under 13.
22. Sensitive Personal Information
Shop Pros does not intentionally collect sensitive personal information. You should not submit sensitive personal information through website features.
23. Third-Party Websites and Retailers
Shop Pros links to third-party websites. Shop Pros does not control and is not responsible for third-party privacy practices.
24. Data Protection Officer and Privacy Inquiries
Privacy-related requests may be submitted through any privacy request form, contact form, preference-management tool, or other request method made available on shop-pros.com. No email address or physical address is provided in this Policy.
25. Changes to This Policy
Shop Pros may update this Privacy and Cookie Policy from time to time. When this Policy is updated, the effective date may be revised. Continued use of Shop Pros after changes are posted means you acknowledge the updated Policy.
26. Practical Examples
Example 1: Newsletter Signup. You subscribe to a Shop Pros newsletter using your email address and may unsubscribe using the mechanism in the email.
Example 2: Affiliate Link Click. You click a product link to a third-party retailer; affiliate tracking may record the click.
Example 3: Analytics Tracking. Analytics tools may record page views and engagement to help improve content.
Example 4: Third-Party Purchase. The retailer collects payment and shipping details; Shop Pros does not process the transaction.
Example 5: Cookie Preferences. Blocking cookies may reduce analytics or affiliate attribution functionality.
27. Glossary
Affiliate Link means a link that may generate compensation for Shop Pros when a user clicks, purchases, signs up, or completes another qualifying action.
Affiliate Network means a third-party platform that tracks referrals, clicks, conversions, and commissions between publishers and merchants.
Analytics Data means information about website traffic, user interactions, device types, page views, session duration, and similar usage information.
Cookie means a small file or identifier stored on a browser or device to support website functionality, analytics, advertising, preferences, or tracking.
Data Controller means the party that determines the purposes and means of processing personal information, where applicable under privacy law.
Data Processor means a service provider that processes personal information on behalf of a controller.
Personal Information means information that identifies, relates to, describes, can reasonably be associated with, or could reasonably be linked to an individual or household.
Processing means collecting, using, storing, disclosing, analyzing, deleting, or otherwise handling personal information.
Sale or Sharing means certain disclosures of personal information as defined by applicable privacy laws, including California privacy law.
Service Provider means a vendor, contractor, or other third party that performs services for Shop Pros.
Shop Pros means the brand associated with shop-pros.com.
Third-Party Website means any website, retailer, marketplace, platform, merchant, manufacturer, advertiser, or service not owned or controlled by Shop Pros.
28. Printable Version Notice
This Privacy and Cookie Policy is intended to be readable online and printable for your records. You are encouraged to save or print a copy of this Policy so you can review it later.
29. User Acknowledgment
By accessing, browsing, subscribing to, clicking links on, or otherwise using Shop Pros, you acknowledge that you have read and understood this Privacy and Cookie Policy, including the sections on newsletters, cookies, affiliate tracking, analytics, third-party websites, privacy rights, and data retention.