Privacy Policy
Last updated : May 2026
1. Data Controller
RankTheAI (ranktheai.com) is operated from France. For the purposes of the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) and the French Loi Informatique et Libertés, the data controller is:
- Website: ranktheai.com
- Operating country: France
- Contact email: contact@ranktheai.com
Any questions, requests, or complaints regarding your personal data should be directed to the address above.
2. Personal Data We Collect
We collect only the data necessary to operate the site, measure audience performance, and respond to enquiries. The categories are as follows:
2.1 Analytics data (via Google Analytics 4 / Google Tag Manager)
When you accept analytics cookies, Google Analytics 4 (GA4) collects the following information through Google Tag Manager:
- Pages visited and time spent on each page
- Referring website or search query
- Approximate geographic location (country/city, derived from IP address)
- Device type, operating system, and browser
- Anonymised IP address (IP anonymisation is enabled)
- Events such as clicks on affiliate links
This data is processed by Google LLC under a Data Processing Agreement. Google may transfer data outside the EEA subject to Standard Contractual Clauses. See Google's Privacy Policy for full details.
2.2 Affiliate tracking data
When you click an affiliate link, affiliate networks (such as PartnerStack, Awin, Amazon Associates, and ShareASale) may set tracking cookies on your device in order to attribute any resulting purchase to RankTheAI and calculate the commission owed to us. We do not receive your name, email address, or payment information from these networks. The data they collect is governed by their respective privacy policies.
2.3 Contact form
If you use our contact form or send us an email, we collect your name, email address, and the content of your message. This data is used solely to respond to your enquiry and is not shared with third parties for marketing purposes.
2.4 Server logs
Our hosting infrastructure automatically records standard HTTP access logs, including IP addresses, request paths, and HTTP status codes. These logs are retained for a maximum of 30 days for security and debugging purposes only.
3. Legal Basis for Processing
| Processing purpose | Legal basis (GDPR Art. 6) |
|---|---|
| Analytics cookies (GA4 / GTM) | Consent — Art. 6(1)(a) |
| Affiliate tracking cookies | Legitimate interests — Art. 6(1)(f) |
| Responding to contact form enquiries | Legitimate interests — Art. 6(1)(f) |
| Server logs (security and debugging) | Legitimate interests — Art. 6(1)(f) |
Where processing is based on legitimate interests, we have conducted a balancing test and determined that our interests do not override your fundamental rights and freedoms, taking into account the limited nature of the data processed and your reasonable expectations when visiting a content and affiliate review site.
4. Cookie Policy
Cookies are small text files stored on your device. We use the following categories of cookies:
4.1 Strictly necessary cookies
These cookies are required for the site to function and cannot be disabled. They include your cookie consent preference (ranktheai_cookie_consent), stored in your browser's localStorage. No personal data is transmitted to our servers for this purpose.
4.2 Analytics cookies
Set only with your explicit consent. These cookies are placed by Google Analytics 4 via Google Tag Manager and allow us to measure traffic and visitor behaviour in aggregate. Typical cookies include _ga, _ga_*, and _gid. You can withdraw consent at any time by clearing this site's cookies or by resetting your preference through the banner (clear ranktheai_cookie_consentfrom your browser's local storage).
4.3 Affiliate tracking cookies
Set by third-party affiliate networks when you click a link to a product or service we review. These cookies track whether a purchase follows your click, enabling the affiliate network to calculate commissions. They are placed by the destination site, not by RankTheAI directly. Common networks include PartnerStack, Awin, Amazon Associates, and ShareASale. Please consult each network's cookie policy for retention periods and scope.
4.4 Managing cookies
You can configure your browser to block or delete cookies at any time. Doing so will not affect your ability to browse the site, but affiliate attribution will not function. For browser-specific instructions visit allaboutcookies.org.
5. How We Use Your Data
- Improving content: Analytics data helps us understand which topics and tools are of interest to our audience, allowing us to prioritise reviews and comparisons accordingly.
- Monetisation: Affiliate tracking allows us to earn commissions from purchases made through links on our site. This does not affect the price you pay.
- Communication: Contact form data is used solely to respond to your message.
- Security: Server logs are used to detect and respond to abusive or malicious requests.
We do not sell your personal data, nor do we use it for automated individual decision-making or profiling with legal or similarly significant effects.
6. Data Sharing and Third Parties
We share data with the following categories of third parties, strictly to the extent necessary:
- Google LLC — analytics (GA4 / GTM), subject to Standard Contractual Clauses for international transfers.
- Affiliate networks (PartnerStack, Awin, Amazon Associates, ShareASale) — commission tracking via their cookies. Each network is an independent data controller for data collected through their cookies.
- Hosting and infrastructure providers — server access logs may be processed by our hosting provider as a data processor under a data processing agreement.
We do not share data with advertising networks or data brokers.
7. Data Retention
- GA4 analytics data: retained by Google for 14 months by default (we have set the retention period to its minimum). Aggregate reports may be retained indefinitely.
- Contact form messages: retained for as long as reasonably necessary to manage the correspondence, and no longer than 3 years.
- Server logs: maximum 30 days.
8. Your Rights Under the GDPR
As a data subject residing in the European Economic Area, you have the following rights under the GDPR:
- Right of access (Art. 15): You can request a copy of the personal data we hold about you.
- Right to rectification (Art. 16): You can ask us to correct inaccurate or incomplete data.
- Right to erasure / “right to be forgotten” (Art. 17): You can ask us to delete your personal data, subject to certain exceptions.
- Right to restriction of processing (Art. 18): You can ask us to limit how we use your data in certain circumstances.
- Right to data portability (Art. 20): Where processing is based on consent or contract and carried out by automated means, you can request your data in a structured, machine-readable format.
- Right to object (Art. 21): You can object to processing based on legitimate interests. We will cease processing unless we can demonstrate compelling legitimate grounds.
- Right to withdraw consent (Art. 7(3)): Where processing is based on consent, you may withdraw it at any time without affecting the lawfulness of prior processing.
To exercise any of these rights, contact us at contact@ranktheai.com. We will respond within one month. You also have the right to lodge a complaint with the French data protection authority, the CNIL (Commission Nationale de l'Informatique et des Libertés), or the supervisory authority of your country of residence.
9. Security
We take reasonable technical and organisational measures to protect your data against unauthorised access, loss, or disclosure, including HTTPS encryption, access controls, and minimal data collection principles. No system is completely secure; if you believe your data has been compromised, contact us immediately.
10. Governing Law
This Privacy Policy is governed by French law and by Regulation (EU) 2016/679 (GDPR). Any disputes relating to this policy shall be subject to the exclusive jurisdiction of the courts of Paris, France, unless mandatory consumer-protection rules in your country of residence provide otherwise.
11. Changes to This Policy
We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time to reflect changes in applicable law or our data practices. The “Last updated” date at the top of this page indicates when the most recent revision was made. We recommend reviewing this page periodically.
12. Contact
RankTheAI
Operated from France
Email: contact@ranktheai.com