Privacy Policy

1. 👋 Overview

BakeOnline ("we", "us", or "our") is a platform built to support bakery operators across Uganda with tools, resources, training, and community. We are committed to protecting your privacy and handling your personal information responsibly.

This Privacy Policy explains what information we collect when you visit our website, use our tools, download our resources, book a consultation, or join the Modern Bakers Club — and how we use and protect that information.

2. 📋 Information We Collect

We collect information in the following ways:

Information you give us directly:

• Name, email address, and WhatsApp number when you contact us or join the club
• Bakery name, location, and baker type when you create a baker account
• Message content when you submit our contact or consultation forms
• Payment details if you purchase a consultation (processed securely — we never store card numbers)

Information collected automatically:

• Page visit counts and section views (stored locally on your device only)
• Download activity for our free resources
• General browser and device type for improving site performance

We do not collect your IP address for tracking purposes, and we do not use invasive analytics tools.

3. 🎯 How We Use Your Information

We use the information we collect to:

• Respond to your messages, questions, and consultation requests
• Send you resources, guides, or tools you've requested
• Manage your baker account and provide access to the platform
• Send important updates about BakeOnline (you can opt out anytime)
• Improve our website, tools, and content based on how people use them
• Add you to our WhatsApp community if you've joined the Modern Bakers Club

4. 🤝 Sharing Your Information

We do not sell, trade, or rent your personal information. We may share limited information with:

• EmailJS — used to deliver your form submissions to our email inbox securely
• Google — if you use Google Sheets resources, Google processes the file delivery
• WhatsApp — when you contact us via WhatsApp or join our WhatsApp community
• Legal authorities — only if required by law in Uganda

All third-party services we use are bound by their own privacy policies and are chosen carefully.

5. 🍪 Cookies & Local Storage

Our website uses localStorage (stored in your browser) to remember:

• Site visit counts and section view statistics
• Your baker account login session
• Download activity for the admin dashboard

This data never leaves your device and is not sent to any server. You can clear it at any time by clearing your browser's local storage or cache.

We do not use advertising cookies, tracking pixels, or third-party analytics cookies.

6. 📥 Resource Downloads

Our free resources (Order Tracker, Profit Tracker, Customer Profiling Guide) are hosted on Google Drive and Google Sheets. When you click a download link:

• The file is delivered directly from Google's servers
• No account or sign-in is required
• We do not track individual downloads beyond a general count shown on our site
• Google may log the request as part of their standard server operation

7. 🔐 Data Security

We take reasonable steps to protect your information, including:

• Using HTTPS encryption across the entire website
• Storing form submissions locally (in your browser) rather than on a public database
• Password-protecting the admin dashboard
• Using trusted third-party services (EmailJS) with their own security standards

However, no method of transmission over the internet is 100% secure. If you believe your information has been compromised, please contact us immediately.

8. ✅ Your Rights

You have the right to:

• Ask what personal information we hold about you
• Request correction of any inaccurate information
• Request deletion of your information from our records
• Opt out of WhatsApp messages or email communications at any time
• Withdraw consent for us to use your information

To exercise any of these rights, simply email us at hello@bakeonline.co or send us a WhatsApp message. We will respond within 5 business days.

9. 👧 Children's Privacy

BakeOnline is intended for adults running or aspiring to run a bakery business. We do not knowingly collect personal information from anyone under the age of 13. If you believe a child has submitted information through our site, please contact us and we will delete it promptly.

10. 🔄 Changes to This Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time to reflect changes in how we operate or to comply with legal requirements. When we do, we will update the "Last updated" date at the top of this page.

We encourage you to review this page periodically. Continued use of BakeOnline after changes are posted means you accept the updated policy.

11. 📬 Contact Us

If you have any questions about this Privacy Policy or how we handle your information, please reach out: