Privacy & Cookies
In short: Grid Marks works without an account. The marks and projects you create stay on your device — we don't have a copy. We use privacy-friendly, cookieless analytics, and Google Analytics only if you accept it. We never sell your data.
1. Who we are
Grid Marks is the data controller for this website (gridmarks.co.uk). For any privacy question or request, contact contact@gridmarks.co.uk.
2. Our approach
Grid Marks has no login. The marks, projects, categories, markup designs and their photos, downloaded offline maps and settings you create are stored in your browser, on your device — we cannot see them and do not receive a copy. Clearing your browser data (or some mobile storage policies) deletes them, so export a project file if you want a backup.
3. What we process
a) On your device (not sent to us). Your marks, projects, categories, markup designs and the photos you add to them, filter preferences, offline map downloads and autosaves, held in your browser's localStorage, IndexedDB and Cache storage.
b) Hosting logs. Our host (Cloudflare) processes standard request data — including your IP address and browser details — to deliver and secure the site. Lawful basis: our legitimate interest in running a secure, reliable service.
c) Analytics. We use Cloudflare Web Analytics, which is privacy-friendly and cookieless — it sets nothing on your device and reports only aggregate visit data, so it runs without needing consent. We also offer Google Analytics, which does use cookies and therefore loads only after you accept it on our cookie banner. Lawful basis for Google Analytics: your consent, which you can withdraw at any time (see section 8).
4. Third-party services you use through the app
Some features send a request from your device directly to a third-party service, which then receives your IP address and the coordinates or search terms involved. Each has its own privacy policy:
- Map tiles & imagery — Ordnance Survey, OpenStreetMap Foundation, Esri
- Geocoding & postcodes — postcodes.io, OpenStreetMap Nominatim
- Route planning — Project OSRM
- Map detail — the OpenStreetMap Overpass service receives the area of map on screen, to show buildings, house numbers and mapped street furniture in markup mode and to find the nearest road for Street View
- Google Maps — directions and Street View
- what3words — only if you choose Open in w3w on a pin, which opens what3words.com at that pin's coordinates; the app makes no what3words lookups itself
- Land registers — Registers of Scotland (ScotLIS), HM Land Registry, nidirect (Northern Ireland)
We don't control these services and don't share your data with them beyond what your use of the feature requires.
Exports you make — project files, spreadsheets, and markup PDFs, Excel files, pictures and GeoJSON — are saved to your device. If you send one to someone (for example a shared markup design), you choose how; Grid Marks doesn't upload it anywhere.
5. What we don't do
No accounts, no advertising, no selling or sharing your data, and no marketing emails.
6. Retention
Data on your device stays until you delete it or clear your browser. Hosting and analytics data is retained according to those providers' policies.
7. International transfers
Some third-party services (for example Google) may process data outside the UK under their own safeguards.
8. Your rights & choices
Under UK GDPR you have rights to access, correct, erase, restrict, object to, and port your personal data. Most of your data is on your own device and in your control — you can export or delete it at any time. For anything else, contact contact@gridmarks.co.uk. You can also complain to the Information Commissioner's Office (ico.org.uk).
9. Cookies & storage
We do not use tracking or advertising cookies.
Essential browser storage (required for the app to work — no consent needed):
- localStorage — your categories, filter preferences, and your cookie choice.
- IndexedDB — your marks, projects, completed-work archive, and markup designs with their photos.
- Cache storage + service worker — the offline app and any offline maps you download.
Analytics. Cloudflare Web Analytics is cookieless. Google Analytics sets cookies and loads only after you accept; you can change your choice any time with the Cookie settings button above. Third-party map, routing and land-register services may set their own cookies on their own domains when you use those features.
10. Changes
We may update this notice; the "Last updated" date will change when we do.