We collect information needed to operate accounts, publish directory Content, provide paid tools, process transactions, secure the platform, and respond to users. Some information is intentionally public; private account and operational information is handled separately. We do not claim that every privacy law applies to every user, but we honor applicable rights.
1. Scope and roles
This Policy applies when Consultwise Directory determines how personal information is handled through the Services. It does not govern third-party websites or services. When an organization or agency uploads client, employee, lead, or customer data, it may act as the data controller/business and Consultwise may process that data on its instructions; that customer is responsible for notices, lawful authority, and responding to its data subjects.
“Personal information” means information that identifies, relates to, describes, is reasonably capable of being associated with, or can reasonably be linked to a person or household, subject to applicable law.
2. Categories of information we collect
We do not ask users to submit sensitive credentials, full payment-card data, security codes, health information, or other highly sensitive personal information to Content, prompts, tickets, or webhooks. Do not provide it unless a specific secure workflow explicitly requires it.
3. Sources of information
- Directly from you: registration, submissions, purchases, settings, messages, prompts, and support.
- From your organization or agency: invitations, permissions, client records, and workspace data.
- From public sources: business websites, public directories, public pages, and evidence URLs supplied for review.
- From integrations and providers: Stripe, Google products, analytics, CRMs, webhooks, email delivery, AI providers, monitoring, and other services you connect or we use.
- Automatically: cookies, logs, security monitoring, link access, and interaction events.
- From other users: reviews, reports, quote requests, Marketplace communications, and referrals.
4. How we use information
- provide, authenticate, personalize, and secure accounts and Services;
- review, verify, publish, rank by disclosed criteria, moderate, update, and remove directory Content;
- operate subscriptions, payments, refunds, Marketplace orders, publisher onboarding, disputes, and payouts;
- generate requested reports, recommendations, content, support answers, and workflow automation;
- send transactional communications, alerts, reports, digests, and preference-controlled marketing;
- connect integrations, deliver webhooks, import authorized data, and diagnose connection health;
- prevent spam, fraud, review manipulation, abuse, security incidents, and violations;
- measure performance, troubleshoot, improve usability, research features, and maintain records;
- comply with law, enforce agreements, exercise legal rights, and protect users or the public.
Depending on location and context, our legal basis may be contract performance, consent, compliance with law, protection of vital interests, or legitimate interests such as security, service improvement, fraud prevention, and responsible business operations. Where consent is the basis, it may be withdrawn prospectively.
5. AI features and automated assistance
AI may support drafting, analysis, summarization, recommendations, customer support, and ticket follow-up. Inputs can include prompts and relevant account, listing, workspace, or conversation context. Outputs may be stored with the related workflow and reviewed by authorized staff. We may send the minimum necessary Content to a configured AI provider under its service terms and our provider arrangements.
Do not submit secrets or personal information you are not authorized to process. AI outputs can be inaccurate. Material publishing, account, payment, and support decisions may use automation to assist staff, but users may request human support or review where the product provides it or law requires it. We do not knowingly use private customer Content to train public general-purpose models unless clearly disclosed and lawfully authorized.
7. Public directory information
Published listings, profiles, articles, reviews, responses, events, press releases, Marketplace publisher information, and associated names or business contact details are public and may be indexed, copied, cached, quoted, or archived by search engines and third parties. Removing information from Consultwise does not guarantee removal from external copies.
Public business information is not necessarily private merely because it relates to a sole proprietor or professional. Before publishing personal contact details, ensure you have authority and intend them to be public. We may retain non-public submission, moderation, and audit records after public removal.
9. Retention and deletion
We retain information for the time reasonably needed for the purposes above, including while an account or transaction is active, and afterward as necessary for legal, accounting, tax, security, fraud-prevention, dispute, backup, and enforcement obligations. Retention varies by record:
- account and workspace data generally remains while the account is active;
- public Content may remain until removed, superseded, or no longer appropriate;
- subscription acceptances, invoices, transactions, Marketplace events, and disputes may be retained for legally required and risk-management periods;
- security, access, webhook, and audit logs are retained for operationally appropriate periods;
- support and AI conversations remain as needed to resolve cases, preserve context, and improve support;
- backups are deleted on rolling schedules and may not be immediately editable.
Account deletion may remove or deidentify private account data but does not necessarily erase public Content, transaction records, legal records, deidentified data, or information another user independently controls. We will explain applicable exceptions when responding to a request.
10. Security and incident response
We use administrative, technical, and organizational safeguards designed for the nature of the Services, which may include access controls, encryption in transit, encrypted credential storage, password hashing, multifactor authentication for privileged access, rate limits, validation, audit logs, backups, monitoring, and provider controls. No system is completely secure, and we cannot guarantee that unauthorized access, loss, or misuse will never occur.
You are responsible for account security, authorized team access, safe webhook endpoints, and the information you publish. If we identify an incident requiring notification, we will investigate and notify affected parties and authorities as required by applicable law.
11. Your choices and privacy rights
Depending on the Services and your location, you may be able to access, correct, download, delete, or restrict account information; update public Content; manage team access; revoke client links; disconnect integrations; change notification preferences; control optional cookies; unsubscribe from marketing; and cancel a subscription.
Applicable law may also give you rights to know/access, correct, delete, obtain a portable copy, restrict or object to processing, withdraw consent, opt out of sale/sharing or targeted advertising, limit use of sensitive information, and appeal a denied request. We will not unlawfully discriminate against you for exercising a right.
Submit a request through Contact Us. We may verify identity and authority, ask an authorized agent for proof, and deny or limit requests where an exception applies. If Consultwise processes information solely for an organization or agency, direct the request to that organization first.
12. Regional disclosures
California and similar U.S. state laws
The categories collected are described in Section 2; sources in Section 3; business purposes in Section 4; and recipient categories in Section 6. We do not knowingly sell personal information for money. We do not knowingly sell or share personal information of consumers under 16. Where our optional technology is considered sale, sharing, or targeted advertising, eligible users may opt out through available privacy controls or a recognized preference signal. We do not use sensitive personal information to infer characteristics beyond permitted purposes.
EEA, United Kingdom, and Switzerland
Where applicable, you may have rights of access, correction, erasure, restriction, portability, objection, and complaint to a supervisory authority. The legal bases are described in Section 4. Automated assistance and human review are described in Section 5. International transfers are addressed below.
13. Children
The Services are intended for adults and business use, not children under 13, and we do not knowingly collect personal information from children under 13. Users under the age of majority may use the Services only where legally permitted with appropriate parent or guardian involvement. Contact us if you believe a child provided information improperly.
14. International data transfers
Information may be processed in the United States and other countries where we or our providers operate. Those countries may have different privacy laws. Where required, we use recognized transfer mechanisms and safeguards, such as contractual protections, adequacy decisions, or provider certification mechanisms.
15. Changes to this Policy
We may update this Policy as the Services, providers, and laws change. We will post the revised effective date and provide additional notice or consent where required. Prior versions should be retained as operational records. Material changes apply prospectively unless law permits otherwise.
16. Contact and complaints
Submit questions, requests, or complaints through Contact Us or the available support channel. Include enough detail to identify your account and request, but do not send passwords or payment-card data. You may also complain to the privacy or data-protection regulator in your jurisdiction.