Legal
Privacy & Cookie Policy
Last updated 15 June 2026
Overview
WildJournal ("WildJournal", "we", "us") helps people discover, plan and journal UK outdoor adventures. This policy explains what information we collect, how we use it, who we share it with, and the choices you have — including the cookies we use, which is why this also serves as our cookie policy.
By using WildJournal you agree to the collection and use of information as described here. If you don't agree, please don't use the site.
Who we are
WildJournal is the data controller for the personal information described in this policy. If you have any questions, you can reach us at hello@wildjournal.co.uk.
Information we collect
Account information
When you register, we collect your display name, email address and a securely hashed password — we never store your password in plain text. You can optionally add a home postcode (used as a default starting point when planning trips), a drone operator ID, and preferences such as units, text size and hiking fitness level.
Content you create
Trips and itineraries, diary entries and the photos you upload to them, locations you submit to the directory, and any reviews, ratings or saved places ("wishlist") you add.
Location & route data
Routes and stops you draw or save, GPS tracks you import, and any coordinates attached to diary entries or submitted locations. This is only collected when you actively create or import it — WildJournal does not track your location in the background.
Technical & log data
Like most websites, our servers automatically log standard request information — IP address, browser type, pages requested and timestamps — for security, debugging and abuse prevention. We use this data in aggregate and don't use it to build advertising profiles.
How we use your information
- To create and manage your account, and keep you signed in
- To provide the core features of the service — trip planning, mapping, diary, location directory, wishlists and reviews
- To personalise your experience, e.g. estimating hike times using your fitness level, or showing your home postcode as a default starting point
- To send essential account emails — verification, password resets and security notices
- To moderate user-submitted content (locations, reviews, diary entries) and keep the directory accurate and the community safe
- To power the optional AI "suggest a place" feature (see below)
- To maintain the security and reliability of the site, including detecting and preventing abuse
The AI suggestion feature
If you use the AI-powered location suggestion tool, your search query is sent to a third-party AI provider to generate suggestions, which we then verify against mapping data before showing them to you. We don't send your account details, email address or other personal information as part of this request — only the search terms you enter.
Cookies
Cookies are small text files stored on your device. We use a small number of them to run the site — we don't use advertising or analytics cookies, and nothing here is used to track you across other websites.
| Cookie | Purpose | Type | Duration |
|---|---|---|---|
| wj_at | Keeps you signed in (access token) | Strictly necessary | ~30 minutes |
| wj_rt | Keeps you signed in across visits (refresh token) | Strictly necessary | Up to 30 days |
| wj_csid / wj_csrf | Protects forms and sign-in from cross-site request forgery | Strictly necessary | Up to 1 year |
| wj_flash | Shows one-off confirmation or error messages after an action | Strictly necessary | 1 minute |
| wj_theme | Remembers your light/dark mode preference | Functional | 1 year |
| wj_consent | Remembers your cookie banner preference | Strictly necessary | 1 year |
Because WildJournal doesn't use optional cookies for advertising or analytics, choosing "Necessary only" in the cookie banner has the same practical effect as "Accept all" — we simply record your preference in case that ever changes.
How we share your information
We don't sell your personal information. We share data only with the following types of third party, and only as needed to run the service:
- Hosting & infrastructure — the servers and database used to run the site and store your account and content.
- Media storage — uploaded photos are stored with our cloud storage provider (or locally on our server).
- Mapping & places data — map tiles, geocoding and place data are provided by services such as Ordnance Survey Data Hub, Mapbox and OpenChargeMap.
- Tide data — the UK Admiralty Tide Tables API, where tide information is shown for coastal locations.
- AI suggestions — the AI providers described above.
- Email delivery — our transactional email provider, used to send verification and password-reset emails.
- Affiliate partners — if you follow a campsite booking link (e.g. to Pitchup), that site's own privacy policy applies to any information you give them.
- Embedded video — where we embed YouTube videos, we use YouTube's privacy-enhanced mode, which avoids setting cookies unless you choose to play the video.
- Bot protection — we use Cloudflare Turnstile to protect sign-up, login and other forms from automated abuse. Turnstile runs in the background and may collect information about your device and browsing to tell humans from bots. Your use of Turnstile is subject to Cloudflare's Turnstile Privacy Addendum.
We may also disclose information where required by law, or to protect the rights, property or safety of WildJournal, our users or others.
Data retention
We keep your account information and content for as long as your account is active. If you ask us to delete your account, we'll delete or anonymise your personal information within a reasonable period, except where we need to retain certain data for legal, security or fraud-prevention purposes. Server logs are retained for a limited period and then automatically purged.
Your rights
If you're in the UK or EU, data protection law gives you a number of rights over your personal information, including the right to:
- Access the personal information we hold about you
- Correct inaccurate information — most account details can be edited directly in your account settings
- Request deletion of your account and personal information
- Object to or restrict certain processing
- Request a copy of your data in a portable format
To exercise any of these rights, contact us at hello@wildjournal.co.uk. If you're not happy with how we've handled your data, you also have the right to complain to the UK Information Commissioner's Office (ico.org.uk) or your local data protection authority.
Children's privacy
WildJournal is not directed at children, and we don't knowingly collect personal information from anyone under 16. If you believe a child has provided us with personal information, please contact us and we'll remove it.
Security
We take reasonable technical and organisational measures to protect your information, including encrypted password storage, secure (HTTPS) connections, HTTP-only session cookies, and protection against cross-site request forgery. No method of transmission or storage is 100% secure, but we work hard to keep your data safe.
International transfers
Some of the third parties listed above may process data outside the UK or EEA. Where this happens, we rely on appropriate safeguards, such as standard contractual clauses, to protect your information.
Changes to this policy
We may update this policy from time to time. If we make significant changes, we'll let you know — for example, via a notice on the site. The "last updated" date at the top of this page shows when it was last revised.
Contact us
Questions about this policy or your data? Email us at hello@wildjournal.co.uk.