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Privacy Policy

Last updated: October 6, 2026

GoTo.now ("we", "us") operates the goto.now URL shortening and QR code service. This policy explains what information we collect, why we collect it, and the choices you have. The short version: we collect what the service needs to work, we don't sell personal data, and ordinary redirects do not use cross-site tracking cookies. Selected custom-domain links may present a separate consent choice before optional marketing tags load.

1. Who this policy covers

  • Visitors who browse goto.now pages.
  • Users who create links, with or without an account.
  • Link visitors - People who click a goto.now short link or scan a QR code.

2. Information we collect

From users with an account

  • Email address and password. Passwords are stored only as salted hashes; we never store or see your plaintext password.
  • Links you create - The destination URL, chosen back-half, and creation time, kept so your dashboard works.
  • The links you create in a session are remembered in a session cookie so the page can show them back to you. They are not tied to your identity.

When someone follows a short link, our redirect engine records standard web request data: timestamp, IP address, coarse location derived from the IP (country/city level), browser user agent, and the referring page. This powers the click statistics shown to link owners. Ordinary redirects set no advertising or cross-site tracking cookies. On an explicitly configured custom-domain link, a visitor may allow optional Meta or AdRoll tags before continuing; declining keeps those tags off. Analytics are presented in aggregate; link owners never receive raw IP addresses through the interface.

Collected automatically on our pages

Standard server logs (IP, time, page, user agent) for security and abuse prevention, and the strictly functional cookies listed in our Cookie Policy.

3. What we use information for

  • Operating redirects, QR codes and click statistics - The core service.
  • Keeping you signed in and showing your link history.
  • Preventing abuse: rate limiting, detecting malicious links, investigating reports made via Report URLs.
  • Communicating with you about your account when necessary.
  • Complying with legal obligations.

We do not sell personal data. GoTo.now's ordinary analytics do not build advertising profiles. Optional custom-domain retargeting is controlled by the link owner and requires the visitor's affirmative choice.

Where EU/UK data protection law applies, we process data on these bases: contract (providing the service you signed up for), legitimate interests (service security, abuse prevention, aggregate analytics for link owners), and legal obligation (responding to lawful requests).

5. Sharing

We share data only with: - Infrastructure providers that host the service and store its databases, bound by their own data processing terms. - Authorities, when required by applicable law or to address fraud, phishing or harm. - Advertising providers, only on selected custom-domain links after consent. The consent screen names the configured providers and links to the publisher's privacy notice. - No data brokers.

6. International transfers

Our infrastructure may process data in countries other than yours. Where required, we rely on recognized safeguards such as standard contractual clauses.

7. Retention

  • Account data: kept while your account exists; deleted on request.
  • Link records: kept for as long as the link exists so it keeps redirecting. Links you remove from your dashboard stop being associated with your account.
  • Click records: retained to provide historical statistics for the link's lifetime.
  • Server logs: rotated on a short schedule measured in weeks.

8. Your rights

Depending on where you live (GDPR, UK GDPR, CCPA and similar laws), you may have the right to access, correct, export, restrict or delete your personal data, and to object to certain processing. Contact us via the contact page and we will respond within the legally required time. California residents: we do not "sell" or "share" personal information as defined by the CCPA/CPRA.

9. Security

HTTPS everywhere, hashed passwords, least-privilege access to production systems, and separation between the public website and the redirect engine. No method of transmission is 100% secure, but we treat your data as if it were our own.

10. Children

GoTo.now is not directed at children under 16, and we do not knowingly collect their personal data. If you believe a child has provided us data, contact us and we will delete it.

11. Third-party destinations

Short links lead to pages we do not operate. Once you leave goto.now, the destination site's own privacy practices apply. You can always preview a destination with the link checker before visiting.

12. Changes to this policy

We will post any changes here and update the date at the top. Material changes affecting account holders will be announced on the site.

13. Contact

Questions or requests: use the contact page.

14. Optional custom-domain advertising and retargeting

A verified custom-domain owner can enable a plain-text sponsored step on selected smart links. This contextual message does not itself load an advertising network. If the owner separately configures Meta Pixel or AdRoll, GoTo.now first shows a provider-specific choice page. No marketing provider loads on that page. Visitors may continue without marketing, and a host-only, versioned cookie remembers yes or no for up to six months. Changing the provider configuration invalidates the prior choice.

GoTo.now records daily sponsored-impression and ad-click totals. We do not expose raw visitor IP addresses, accept arbitrary advertising scripts, frame destinations, or give link owners an identity-level advertising clickstream. The custom-domain owner remains responsible for its advertising purpose, notices, provider account, and applicable legal obligations.