Privacy
Privacy policy
What Strands Guide collects, what it does not collect, and the choices you have.
The short version
Strands Guide is a static reference site. There are no accounts, no sign-in, no comment system, no newsletter, and no payment flow. You can read every page without giving us any personal information.
Information we do collect
We use Google Analytics 4 to understand which pages are useful. It records aggregate information such as the pages you view, the site you arrived from, your approximate location, your device and browser type, and whether you scrolled or revealed a hint. This data is tied to a cookie identifier rather than to your name.
Our hosting provider records standard server logs, including IP address, user agent, and the time of each request. These logs are used for security and reliability.
We do not ask for, store, or sell names, email addresses, phone numbers, or payment details.
Cookies
Strands Guide sets no first-party cookies of its own. Cookies may be set by the third-party services listed below. You can block or delete cookies in your browser settings; the site continues to work, and answers remain readable without JavaScript.
Third-party services
We rely on a small number of external services to run this site:
- Google Analytics 4 (measurement ID
G-4YB4ZK2S36) for usage statistics. - Google Fonts for the typefaces used on every page, which means your browser requests files from Google's servers.
- Vercel for hosting and content delivery, including the server logs described above.
Each of these providers has its own privacy policy governing the data it processes on our behalf.
Advertising
This site may display advertising served by third-party vendors, including Google. Third-party vendors, including Google, use cookies to serve ads based on your prior visits to this and other websites. Google's use of advertising cookies enables it and its partners to serve ads to you based on your visits to this site and other sites on the internet.
You can opt out of personalised advertising at any time:
- Google Ads Settings: adssettings.google.com
- Industry opt-out tools in the United States: optout.aboutads.info and optout.networkadvertising.org
- European users: youronlinechoices.eu
Opting out of personalised advertising does not remove ads; it means the ads you see are less likely to be based on your browsing history.
Your choices
- Block or clear cookies for this site in your browser settings.
- Install the Google Analytics opt-out browser add-on.
- Use a browser or extension that limits third-party trackers.
Children
Strands Guide is a general-audience puzzle help site and is not directed at children under 13. We do not knowingly collect personal information from children.
Data retention and requests
Analytics data is retained under our Google Analytics settings and then expires. Server logs are kept by our hosting provider for a limited period. If you would like to ask about data associated with this site, use the details on our contact page.
Changes to this policy
If this policy changes in a way that affects what is collected, the effective date below will be updated. Effective date: 19 September 2026.
Trademarks
Strands Guide is an independent help site. It is not affiliated with, endorsed by, or sponsored by The New York Times. NYT and Strands are trademarks of The New York Times Company.