Privacy Policy

Guidepole LLC (“Guidepole,” “we,” “us”) operates the Guidepole mobile app, website, and related services, and is based in Ballard, Washington. If you have any privacy question, contact us at [email protected].

We collect only what we need to run the map, answer your questions, and keep your account secure:

• Account details. Your email address or phone number, used for passwordless sign-in (we send a one-time code). If you sign in with Apple or Google, we receive the basic profile information those services share (such as your name and email, or Apple’s private relay address). We do not collect or store passwords.
• Location data. When you use the map or ask a location question, we use your device location to answer “can I fish here” and to center the map. Precise location is used only while you are using the app and only with your permission, which you can change at any time in your device settings.
• Your questions to the assistant. The natural-language questions you ask Gary, our in-app assistant, along with the map context needed to answer them, and the responses generated.
• Feedback you provide. Ratings, survey responses (such as an NPS score), and any messages you send us.
• Subscription status. Whether you have an active plan and which tier. Payments are processed by Apple or our payment processor — we do not receive or store your full card number.
• Usage and device data. How you interact with the app, plus device type, operating system, app version, general location derived from your IP address, and diagnostic/crash information used to fix problems.

• Provide the service — render the map, answer your access and regulation questions, and remember your preferences.
• Authenticate you and keep your account secure (sending login codes, detecting abuse).
• Operate subscriptions and process payments through the app stores or our payment processor.
• Improve Guidepole — understand which features are used and where our data has gaps.
• Communicate with you — service messages (such as login codes) and, only if you opt in, product updates. You can unsubscribe from marketing at any time.
• Comply with the law and protect the rights and safety of our users and the public.

We do not sell your personal information, and we do not use it for third-party targeted advertising.

When you ask Gary a question, your question and the relevant map context are sent to our AI provider (Anthropic) to generate a response. Under Anthropic’s commercial API terms, data sent through the API is not used to train their models. Assistant answers can be incomplete or wrong — always confirm access and regulations with the official state authority before you fish.

We do not sell your personal information. We share it only with service providers who help us run Guidepole, and only as needed to provide the service. Each provider receives only the data necessary to perform its function, governed by its own privacy policy:

• AI assistant — Anthropic (processes your assistant questions).
• Email and SMS — our email provider (SendGrid) and SMS provider (Twilio) deliver your login codes and any messages you opt into.
• Maps — Mapbox provides the map tiles and geocoding.
• Hosting and infrastructure — our cloud hosting provider (DigitalOcean) stores and serves the app’s data.
• Diagnostics — our error-monitoring provider (Sentry) helps us find and fix crashes. We configure it not to capture the contents of your requests.
• Website analytics — Google Analytics measures how visitors use our website (with IP anonymization; never for advertising).
• App stores and payments — Apple and our payment processor handle billing.

We may also disclose information if required by law, subpoena, or government request; to enforce our Terms; in connection with a merger, acquisition, or sale of assets (with notice to you); or to protect the safety of any person.

Guidepole displays government and public-record data — water bodies, public land, boat launches, regulations, and, where the law allows, parcel boundaries and owner names. This information comes from federal, state, and county sources.

We show an owner name only where doing so is legally permitted, and we never display a private owner’s mailing address or contact information. If you are a property owner and want to ask about how your parcel appears in Guidepole, email [email protected].

Our app uses on-device storage to keep you signed in. Our website uses minimal cookies and browser storage for authentication.

We use Google Analytics to understand how visitors find and use our website — pages visited, referral source, general location derived from your IP address, device and browser type, and similar usage data. Google Analytics sets cookies and processes this information on our behalf as a service provider, as described in Google’s privacy policy. We have IP anonymization enabled, and we do not use Google Analytics or its data for advertising, ad personalization, or Google Signals. Where required, we ask for your consent before non-essential analytics load, and you can decline.

We do not use third-party advertising cookies, cross-site tracking pixels, or cookie-based retargeting, and we do not sell cookie or analytics data or share it with advertisers. You can also block analytics cookies in your browser settings or with a browser opt-out extension.

• Account data — retained while your account is active. When you delete your account, we disable it immediately and permanently delete or de-identify your personal information after a 30-day grace period (during which you can restore the account by signing back in), except where we must retain certain records to comply with the law.
• Inactive accounts — if you don't use Guidepole for about three years, we notify you by email and then delete the account to keep the data we hold to a minimum.
• Login codes — expire within minutes of being sent.
• Assistant history and feedback — retained while your account is active; removed or de-identified on account deletion.
• Financial records — billing records may be retained as required by law (for example, tax rules).
• Diagnostic and usage data — kept for a limited period and then deleted or aggregated.
• Anonymized, aggregated data that cannot identify you may be retained indefinitely to improve the service.

• Location — grant or revoke location access any time in your device settings. Guidepole still works with location off, but location-specific answers will be limited.
• Marketing — opt out of promotional email using the unsubscribe link; you will still receive essential service messages such as login codes.
• Access, correction, export, and deletion — request a copy of your data, fix inaccurate details, or delete your account by emailing [email protected], or delete your account directly in the app.

If you are a California resident, you have the right to know what personal information we collect, how it is used, and with whom it is shared; to request deletion of your personal information; to correct inaccurate information; to opt out of the “sale” or “sharing” of personal information (we do not sell or share personal information as those terms are defined); and to not be discriminated against for exercising these rights.

The categories of personal information we collect are described in “Information we collect” above: identifiers (such as name, email, phone), geolocation, internet or app activity, and commercial information (subscription status). To exercise your rights, email [email protected].

Residents of other US states with comprehensive privacy laws (such as Colorado, Connecticut, Virginia, and others) may have similar rights to access, correct, delete, and obtain a portable copy of their personal information, and to opt out of targeted advertising and sales. We honor these requests as required by applicable law — contact [email protected].

We use industry-standard measures — encryption in transit, passwordless login, encrypted backups, and access controls — to protect your information. No method of transmission or storage is completely secure, so we cannot guarantee absolute security. For details, see our Security page.

Guidepole is not directed to children under 13, and we do not knowingly collect personal information from them. If you believe a child has provided us information, contact [email protected] and we will delete it.

Guidepole is operated from the United States. Guidepole Fish is intended for use in the United States; Guidepole Fire also covers Canada, and we welcome Canadian users of that service. Wherever you use Guidepole, your information is transferred to, stored, and processed in the United States, where privacy laws may differ from — and may offer less protection than — those in your own country or province. By using Guidepole you consent to this transfer and to the processing of your information in the United States.

If you are in Canada, you may have rights under the Personal Information Protection and Electronic Documents Act (PIPEDA) and applicable provincial privacy laws — including the right to access and correct your personal information and to withdraw consent. To exercise them, contact [email protected].

We may update this policy as Guidepole evolves. We will change the “Last updated” date above and, for material changes, provide additional notice in the app or by email.

Guidepole is based in Ballard, Washington. Reach us at:

• Privacy requests — [email protected]
• General support — [email protected]
• Security reports — [email protected]