Privacy and cookie policy
This policy explains what data this website collects, why, and what you can do about it. It is written to be read rather than to be skimmed past, so it is short.
The short version. We do not host files, so we never handle your downloads. We do not ask you to create an account. We do not sell personal data. The only cookies this site can set are for anonymous traffic measurement, and none of them is set until you accept them. We currently display no advertising.
1. Who we are
InstallShelf ("we", "us") operates this website. For privacy questions, including requests to access or delete your data, contact [email protected]. We are the data controller for the limited processing described below.
Scope. This policy covers installshelf.com and its
subdomains. It does not cover reinstallos.com: that is a separate
site we maintain, but it publishes its own contact details and sets no cookies or
third-party scripts of its own, so it collects nothing for this policy to govern.
Where this policy refers to "this website", it means this domain. It also does not
cover the sites we link out to.
2. What this site does not do
- We do not host, mirror or distribute software. Downloads happen entirely on the publisher’s website, under their privacy policy. Once you leave this site, this policy no longer applies.
- We do not require registration, and we do not operate user accounts.
- We do not sell, rent or trade personal information to anyone.
3. Information we process
| Category | What and why | Legal basis |
|---|---|---|
| Server logs | IP address, browser type, referring page, and timestamp, recorded automatically by our hosting provider to serve the page and defend against abuse. | Legitimate interest in operating a secure website. |
| Aggregate analytics | Which pages are visited and roughly where visitors come from, in a form that does not identify individuals. | Consent, where required. Otherwise legitimate interest in understanding which content is useful. |
| Outbound click counts | Which tools people click through to, recorded without a persistent identifier, so we know which entries are worth maintaining. | Legitimate interest in maintaining accurate links. |
| Your emails | If you write to us, we keep your address and message in order to reply and to follow up on the issue you raised. | Consent, and legitimate interest in answering correspondence. |
We do not knowingly collect information from anyone under 16, and we do not process special category data of any kind.
4. Cookies and consent
This site uses a consent banner. Before you make a choice, no cookie is set, and no identifier is stored on your device or read from it. Traffic measurement runs in a cookieless mode: page views are counted, but the measurement cannot be tied back to you and is not reused on any other site. If you choose Essential only, that is where it stays — you can still use every part of the site, and nothing about your experience changes. There is no advertising on this site at present.
The types of cookie involved:
- Essential. A single local storage entry recording your cookie choice, so the banner does not reappear on every page. Cannot be disabled, because without it we cannot respect your choice.
- Analytics. Visits, pages, referrers and outbound clicks, aggregated, measured with Google Analytics 4. Cookieless until you consent. Consenting adds a cookie that recognises a returning visit, which makes the aggregate figures more accurate; it does not attach your name or a profile to them.
- Advertising. None is set. No advertising partner is active on this site. If that changes, section 5 will be updated first and a separate choice will be offered where the law requires one.
You can change or withdraw your consent at any time by clearing this site’s data in your browser settings, which resets the banner, or via your browser’s cookie controls. Withdrawing consent does not affect the lawfulness of processing carried out before that point.
5. Advertising
As of 10 November 2026, InstallShelf displays no advertising, sets no advertising cookie, and has no advertising partner with access to its pages. We have applied to an advertising programme; an application is not the same as advertising being live.
If advertising is introduced, this policy will be updated before it appears, and it will name the vendors involved and the cookies they set. Where the law requires consent, advertising cookies will be handled by the banner described in section 4, and declining will remain a real choice. The current consent banner covers traffic measurement only; it does not grant advertising consent.
For reference, general information about interest-based advertising and opt-outs is available from Google’s Ads Settings, aboutads.info and, in the EU, youronlinechoices.eu. Those services are linked for information; none is currently used by this site.
6. Affiliate links
There are none. No outbound link on this site carries a referral or affiliate identifier, and we receive no commission, fee or other payment if you install or buy software after following one. Every link goes to the publisher’s own domain.
If a commercial relationship is ever introduced, the affected links will be labelled as sponsored, and this section, the About page and our terms will be updated first. Such a relationship will never determine whether a tool appears, what its note says, or whether it carries an Editor’s pick badge.
7. Who we share data with
We share only what is necessary with service providers, and only these categories:
- Hosting and content delivery — to serve the pages you request.
- Analytics — Google Analytics 4, to produce aggregate traffic figures. It receives page views, referrers and outbound click counts, without a stored identifier until you consent.
- Advertising partners — none at present. Should advertising be introduced, this list will name them before any data reaches them.
- Authorities — where we are legally obliged to disclose, and only to the extent required.
Where a provider processes data outside your country, including in the United States, we rely on appropriate safeguards such as standard contractual clauses. Some providers are certified under the EU–US Data Privacy Framework.
8. How long we keep things
Server logs are retained for a short period — typically 30 days — and then deleted or aggregated. Analytics data is kept in aggregate form. Correspondence is kept for as long as needed to resolve the matter, and then for a reasonable period in case it recurs. We do not keep personal data longer than necessary for the purpose it was collected for.
9. Your rights
Depending on where you live, you may have the right to:
- be told what personal data we hold about you and receive a copy;
- have inaccurate data corrected;
- have your data deleted;
- restrict or object to certain processing;
- receive your data in a portable form;
- withdraw consent at any time.
Under the GDPR and UK GDPR, you may also lodge a complaint with your national data protection authority. Under the CCPA/CPRA, California residents have the right to know what is collected, to request deletion, and to opt out of the sale or sharing of personal information — we do not sell personal information as that term is defined by the statute. We will not discriminate against you for exercising any of these rights.
To exercise any right, email [email protected] with enough detail for us to identify the data you mean. We respond within 30 days.
10. Security
This site is served over HTTPS. Because we hold almost no personal data, the risk attached to it is small by design — the safest data is data never collected. No transmission over the internet is completely secure, and we cannot guarantee absolute security.
11. Changes to this policy
If this policy changes in a way that affects your rights, we will update the date at the top of the page and, where the change is significant, note it prominently on the site. Continued use after a change means you accept the updated policy.