Privacy policy
Last updated 29 October 2026. This is a plain-language notice for this website, not a substitute for advice on your own business.
Who is responsible
AutomateSmith is operated by Sandun Balasooriya, based in Liverpool, United Kingdom. For privacy questions, email hello@automatesmith.com. There is no separate company number published here because this notice is for the site as operated by Sandun.
What this site is
The site publishes guides about AI tools and business automation. Readers in the UK and the United States are both expected. If you only read pages, the site does not ask you to create an account.
Information you send
- Contact form. Name, email address, topic and message. Used to reply. The lawful basis is legitimate interests in answering people who write in, or steps towards a contract if you are asking about paid work.
- Newsletter. Your email address, if you subscribe. The lawful basis is consent. You can unsubscribe in any message, or by emailing the address above. Until a provider is connected, the form explains that signup is not live.
- Corrections. Anything you include in an email is used to fix a page and is not added to a marketing list.
Information collected automatically
The site is hosted so it can be served quickly. The host, Cloudflare, may process technical data such as IP address and request logs to deliver and protect the site. That processing is covered by Cloudflare's own terms as the infrastructure provider.
Optional analytics and advertising do not run unless you allow them in the cookie banner, and only if those services have been switched on in the site configuration:
- Cloudflare Web Analytics if a token is configured and you allow analytics.
- Google AdSense if a publisher id is configured and you allow advertising. Ads can involve cookies and similar storage. Google's own policy describes what they do with that data.
The banner uses Google consent mode v2. Before a choice, ad and analytics storage are denied. Your choice is stored in local storage on your device so the banner does not ask every time. Theme preference is stored the same way. That storage is treated as necessary for the choice you made.
Affiliate links
Some links go to vendors. If you buy, the vendor may tell AutomateSmith that a sale happened, often without handing over your name. That is not a sale of your personal information by this site. See the affiliate disclosure.
How long it is kept
Contact messages are kept long enough to handle the enquiry and any follow-up, then deleted. Newsletter addresses stay until you unsubscribe or the list is closed. Server logs follow the host's retention. Cookie choices stay in your browser until you clear them or use "Change cookie settings" on the cookie policy.
Who else processes it
Depending on what is configured and what you agree to, processors can include Cloudflare (hosting and, if enabled, analytics), Google (ads, if enabled), and the form or newsletter provider named in the site configuration (for example Formspree or a similar host). Guides also link out to third-party products. Those sites have their own notices. This site does not sell personal information.
International readers and transfers
Sandun is in the United Kingdom. The site is written for UK and US readers. Hosting, ads and form tools may process data outside the UK, including in the United States. Where a provider offers a transfer safeguard such as the UK International Data Transfer Addendum or standard contractual clauses, that is the mechanism. Check the provider once it is named in your confirmation email, because the contract sits with them.
Your rights
If UK GDPR applies, you can ask for access, correction, deletion, restriction, or a copy of information you provided, and you can object to processing based on legitimate interests. Where processing is based on consent, you can withdraw it. You can complain to the Information Commissioner's Office at ico.org.uk. US state privacy rights, where they apply to a site of this size and type, can be exercised by emailing the same address. I will not ask you for a password to a tool in order to handle a privacy request.
Children
The site is written for adults running businesses. It is not directed at children.
Changes
If this notice changes in a material way, the date at the top will change. Continued use of the site after that is not treated as consent for optional cookies. The banner is how you give or refuse that.