Privacy Policy

Effective date: October 19, 2026 · Last updated: October 19, 2026

This Privacy Policy explains what information BotPlainly (“we,” “us,” or “our”) collects when you visit https://botplainly.com (the “Site”), how we use it, and the choices you have. We’ve tried to keep it plain and simple.

Who we are

BotPlainly is an independent blog that explains Grok, Grok Bot, and other AI bots. It is not affiliated with SpaceXSI (formerly xAI) or X. You can reach us through our Contact page.

The Site is hosted on WordPress.com, which is run by Automattic Inc. Automattic processes some data so the Site can work, as described below and in Automattic’s Privacy Policy.

Information we collect

Information you give us

  • Comments: If you leave a comment, we collect the name, email address, and website (optional) you enter, plus your comment, IP address, and browser details to help detect spam. Comments may be checked by Automattic’s Akismet spam-filtering service. Your email address is never shown publicly. If you have a Gravatar account, your Gravatar profile picture may appear next to your comment. Gravatar is an Automattic service, and it receives a scrambled version (hash) of your email address to look up your picture.
  • Contact form and email: If you contact us, we receive your name, email address, and whatever you write. We use it only to reply and keep a record of the conversation.
  • Newsletter (if offered): If we add a newsletter and you subscribe, we’ll use your email address to send it. Every email will include a way to unsubscribe.

Information collected automatically

When you visit, our host, analytics tools, and ad partners may automatically collect technical information, such as your IP address, browser and device type, operating system, pages viewed, time spent, the page that referred you, and your general location (city or country level). Much of this is collected through cookies and similar technologies.

Cookies

Cookies are small text files that a website stores in your browser. We and our partners use them to:

  • Keep the Site working: for example, WordPress.com and Jetpack cookies for security, load balancing, and remembering your comment details if you choose that option.
  • Measure traffic: to see which posts are popular and how people find us (see “Analytics” below).
  • Show and measure ads: to serve ads, limit how often you see the same ad, and, where allowed, show ads based on your interests (see “Advertising” below).

You can block or delete cookies in your browser settings. If you do, parts of the Site may not work as expected, and you’ll still see ads, though they may be less relevant.

Analytics

We use these tools to understand how visitors use the Site so we can make it better:

Advertising

We use Google AdSense to show ads on the Site, and we may use other ad networks in the future. Ad partners may use cookies, web beacons, and similar technologies to collect information about your visits to this and other websites to show you ads and measure how well they work.

  • Third-party vendors, including Google, use cookies to serve ads based on your prior visits to this website or other websites.
  • Google’s use of advertising cookies (including the DoubleClick cookie, formerly known as the DART cookie) enables Google and its partners to serve ads to you based on your visits to this Site and/or other sites on the internet.
  • You can opt out of personalized advertising by visiting Google’s Ads Settings at https://adssettings.google.com.
  • You can also opt out of some third-party vendors’ use of cookies for personalized advertising by visiting https://www.aboutads.info (Digital Advertising Alliance). If you are in the European Economic Area or the UK, you can also visit https://www.youronlinechoices.eu.
  • If we work with other third-party ad vendors or ad networks, their cookies may also be used, and you can opt out of them at the links above.

To learn more about how Google uses data from sites that show its ads, see How Google uses information from sites or apps that use our services and Google’s advertising policies.

Visitors in the EEA, UK, and Switzerland: we ask for your consent before using cookies for personalized ads or analytics, through a consent message shown when you first visit. You can change your choice at any time using the privacy or cookie settings link on the Site.

Embedded content and links

Some posts include content embedded from other websites, such as posts from X or videos from YouTube. Embedded content behaves just as if you visited that other website, and those sites may collect data about you, use cookies, and track your interaction with the embedded content.

Our posts also link to other websites, including official product pages. Some may be affiliate links (see our Affiliate & Advertising Disclosure). We’re not responsible for the privacy practices of other websites, so please read their policies.

How we use information

We use information to:

  • run, secure, and improve the Site;
  • understand which content is helpful;
  • show ads that keep the Site free;
  • reply to comments and messages; and
  • prevent spam, abuse, and fraud.

We do not sell your personal information for money. Like most ad-supported websites, we allow advertising partners to collect information through cookies as described above. Some U.S. state laws may consider this a “sale” or “sharing” of personal information (see “Your privacy rights” below).

Legal bases (EEA and UK visitors)

If you’re in the European Economic Area or the UK, we process your personal data based on:

  • Consent: for personalized advertising and non-essential cookies, including analytics cookies where consent is required. You can withdraw consent at any time.
  • Legitimate interests: for running and securing the Site, preventing spam, and responding to messages.
  • Legal obligations: where the law requires us to keep or share information.

How long we keep information

  • Comments and their metadata are kept as long as the comment is published, unless you ask us to remove them.
  • Emails and messages are kept as long as needed to respond and keep a reasonable record.
  • Analytics and advertising data are kept according to the settings and policies of those providers (for example, Google Analytics data retention settings).

Sharing information

We share information only:

  • with service providers who help run the Site (such as Automattic/WordPress.com, Google, and spam-protection tools);
  • with advertising and analytics partners, as described above;
  • if required by law, or to protect the rights, safety, or property of BotPlainly, our readers, or others; and
  • if the Site is ever sold or transferred, in which case the new owner would take over this policy.

Some of these providers are located in the United States or other countries, so your information may be processed outside your home country. Where the law requires it, these transfers are protected by appropriate safeguards, such as standard contractual clauses.

Your privacy rights

Everyone: you can ask us what personal information we hold about you (such as your comments or emails) and ask us to correct or delete it.

EEA and UK (GDPR / UK GDPR): you have the right to access, correct, delete, restrict, or object to the processing of your personal data, the right to data portability, and the right to withdraw consent at any time. You also have the right to complain to your local data protection authority.

California and other U.S. states with privacy laws (including the CCPA/CPRA): depending on where you live, you may have the right to:

  • know what personal information is collected, used, and shared;
  • access and get a copy of your personal information;
  • correct or delete your personal information;
  • opt out of the “sale” or “sharing” of personal information for targeted (cross-context behavioral) advertising; and
  • not be treated differently for using your rights.

To opt out of personalized advertising, use the opt-out links in the “Advertising” section above, or turn on the Global Privacy Control (GPC) in your browser. Where required by law, we’ll treat a GPC signal as a valid opt-out request.

To make a request, send us a message through our Contact page with “Privacy request” in the subject. We may need to confirm your identity before acting on it, and we’ll respond within the time the law requires. You can also use an authorized agent where the law allows.

Children’s privacy

BotPlainly is meant for a general audience and is not directed to children under 13 (or under 16 in the EEA and UK). We do not knowingly collect personal information from children. If you believe a child has given us personal information, please contact us and we’ll delete it.

Security

We rely on WordPress.com’s security measures, including encrypted (HTTPS) connections. No website or online service is 100% secure, but we take reasonable steps to protect the information we hold.

Changes to this policy

We may update this Privacy Policy as the Site changes, for example if we add a newsletter or a new ad partner. When we do, we’ll change the “Last updated” date at the top. Big changes will be highlighted on the Site.

Contact us

Questions about this policy or your data? Send us a message through our Contact page.