Privacy Policy

Last updated: July 15, 2026

1. Introduction

HearthLink ("we", "us", or "the Service") is an independent community project for sharing Final Fantasy XIV housing designs. This Privacy Policy explains what information we collect, how we use it, and what choices you have when you use hearthlink.app.

HearthLink is not affiliated with, endorsed by, or sponsored by Square Enix Co., Ltd.

Note on the REST API: HearthLink does not currently offer a public REST API. References to API access, tokens, and related logging in this policy describe planned functionality and will apply if and when that feature is made available.

2. Information We Collect

Account information. When you sign in with Discord, we receive your Discord user ID, display name, and avatar hash through Discord's OAuth service (the identify scope). We do not request or receive your email address, password, or Discord message content.

Profile and content you provide. You may choose to provide a username, bio, housing design files (MakePlace JSON), screenshots, titles, descriptions, tags, and visibility settings for your uploads.

Usage information. We record aggregate counts when designs are viewed or downloaded. If you are signed in, we store your favorites and the designs you upload.

Technical and security data. We process IP addresses for rate limiting, abuse prevention, and security. If we launch a public API in the future, API activity may be recorded in audit logs that include your user ID, the action performed, and the request IP address.

3. How We Use Your Information

We use the information we collect to:

  • create and maintain your account;
  • display your profile, designs, and favorites to other users according to your settings;
  • operate search, tags, short links, and the designer directory;
  • provide API access for authorized tooling, when that feature is available;
  • enforce our Terms of Service and protect the Service from abuse;
  • operate the optional HearthLink Discord bot;
  • maintain and improve the Service.

4. How We Share Information

Public content. Designs, profiles, bios, and favorites that you make public (or do not hide through privacy settings) are visible to anyone who visits the Service. Private designs are accessible only via direct link to users who have the URL.

Service providers. We use third-party infrastructure to run the Service, including hosting, file storage, and content delivery. These providers process data on our behalf only as needed to operate HearthLink.

Administrator notifications. When enabled and if a public API is available, summaries of certain API activity — including your username, the action performed, and your IP address — may be posted to a private Discord channel accessible only to HearthLink administrators, for security and operational monitoring.

Legal and safety. We may disclose information if required by law or if we reasonably believe disclosure is necessary to protect the rights, safety, or integrity of the Service or its users.

We do not sell your personal information.

5. Cookies and Similar Technologies

HearthLink uses a session cookie to keep you signed in while you use the Service. This cookie is required for authentication and is not used for advertising or cross-site tracking.

We do not use third-party analytics or advertising cookies.

6. Third-Party Services

When you use HearthLink, your information may be processed by:

  • Discord — for sign-in and, if you use it, bot interactions. Discord's own privacy policy applies to data handled on their platform.
  • Cloudflare R2 — for storing uploaded images and design files.
  • Render — for application hosting.
  • Content delivery networks — for loading site assets (such as fonts and scripts) and Discord avatar images.

Links to third-party sites (for example, Ko-fi) are not operated by HearthLink and are governed by those sites' own policies.

7. Your Choices and Privacy Controls

You can control how your information appears on the Service:

  • set individual designs to public or private;
  • hide your profile from the designer directory;
  • hide your favorites list from your public profile;
  • hide your designs from the gallery, search, tags, and trending lists;
  • update your bio from your account settings;

Signing out removes your session cookie from your browser. You can disconnect HearthLink from your Discord account through Discord's authorized-apps settings.

8. Data Retention

We retain your account and uploaded content for as long as your account exists. If a public API is available, its audit logs are retained for approximately 90 days, after which they are deleted. Aggregate view and download counts may be kept even if individual design records are removed.

9. Security

We take reasonable measures to protect information stored on the Service, including encrypted connections in production. If a public API is available, API tokens are stored in hashed form. No method of transmission or storage is completely secure, and we cannot guarantee absolute security.

10. Children's Privacy

HearthLink is not directed at children under 13. Because sign-in requires a Discord account, users must meet Discord's minimum age requirements. We do not knowingly collect personal information from children under 13.

11. International Users

HearthLink is operated from the United States. If you access the Service from outside the U.S., your information may be transferred to and processed in the U.S. or other countries where our service providers operate.

12. Your Rights

Depending on where you live, you may have rights to access, correct, or delete personal information we hold about you. To make a request — including account or data deletion — contact the HearthLink administrators via Discord.

13. Changes to This Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time. We will revise the "Last updated" date at the top of this page when changes are posted. Continued use of the Service after changes are posted constitutes acceptance of the revised policy.

14. Contact

Questions about this Privacy Policy can be directed to the HearthLink administrators via Discord.