This policy is a starting template tailored to how AEC Forge works. Review it with your own legal counsel and update the contact details before relying on it. Last updated: August 2026.
1. Who we are
AEC Forge (“we”, “us”) operates the marketplace and the AEC Forge Tools at aec-forge.com. This policy explains what personal data we collect, why, who we share it with, and your choices.
2. Data we collect
- Account data — name, email, username, and password (stored hashed) when you register as a buyer or vendor.
- Vendor data — store name, bio, and payout details (PayPal email or Stripe account ID) you provide.
- Order & billing data — items purchased, amounts, billing name/address, and email. Card details are entered directly with our payment processor (Stripe) and are never stored on our servers.
- AEC Forge Tools input — the text and files you submit to run a tool (for example RFI notes, submittal logs, pay-app data). This content is sent to our AI provider to generate your result (see Section 4).
- Vendor uploads — files vendors upload to sell as downloadable products.
- Usage & technical data — IP address, browser, pages viewed, and similar log/analytics data.
- Cookies — required cookies for login, cart, and checkout, plus analytics cookies (see Section 6).
3. How we use data
To create and secure accounts; process orders, credits, licenses, and payouts; run the AI tools and deliver results; provide support; prevent fraud and abuse (including rate limiting and brute-force protection); comply with legal obligations; and improve the service.
4. Third parties & sub-processors
- Stripe — payment processing. Stripe receives your payment and billing details to charge you. See Stripe’s privacy policy.
- Anthropic — the AEC Forge Tools send the input you submit to Anthropic’s API to generate your deliverable. Do not paste confidential information you are not authorized to share. See Anthropic’s privacy and data-usage terms.
- Automattic / WordPress.com (Jetpack) — site statistics, security (Protect), and WooCommerce analytics.
- DreamHost — website and database hosting.
We do not sell your personal data.
5. Data retention
We keep account, order, license, and commission records for as long as your account is active and as required for tax, accounting, and legal purposes. AI tool results are delivered to you and short-lived download links expire automatically; we do not retain your tool input longer than needed to generate and deliver the result and operate the service.
6. Cookies
We use strictly necessary cookies for authentication, cart, and checkout, and analytics cookies (via Jetpack/WooCommerce) to understand usage. You can control cookies through your browser settings; disabling required cookies may break login and checkout.
7. Your rights
Depending on your location (for example under GDPR or CCPA), you may have the right to access, correct, export, or delete your personal data, and to object to or restrict certain processing. To exercise these rights, contact us using the details below. WooCommerce/WordPress provide export and erasure tools we use to fulfil verified requests, subject to records we must retain by law.
8. Security
We use HTTPS, hashed passwords, least-privilege access, file-type restrictions on uploads, rate limiting, and login-attempt limiting. No method of transmission or storage is 100% secure, but we work to protect your data.
9. Children
The service is not directed to children under 16, and we do not knowingly collect their data.
10. Changes & contact
We may update this policy; material changes take effect when posted here. Questions or data requests: contact us through the details on our site (add your support email/address here).