Privacy Policy
Last updated: 15 May 2026
This Privacy Policy explains how Local Search North Ltd ("we", "us", "our") collects, uses, and protects your personal data when you use NorthBot (the "Service"). We are committed to protecting your privacy and handling your data transparently in accordance with the UK General Data Protection Regulation (UK GDPR) and the Data Protection Act 2018.
Quick summary: We collect only what we need to run the service. We don't sell your data. We don't track you across the web. Your business data is yours, and you can export or delete it at any time.
1. Who we are
NorthBot is operated by Local Search North Ltd, registered in England and Wales.
- Trading name: NorthBot (a product of Local Search North)
- Website: tools.localsearchnorth.uk
- Contact: hello@localsearchnorth.uk
For the purposes of UK GDPR, Local Search North Ltd is the data controller for the personal data we process about our users (tradespeople using NorthBot). Where our users upload their own customers' details into NorthBot, our users are the data controller and we act as a data processor on their behalf.
2. What data we collect
Information you give us
- Account details: full name, email address, password (encrypted), phone number.
- Business details: company name, trade, business address, logo, VAT/UTR/NI/CRN numbers, bank account details (used to display on your invoices only - we do not transmit these to any payment processor).
- Brand preferences: colour choices, assistant name, logo size.
- Your customers' details: when you create a quote or invoice, you may enter your customer's name, email, phone, and address. This data is stored on your account.
- Job/quote content: descriptions, prices, materials, notes you enter while using the service.
- Chat messages: messages you send to the AI assistant.
Information collected automatically
- Authentication tokens: session cookies to keep you logged in.
- Basic usage data: when you log in, which pages you visit (held by our hosting provider Netlify for security and uptime monitoring).
Information from third parties
- Stripe: subscription status, payment history (we never see your card details), and (if you connect your account) your Stripe Connect account ID and capabilities.
3. Why we use your data and our legal basis
| Purpose | Legal basis |
|---|---|
| To create and manage your account | Performance of a contract |
| To provide the NorthBot service (quotes, invoices, AI chat, PDF generation) | Performance of a contract |
| To process your subscription payments | Performance of a contract |
| To enable card payments on your invoices via Stripe Connect | Performance of a contract |
| To respond to support requests | Legitimate interest |
| To improve the service and fix bugs | Legitimate interest |
| To comply with legal/tax obligations | Legal obligation |
| To send service notifications (not marketing) | Legitimate interest |
4. Who we share your data with
We do not sell your data. We share it only with trusted service providers who help us run NorthBot:
| Provider | Purpose | Location |
|---|---|---|
| Supabase | Database & authentication | EU (Ireland) |
| Netlify | Website hosting & serverless functions | EU/US |
| Stripe | Subscription billing & connected payments | UK / EU / US |
| Anthropic (Claude) | AI chat assistant - processes your chat messages only | US |
Where data is transferred outside the UK, we rely on adequacy decisions, Standard Contractual Clauses, or other legally compliant transfer mechanisms.
We may also disclose data if required to do so by law, court order, or to protect our rights.
5. How long we keep your data
We follow a defined data retention policy. In summary:
- Active accounts: kept while your account is active.
- Cancelled accounts: data retained for 30 days to allow reactivation, then permanently deleted (with the exception of invoices, see below).
- Soft-deleted items (quotes/invoices): 30 days, then permanent deletion.
- Invoices: retained for 7 years to comply with HMRC tax record-keeping requirements (you retain the invoice, we retain a record reference).
- Backups: rolling 30-day backups for disaster recovery.
See our full Data Retention Policy for details.
6. Your rights under UK GDPR
You have the following rights regarding your personal data:
- Right of access: request a copy of the data we hold about you.
- Right to rectification: correct inaccurate data (you can update most fields directly in your account settings).
- Right to erasure: ask us to delete your data (subject to legal retention requirements).
- Right to restrict processing: ask us to stop using your data in certain ways.
- Right to data portability: receive your data in a portable format.
- Right to object: object to processing based on legitimate interest.
- Right to withdraw consent: where we rely on consent, you can withdraw it at any time.
To exercise any of these rights, email hello@localsearchnorth.uk. We will respond within 30 days.
If you are unhappy with how we handle your data, you can complain to the Information Commissioner's Office (ICO) at ico.org.uk.
7. Security
We take security seriously:
- All data is transmitted over HTTPS (TLS encryption).
- Passwords are hashed and never stored in plain text.
- Database access is restricted and authenticated.
- We use row-level security to ensure users can only access their own data.
- Payment data is handled by Stripe - we never store card details.
However, no method of internet transmission is 100% secure. We cannot guarantee absolute security.
8. Cookies
NorthBot uses essential cookies only. We do not use third-party tracking, advertising, or analytics cookies. The cookies we use are:
- Authentication cookies: to keep you logged in.
- Session cookies: to remember your preferences within a session.
You can disable cookies in your browser settings, but this will prevent the service from functioning.
9. Children
NorthBot is intended for use by adults running trade businesses. We do not knowingly collect data from anyone under 18.
10. Changes to this policy
We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time. We will notify you of significant changes via email or by a notice within the service. The "last updated" date at the top of this page indicates when it was last revised.
11. Contact us
If you have any questions about this Privacy Policy or how we handle your data, contact us at:
Email: hello@localsearchnorth.uk