Last updated October 27, 2026
Privacy Policy
Porchlight LLC ("we") runs Porchlight, a seasonal contest for decorated houses. This page explains what we collect, why, and the choices you have.
What we collect
- Account details: your email address, username, and a scrambled (hashed) version of your password. We never store the password itself.
- Profile details you choose to add: a profile photo, display name, bio, and hometown.
- Host details: your property address or location, neighborhood, season, decoration theme, and photos of your display. Location is used to pin your house on the map. We remove GPS and camera data from photos before they are shown publicly.
- Contest activity: your likes, comments, visit check-ins (a photo and/or your location at the time of the visit), XP, badges, and invite codes.
- Email records: a log of the emails we send you (such as sign-in links), so we can fix delivery problems.
- Basic technical data: like any website, our hosting provider receives your IP address and browser details when you load a page.
How we use it
- To run your account, sign you in, and keep it secure.
- To show houses on the map, count verified votes, and decide the winner of each season.
- To send emails you need (confirmation and sign-in links) and, only if you opted in, an email when a new contest opens.
- To review submissions and prevent cheating or abuse.
We do not sell your personal information, and we do not use it for advertising.
What is public
Your username, profile photo, and comments are visible to other users. If you host, your house name, photos, description, and its location on the map are public. You can choose to hide your exact address.
Who we share it with
We use a few service providers to run the site, and they only process data on our behalf: Vercel (hosting and photo storage), Neon (database), Resend (sending email), ImprovMX (forwarding mail sent to us), and Google Fonts (typefaces, which means your browser contacts Google when a page loads). We may also share information if the law requires it.
How long we keep it
We keep your account until you delete it or ask us to. Past contests stay in the archive so results remain accurate. Sign-in links expire quickly, and email logs are kept only as long as they are useful for troubleshooting.
Your choices and rights
You can edit your profile at any time. You can ask us to send you a copy of your data, correct it, or delete your account by emailing hello@porchlightcontest.com. Depending on where you live (for example California under the CCPA, or the EU and UK under the GDPR), you may have additional rights, and we will honor them. We will not treat you differently for using them.
Cookies
We use one essential cookie to keep you signed in. See our Cookie Policy.
Children
Porchlight is for people 18 and older. We do not knowingly collect information from children under 13. If you believe a child has signed up, contact us and we will delete the account.
Security
We use encrypted connections (HTTPS), hashed passwords, and limited admin access. No system is perfectly secure, so please use a password you don't use elsewhere.
Changes
If we change this policy, we will update the date at the top. For significant changes, we will let account holders know by email.
Questions? Email hello@porchlightcontest.com.