Privacy policy
This policy describes the information AskRobots Search collects when you use it, and how we may use and share that information. By using the service you agree to this policy.
The short version
- We collect what you search for, what you click and vote on, technical information such as IP addresses and browser details, and anything you send us.
- We use it to run, improve, protect and develop AskRobots and related services, and for any other purpose described below or permitted by law.
- We may share aggregated or de-identified information with anyone, for any purpose. We may share personal information with service providers, related AskRobots services, in a business transfer, and when we believe the law or safety requires it.
- Today there are no accounts and no third-party trackers on our pages. Some results pages show a text ad from AskRobots' own ad network, labelled "Sponsored" with what a click costs; ads are chosen from your search, not from a profile of you (ads). That describes how the service works now; it may change.
- We may change this policy at any time by posting a new version here.
Who we are
AskRobots Search (search.askrobots.com) is run by Daniel Quellhorst, doing business as AskRobots.com, 4236 Feagan St, Houston, TX 77007, United States. Questions about this policy: dan@askrobots.com.
Information we collect
Searches, clicks and votes
When you use AskRobots we collect information such as:
- the words you search for, the results we showed, how many there were and how long the search took;
- the results you click, their position, and how long after the search you clicked;
- your votes on results ("This answered it", "Didn't help");
- your browser's user-agent text and the page you came from;
- network information: the IP address a search came from, and a random visit id from the
wh_sidcookie. We keep the full address for 30 days. After that we remove it and keep only general facts about it: its rough location (country), its network operator, whether it belongs to a cloud provider, and a code that groups searches from one network on one day.
We keep these records to improve results and to tell people from automated traffic. We don't link searches to your name or to askrobots.com accounts.
Searches made on askrobots.com
askrobots.com shows results from AskRobots search. Since 29 October 2026, when you search there (and when you vote on a result, see an ad, ask for an answer or use the site-owner tools), askrobots.com sends us the words of your search, its own key, and, so the same limits and counts apply as on this site: your IP address, your browser's user-agent text, whether you are signed in, and a visitor id. The visitor id is a code askrobots.com makes from your account, or from its search-pass cookie or session if you aren't signed in, using a secret key, so it contains no name or email address and can't be turned back into who you are; it is the same on each search you make, so we can tell one visitor's searches from another's. Type-ahead suggestions send only the letters typed. We keep these as described above for searches made here: the full IP address for 30 days, then only general facts. If askrobots.com starts sending us anything else, we will say so here first.
Site icons and page previews that askrobots.com shows load directly from our servers, so our server logs record those requests like any other: your IP address, your browser's user-agent text and the picture's address (see Server logs).
Ads
Some results pages show one text ad under the first result and one in the side panel. They come from AskRobots' own ad network, run by askrobots.com. A paid ad is labelled "Sponsored" and shows what a click on it costs the advertiser; our own notices are labelled "From AskRobots". Ads are never mixed into the results, and the AskRobots API never returns ads with search results.
- An ad is chosen only from the words of your search and the topics of the top results. We don't build ad profiles, and we don't use your history, cookies or location to choose ads. Ads load nothing from other sites.
- When a paid ad is shown, we send askrobots.com the ad, where it was shown, the time, the price and a random number, so the advertiser can be billed. Nothing about you is in it, and we don't keep it after it is sent.
- A click on a paid ad goes through askrobots.com, which counts it for billing and checks it for fraud; its own privacy policy covers what it records.
- For our own notices we keep daily counts of how often each was shown, clicked or hidden. If you choose "Don't show this", we remember it in the
ar_prefscookie. - We use your browser's user-agent text to leave paid ads out for known bots.
Suggestions as you type
The letters you type in the search box are sent to our server to fetch suggestions. If you pick a suggestion, we record it like a search and a click.
Server logs
Our servers keep access logs: the time, your full IP address, the address you requested (for a search, that includes the words), the referring page and your browser's user-agent text. We also keep a copy of the log lines that record searches, so they can be added to our search records.
Things you send us
Pages you submit, reports about results, requests from site owners, and email you send us, including any contact details you include. For limits on submissions and reports we store a salted hash of your network.
Public web pages
Our crawler, AskRobotsBot, collects public web pages and follows each site's robots.txt (how it works). We store their text, links, icons and screenshots, and the information about people that public pages contain.
How we use information
We may use the information we collect to:
- provide, operate and maintain AskRobots and related services;
- rank, filter and improve results, suggestions, related searches and the directory, including showing counts based on what other visitors did;
- research, analyse, test and develop new features, products and services;
- build, train, evaluate and improve our software, including machine-learning and AI models;
- measure speed and reliability, and fix problems;
- tell searches made by people from automated traffic, so counts such as popular searches reflect people;
- detect, investigate and prevent abuse, fraud, security incidents and violations of our terms;
- respond to you, and enforce and defend our rights;
- comply with law; and
- for any other purpose we describe when we collect the information, or with your consent.
We may also create aggregated or de-identified information from what we collect, and use and share it for any purpose.
How we share information
We may share information:
- Publicly, in aggregated or de-identified form: for example popular searches, counts on results, statistics and research.
- With service providers who host, store, process or analyse information or help us run the service (including hosting, communications and AI providers).
- With related AskRobots services such as askrobots.com (for example when you use Save).
- In a business transfer: if AskRobots or its assets are sold, merged, financed, reorganised or transferred, or as part of a bankruptcy, information may be transferred as part of that transaction.
- For legal reasons and safety: when we believe in good faith that it is needed to comply with law or legal process, respond to government requests, enforce our terms, or protect the rights, property or safety of AskRobots, our users or others.
- With your consent or at your direction.
We do not currently sell personal information for money. If that changes, we will update this policy and provide any choices the law requires.
How long we keep information
We keep information for as long as we consider it useful for the purposes above, unless the law requires us to delete it sooner. Today server logs are usually rotated out after about two weeks. Search, click and vote records are kept without a fixed schedule, except that the full IP address in them is removed after 30 days, as described above. We may change these periods, keep copies in backups, and keep aggregated or de-identified information indefinitely.
Cookies and browser storage
We use cookies and similar technologies to run the service, remember choices and understand how it is used. Today they include:
| Name | What it holds | How long |
|---|---|---|
wh_sid | A random visit id that links a search to the click or vote that follows it. | 30 minutes after your last search or click |
session | Used by Add a page to show the status of your submissions. | Up to 31 days |
ar_prefs | Your settings, such as safe search or language. | Up to a year |
ar-theme (browser storage) | Your light or dark choice, kept in your browser. | Until you clear it |
We may add or change cookies as the service changes. You can block or clear cookies in your browser; some features may not work without them. We do not respond to Do Not Track or Global Privacy Control signals.
Other services
Results and "search elsewhere" links lead to sites and services we don't control. Their own privacy policies apply there, and we are not responsible for their practices.
Security
We use reasonable measures to protect information, but no method of transmission or storage is completely secure, and we cannot guarantee the security of any information.
Where information is processed
AskRobots is operated from the United States, and information is stored and processed there and wherever our service providers operate. By using the service you consent to that, including where the laws are different from those where you live.
Children
AskRobots is not directed to children under 13, and we do not knowingly collect personal information from them. If you believe a child has given us personal information, contact us and we will take appropriate steps to delete it.
Your choices and requests
You can stop using the service, use it without cookies, and change your settings. Depending on where you live, you may have rights under applicable law to request access to or deletion of personal information. Send requests to dan@askrobots.com. We will respond as applicable law requires. We may need information to verify a request, and we may decline requests where the law permits, including where we cannot reasonably match a request to records (our search records are not stored with names).
Changes
We may change this policy at any time. The new version takes effect when we post it here with a new date. Your continued use of the service after that means you accept the changes.
Contact
AskRobots Search, 4236 Feagan St, Houston, TX 77007, United States
dan@askrobots.com