Privacy Policy

TopTenAtlas is built to help you discover cities and listings with minimal friction. This Privacy Policy explains what information we collect, why we collect it, how long we keep it, and what choices you have—including when we show third-party ads (such as through Google AdSense) and use cookies for the site and for advertising. We aim to collect only what we need to operate, improve, protect, and support the service.

Last updated: April 24, 2026. This policy applies to your use of the website and online services we offer at our primary domain and subpages. By using TopTenAtlas, you acknowledge this policy. If you do not agree, please discontinue use of the site.

Who we are

TopTenAtlas operates the discovery platform described on our About page. For privacy-related questions or requests, contact contact@toptenatlas.com.

TopTenAtlas is operated by a small editorial team based in the United States.

Information we collect

Information you provide directly

  • Email and message content when you contact us (for example corrections, support, or partnership inquiries). We use this only to respond and to maintain a record of legitimate requests where appropriate.
  • Newsletter and marketing opt-in — If you sign up for email updates in the site footer, we collect your email address and record that you agreed to this Privacy Policy at signup (including a short consent label or version we store with your signup). We use this only to send the kind of updates we describe at signup (for example city guides and product news), unless you agree separately to something else. You may unsubscribe at any time using the link in any newsletter email, or by contacting us from the address you subscribed with and asking to be removed from the list. We do not sell email addresses.

Information collected automatically

  • Usage data and basic analytics — such as pages viewed, approximate region or country (when available from web logs or analytics), device category, browser type, and referral source. We use this in aggregate to understand which cities and features matter most, to improve performance, and to spot errors. This is usually not aimed at identifying you personally, but technical data such as IP address may be processed by our hosting or analytics providers as part of normal web delivery.
  • Ad-related data (via partners) — when we show display ads, partners such as Google (for example through Google AdSense) or other advertising networks may process technical information to deliver and measure ads. That can include your IP address, a device or browser identifier, general location, which page or ad you saw, and whether an ad was shown or clicked. We do not receive a full profile of you from Google in our own systems; their use of data is governed by their policies (see links below).
  • Technical and diagnostic data — such as error signals, response times, or security events. This helps us keep the site reliable and detect abuse.

Cookies and similar technologies

We use cookies and similar storage for a few simple reasons: to remember preferences (for example cookie consent or display settings such as light/dark theme where the product stores your choice in the browser), to operate essential security or load-balancing features, and to measure traffic in a privacy-conscious way.

Advertising cookies (Google AdSense). Google is a third-party vendor that uses cookies, including the DoubleClick cookie, to serve ads based on your prior visits to this and other websites. These cookies help show ads, limit repetitive ads, and measure ad performance.

You can opt out of personalized advertising by visiting Google Ads Settings. You can also manage cookies in your browser settings. If you block ad cookies, you may still see ads, but they may be less relevant.

Where required by law, you may see a cookie consent banner before non-essential cookies are used. Non-essential cookies, including advertising cookies, may require your consent.

For how Google uses data from sites that use its services, see How Google uses data from partner sites. Google's privacy policy is at policies.google.com/privacy. You can adjust some ad personalization settings for Google at www.google.com/settings/ads. Other ad networks have their own opt-outs; we may use additional partners over time—check this page for updates.

You can control cookies through your browser settings; disabling some cookies may limit certain site features or how ads are tailored.

Local storage on your device

Some features store data only in your browser (for example saved listings or theme preferences). This data is not transmitted to us as part of that feature unless you separately email us or submit a form. Clearing site data in your browser removes it.

How we use information

We use the categories above to:

  • Provide, maintain, and improve TopTenAtlas (including navigation, search, and editorial tools).
  • Measure aggregate engagement and prioritize content and engineering work.
  • Support the site through advertising — including displaying third-party ads (such as Google AdSense) so we can keep much of the content free to read. Ad partners use their own cookies and technology as described above.
  • Protect the service, our users, and our infrastructure from fraud, abuse, or attacks.
  • Respond to your messages and fulfill requests you initiate.
  • Send email updates you explicitly opted into (for example the footer newsletter), and honor unsubscribe requests for those messages.
  • Comply with applicable law or enforce our Terms of Use when necessary.

We do not sell your personal information to third parties.

Where required by law, we rely on appropriate legal bases such as performance of a contract (providing the site you asked to use), legitimate interests (security and improvement, balanced against your rights), or consent (for example where we ask for cookie consent).

How we share information

We may share data with service providers who help us operate the site (for example hosting, analytics, database tools, and email delivery), subject to confidentiality and processing terms. If a signup form or tool is operated directly by a third party, that provider's policy applies to data you submit there.

When we show ads, Google (including AdSense) and possibly other ad technology companies act as independent controllers or processors for the data their scripts collect to deliver and measure advertising. Their collection is covered by their own policies and consent tools (for example region-based consent banners where required). We do not control all of their processing, but we choose partners and placements with reader trust in mind.

Data we collect is used for site operation, service improvement, security, and advertising support as described in this policy.

We may disclose information if required by law, legal process, or to protect rights, safety, or security.

Retention

We retain information only as long as needed for the purposes above. Server logs and analytics may be retained for a limited period for security and troubleshooting. Email correspondence may be kept as long as necessary to resolve your request and maintain ordinary business records unless a longer period is required by law. Newsletter signup records are kept until you ask us to delete your email from the list or we no longer need them for sending updates, unless a longer period is required by law.

International visitors

TopTenAtlas may be accessed globally. If you visit from outside the country where our infrastructure is hosted, your information may be processed in jurisdictions with different data-protection laws. We take reasonable steps to safeguard data consistent with this policy.

Your rights and choices

Depending on where you live, you may have rights to access, correct, delete, or restrict certain personal data, or to object to certain processing. You may also have the right to lodge a complaint with a supervisory authority. To exercise rights that apply to you, email contact@toptenatlas.com with a clear description of your request. We may need to verify your identity before fulfilling it.

For ads and cookies, you can use your browser settings, industry opt-outs where available, and (for Google) the link in the Cookies section above. Where the law requires it, we or our ad partners may show a consent or choices banner before using non-essential cookies for advertising.

Browser-based data (such as saved listings stored locally) can be removed by you at any time through your browser or in-product controls where available.

Children's privacy

TopTenAtlas is not directed to children under the age where parental consent is required in your region, and we do not knowingly collect personal information from such children. If you believe we have collected information from a child inappropriately, please contact us and we will take appropriate steps.

Third-party sites and services

Our pages may link to third-party websites, maps, or booking tools. Their privacy practices are governed by their own policies. We encourage you to read them before providing information on those sites.

Some images load from third-party CDNs (for example Unsplash and Pexels) when you open a page. Your browser contacts those hosts to fetch photos; they may process standard technical data (such as IP address) as part of delivering the file, similar to other embedded web content.

Changes to this policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time. When we do, we will revise the "Last updated" date on this page or otherwise provide notice as appropriate. Continued use of TopTenAtlas after changes take effect constitutes acceptance of the updated policy, except where applicable law requires additional consent.

We handle privacy responsibly by limiting unnecessary collection, documenting how data is used, and updating this page when our practices change.

Contact

For privacy questions or requests: contact@toptenatlas.com. For general inquiries, see our Contact page.