Privacy policy

Draft · September 19, 2026

Hitch is a free daily word puzzle operated by Scott Rosenkrantz ("Hitch," "we," or "us"). This policy explains how information is handled when you use playhitch.com, our public API, our game widget, or contact us.

The short version

• You do not need an account or provide your name, email, or phone number to play.
• The browser game saves your progress on your device.
• We use Vercel for hosting and website analytics.
• We do not sell personal information or share it for cross-context behavioral advertising.
• Questions or requests: support@playhitch.com.

Game progress and browser storage

The browser version of Hitch stores your current game, results, and settings locally so you can continue playing later. You can remove this saved progress by clearing the site's data in your browser. Clearing it may permanently remove your progress.

Local progress storage is separate from the website analytics and technical requests described below.

Website analytics

We use Vercel Web Analytics to understand website traffic and improve Hitch. It processes information such as pages visited, referral sources, visit times, approximate location, and browser, operating system, and device type.

Vercel describes this service as using aggregated statistics and a request-derived hash to distinguish visitors, rather than third-party cookies. Its visitor session identifier is discarded after 24 hours. This does not mean all analytics reports or hosting logs are deleted after 24 hours. Read Vercel's analytics privacy documentation for details.

Hosting and technical requests

Vercel hosts Hitch. When a browser or assistant requests a page, widget, or API response, technical information such as an IP address, request time, requested URL, and browser or client information is processed to deliver the service. Technical logs may be retained to diagnose problems, maintain security, and prevent abuse.

These pages also load fonts from Google Fonts. Your browser connects to Google to retrieve them, which sends Google technical request information, including your IP address. Google's handling of that information is described in its Privacy Policy.

Playing inside an AI assistant

Our public API provides puzzles and game rules. Requests can include a date or puzzle number. The API does not ask for your name, email address, assistant account, conversation, guesses, or scores. Requests are still subject to the technical processing described above.

The Hitch widget is designed to run locally after download, without sending gameplay submissions to our API or saving progress in browser storage. The assistant platform may separately process or retain your conversation, interactions, or the widget. Its own privacy policy applies to that processing.

If you ask an assistant to remind you to play, the assistant handles that reminder. Hitch's API does not require an email address or notification contact to provide a puzzle.

When you contact us

If you email support@playhitch.com, we receive your email address, your message, and any information or attachments you choose to send. We use this information to respond, troubleshoot problems, and handle requests. Our email provider processes these messages to deliver and store them.

How information is used and shared

We use information to operate Hitch, understand usage, respond to messages, prevent abuse, and meet legal obligations. Hosting, analytics, and email providers process information to provide those services.

We may disclose information where reasonably necessary to comply with law or valid legal requests, protect rights and safety, or investigate misuse. If Hitch is transferred to a new operator, relevant information may be transferred with appropriate protections and any notice required by law. We may also disclose information at your direction.

Retention and security

Locally saved progress remains until you clear it or your browser removes it. We retain support correspondence only as long as reasonably needed to resolve requests, maintain relevant support history, and meet legal obligations. Technical records are retained as needed for operations, troubleshooting, and security, subject to our providers' retention settings. Aggregated statistics that no longer identify anyone may be kept longer.

We use reasonable safeguards to protect information, but no system is completely secure. Our providers may process information outside your country. Where applicable law requires safeguards for international transfers, those safeguards must apply.

Your privacy choices

Contact support@playhitch.com to ask about your information or request access, correction, or deletion. Depending on your location and applicable law, you may also have rights to portability, restriction, objection, withdrawal of consent, or a complaint to a privacy regulator.

We may need to verify a request and will respond within applicable legal deadlines. Because Hitch has no player accounts, we may be unable to link aggregated analytics to you. You can delete locally saved progress directly in your browser. We do not penalize people for exercising applicable privacy rights.

Children

Hitch is a general-audience game and is not directed to children under 13. We do not knowingly collect personal information from children under 13. If you believe a child has provided personal information to us, contact support@playhitch.com so we can investigate and delete it where required.

Changes and contact

We will update this policy when our practices change and revise the date above. For material changes, we will provide a notice on the website or another appropriate notice. Where required, we will obtain consent before new processing begins.

Operator: Scott Rosenkrantz
Contact: support@playhitch.com