Last updated: October 15, 2026
Who we are
German Roots Project (https://germanrootsproject.com) is operated a United States limited liability company (“we”, “us”, “our”). This policy explains what information we collect on this website, how we use it, who we share it with, and the choices you have. If you have any question about it, email us at contact@germanrootsproject.com.
Summary
- Our guides can be read without giving us any personal information.
- If you use our citizenship eligibility check, we store your answers, your first name and your email address.
- We share your details with a citizenship specialist only if you tick the box asking for a free case review. We may be paid for that introduction.
- We do not sell your information to advertisers, data brokers or anyone else.
- You can ask us at any time to see, correct or delete your information.
The citizenship eligibility check
Our eligibility check asks two questions about your family history and gives you an automated estimate of whether a route to German citizenship may be open to you. The result is an estimate, not legal advice.
What we collect
- Your answers to the two questions
- The result shown to you
- Your first name and email address
- Whether you ticked the box asking for a specialist review
- The page you used the check on, and the date and time
To block spam, we also use your IP address in a scrambled (hashed) form for up to one hour. It is not stored with your answers.
Your answers describe your family’s origins. We use them only for the purposes listed below.
Your result and the downloadable PDF are created in your own browser. We do not email them to you.
How we use it
- To show you your result
- To pass your request to a citizenship specialist, if you asked for a review (see below)
- To understand how the check is used and improve it, using combined statistics
- To occasionally email you about citizenship or genealogy resources related to your result. Every email includes an unsubscribe link.
Sharing with a citizenship specialist
If you tick the box asking for a free case review, we share your first name, email address, answers, result and the date of your check with one citizenship specialist for your country. This is a law firm or a citizenship service company that we work with. The specialist may contact you by email about your case.
- We may receive a fee from the specialist for the introduction. It does not change what you pay them, and you are under no obligation to hire them.
- Once shared, the specialist handles your information under its own privacy policy. Specialists may be located outside the United States, including in Germany.
- If you do not tick the box, we do not share your details with any specialist.
Analytics
We use Google Analytics to understand how visitors use this site, such as which pages are read and how people arrive. Google Analytics uses cookies and collects information such as your device, browser, approximate location and the pages you visit. We also record when someone completes the eligibility check, which result they received, and whether they asked for a review. We never send your name or email address to Google Analytics. You can opt out with the Google Analytics opt-out browser add-on.
Free guides and paid downloads (Gumroad)
Our free checklists and paid guides are delivered through Gumroad. When you get one, Gumroad collects your email address and, for purchases, your payment details, under its own privacy policy. As the seller, we receive your email address and purchase details from Gumroad, and may email you about related guides. You can unsubscribe at any time.
Affiliate links
Some links on this site are affiliate links, for example to MyHeritage. If you sign up or buy through them, we may earn a commission at no extra cost to you. The partner site may use cookies to record that you came from us. We receive commission reports, not your personal details.
Comments
If you leave a comment, we collect what you enter in the comment form, plus your IP address and browser details to help detect spam. Comments may be checked by an automated spam detection service. An anonymized string created from your email address may be sent to the Gravatar service to show your profile picture. Comments and their details are kept indefinitely so follow-up comments can be approved automatically.
Cookies
This site uses cookies for analytics (Google Analytics), for affiliate tracking when you click an affiliate link, and to remember your details if you choose to when commenting. You can block or delete cookies in your browser settings. Some features may not work as expected if you do.
Embedded content
Pages may include embedded content such as videos or images from other websites. Embedded content behaves as if you had visited the other website, which may collect data about you, use cookies and track your interaction with it.
Other sharing
Apart from the specialist sharing described above, we share information only:
- With service providers that help us run the site, such as our web host, Google Analytics, Gumroad and our spam-protection service, and only for that purpose
- If required by law, or to protect our rights or the safety of others
- With a buyer or successor if this website is sold or transferred
How long we keep your information
- Eligibility check submissions: up to 24 months, then deleted. We delete them sooner if you ask.
- Emails you send us: as long as needed to answer you.
- Comments: indefinitely, unless you ask us to remove them.
Your choices and rights
Email us at contact@germanrootsproject.com to:
- Get a copy of the information we hold about you
- Correct it
- Delete it
- Withdraw your request for a specialist review. We will stop any further sharing and tell you which specialist already received your details, so you can contact them directly.
- Stop receiving emails from us (or use the unsubscribe link in any email)
Residents of some US states, such as California, Virginia and Colorado, have specific privacy rights under state law. We honor the requests above for everyone, wherever you live. We will not treat you differently for making a request.
Security
We use reasonable measures to protect your information, including encrypted connections (HTTPS) and restricted access to submissions. No method of storing or sending information online is completely secure.
Children
This site is intended for adults. Please do not use the eligibility check if you are under 18. We do not knowingly collect information from children under 13. If you believe a child has given us information, contact us and we will delete it.
Visitors outside the United States
We are a US company. If you visit from another country, your information may be processed in the United States and in the countries where our service providers and specialists are located.
Changes to this policy
We may update this policy as the site changes. We will post the new version here with a new “Last updated” date.
Contact
Questions or requests: contact@germanrootsproject.com