Useful without being intrusive.
The public Exchange is designed to work without knowing who you are.
What the public service may use
- The place names you choose, remembered in your browser so you can return to them
- The words you enter, to match published information
- Anonymous totals of search themes, result quality, pages opened and action buttons clicked
- Essential technical security information
What it is not designed to collect
- Public user accounts or profiles
- Your name, email address, telephone number or full postcode
- Raw search histories, individual browsing histories or advertising profiles
Your saved places
Selected place names are kept in local storage on your device. They are not linked to an account. You can change them or choose “Forget saved places” at any time, and clearing your browser data will also remove them.
Anonymous usage counts
The Exchange counts search themes, filters, result quality, organisation and content page views, website clicks and action-button clicks. It stores aggregate totals rather than a visitor identity or the original personal sentence entered. It does not store a visitor name, IP address or personal browsing profile. Figures may include repeat visits and are not presented as unique people.
How guided search works
The built-in search matches requirements against public Community Exchange records. When Cloudflare AI Search is connected, it receives a short phrase made from recognised needs and words in the public library, rather than your original personal sentence. It searches copies of public records; the Exchange reloads the current records before displaying results. Normal search continues if Cloudflare is unavailable. An optional alternative model can help interpret unclear searches when Cloudflare is not connected; email addresses, phone numbers and postcodes are removed first. Search terms can remain in your browser address and history.
Administration is separate
Authorised administrators need a protected identity to approve and maintain public content. Their access records are operational data and are kept separate from anonymous public use.