Privacy Policy
What we collect, why, and what you can do about it. Last updated: August 2026.
What we collect
- Account data — your email address, and (if you set one) a display name and username.
- Uploads — the model files, images, and descriptions you publish.
- Activity — views, downloads, likes, ratings, and comments, used for counts and part-page stats.
- Cookies — a short list, in the table below.
Why we collect it
- To make the site work: accounts, sign-in, downloads.
- To personalize your home page (recently viewed parts) and power recommendations.
- To rank search results and catch abuse (rate limits, spam, takedown enforcement).
Sign-in
You sign in with an emailed magic link or with Google. Magic links are only used to prove you own the address — we don't send marketing email to it. With Google sign-in we receive your name, email, and avatar as provided by Google, and nothing else.
Cookies
| Cookie | Purpose | Set by |
|---|---|---|
| pd_recent | Remembers parts you recently viewed, for the “pick up where you left off” section. | Site (on visit) |
| pd_last | Stores the last part or car you looked at, to restore your browse position. | Site (on visit) |
| authjs.session-token | Keeps you signed in. Cleared when you sign out. | Auth library |
| pd_ads_consent | Remembers your ad consent choice (granted/denied). | Site (consent banner) |
When ads or analytics are enabled, Google AdSense and Google Analytics may set cookies to serve/measure ads and to count page views. We only load those scripts after you grant consent in the banner. The personalization cookies above contain no identifiers beyond the part IDs you visited. You can change your choice anytime with the “Cookie settings” link in the footer — no need to clear site data.
Notifications are opt-in in your settings: comments on your parts. Turn it off and you won't hear from us. The only always-on email is the sign-in link itself.
Advertising & Analytics
GarageLayer may show ads via Google AdSense to keep the site free and uses Google Analytics 4 (GA4) to count page views and improve the site. Both load only after you accept in the consent banner. You can change your choice anytime with the “Cookie settings” link in the footer. See how Google uses data for ads and Google Privacy Policy.
Third parties
- Google AdSense — serves ads after consent; see their ad policy above.
- Google Analytics 4 — counts page views after consent (IP anonymized); see Google Privacy Policy above.
- Meilisearch (self-hosted) — powers search. It indexes public part data on our own server.
- External sites — indexed listings show public titles, summaries, and thumbnails from Thingiverse, Printables, MakerWorld, or Cults3D. When you click out to those sites, their own policies take over. We don't send them your data.
What we don't do
- We don't sell your data. To anyone. Ever.
- We don't track you across other sites beyond what Google AdSense does after you consent.
Deleting your data
Want your account gone? Open a support ticket asking for deletion. We'll remove your account and personal details; you can ask us to also delete or anonymize your uploads and comments. Backups may retain copies for a short window before they roll over.
Questions? Open a support ticket.