Affiliate & Cookie Policy

Last updated: 28/10/2025

1. Overview

This Affiliate & Cookie Policy explains how NeedItOnline Pty Ltd (ABN 90 602 073 585) trading as Trace My Genealogy (“we”, “us”, “our”) uses affiliate links, referral programs, and cookies across our websites:

It should be read together with our Privacy Policy and Terms of Use.

We value transparency and are committed to explaining how affiliate relationships and cookies work so you can make informed choices about your privacy.

2. Affiliate Links

Our websites include affiliate links to third-party genealogy resources, databases, tools, and products. When you click an affiliate link and make a purchase or complete another qualifying action:

We may receive a small commission or referral fee from that third-party provider.
The price you pay is not affected by our commission.
Affiliate partners use tracking technologies (such as cookies or referral codes) to identify that you came from our website.

2.1 Why We Use Affiliate Links

Affiliate partnerships help us:

Support the ongoing maintenance of our free genealogy content, printables, and research tools.
Keep access to educational materials free for our readers.
Recommend relevant and trustworthy genealogy services, software, and archives.

2.2 Transparency

We clearly label affiliate links or disclose them at the top or bottom of articles, using wording such as:

“This article contains affiliate links, which means we may earn a small commission (at no extra cost to you).”

2.3 Editorial Integrity

We only promote products or services we have researched and believe to be valuable to genealogists and family-history researchers.
Affiliate income never influences our editorial decisions or reviews.
Our goal is to provide honest, useful, and independent recommendations.

3. Affiliate Programs We May Participate In

Trace My Genealogy participates in a variety of affiliate programs relevant to genealogical research and family-history education, including (but not limited to):

Archival and historical-record databases
Online learning platforms and research-software providers
Print-on-demand and publishing platforms for genealogy printables
Amazon Associates Program

We may update or change our list of affiliate partnerships at any time.

3.1 Amazon Associates Program

Trace My Genealogy is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon-owned properties, including:

Amazon.com
Amazon.com.au
Amazon.co.uk and other regional stores.

As an Amazon Associate, we earn from qualifying purchases.
Amazon and its affiliates may place cookies or use other tracking technologies (such as pixels or local storage) to measure referral performance and process commissions.

Please refer to Amazon’s own Privacy Notice for details on how Amazon collects and processes personal information.

4. Cookies & Tracking Technologies

4.1 What Are Cookies?

Cookies are small text files stored on your device when you visit a website. They help websites recognise returning visitors, remember preferences, and analyse performance.

4.2 How We Use Cookies

We use cookies and similar tracking technologies for the following purposes:

Purpose	Example
Essential cookies	Enable key site functionality, security, and login areas.
Analytics cookies	Help us understand how visitors use our site (e.g. Google Analytics).
Affiliate tracking cookies	Attribute commissions for referrals and ensure affiliates are rewarded correctly.
Marketing / advertising cookies	Display relevant ads or partner promotions (if applicable).
Preference cookies	Remember your language, layout, or cookie-consent settings.

4.3 Third-Party Cookies

Some cookies are set by third-party services we integrate with, including:

Affiliate and referral platforms
Analytics providers (e.g., Google Analytics)
Social-media plugins or embedded content (e.g., YouTube videos, X/Twitter embeds)

We do not control these third-party cookies and encourage you to review their individual privacy policies.

4.4 How Long Cookies Are Stored

Cookies may remain on your device for a variable period, from one browsing session (“session cookies”) up to several months or years (“persistent cookies”).
You can delete cookies manually at any time through your browser settings.

4.5 Managing Cookies & Opt-Out Options

You can manage or disable cookies using your browser’s privacy settings.

Google Chrome: Settings → Privacy and Security → Cookies and Other Site Data
Safari: Preferences → Privacy
Firefox: Options → Privacy & Security
Edge: Settings → Site Permissions → Cookies

If you disable cookies, some website functions may not work correctly (e.g., affiliate tracking or log-ins).

You can also manage advertising preferences or opt out of tracking through services such as:

5. Web Beacons & Analytics

We may use web beacons (tiny graphics in emails or pages) to measure engagement or track which affiliate links are clicked.
Analytics tools such as Google Analytics collect anonymised data to improve our website’s usability and performance.
No personally identifiable information is stored unless you voluntarily provide it (e.g., by registering or making a purchase).

6. International Visitors

Our websites are hosted in Australia, but we may serve visitors globally.
If you are visiting from the European Union, United Kingdom, or other regions with privacy laws that differ from Australia’s, please note that your information may be transferred, processed, and stored in Australia.
By using our Sites, you consent to these transfers under the safeguards outlined in our Privacy Policy.

7. Your Consent

By using our websites, you consent to:

Our participation in affiliate programs and the placement of affiliate links; and
The use of cookies and similar technologies as described in this policy.

When visiting our Sites for the first time, you may see a cookie-consent banner.
By continuing to browse or clicking “Accept,” you consent to our use of cookies.

8. Changes to This Policy

We may update this policy periodically to reflect new affiliate partnerships, technologies, or legal requirements.
Updates will be posted on this page with a revised “Last updated” date.
We encourage you to review this policy regularly.

9. Contact Us

For questions about this Affiliate & Cookie Policy, please contact us at:

Trace My Genealogy
NeedItOnline Pty Ltd (ABN 90 602 073 585)
Website: https://tracemygenealogy.com