Privacy Checklist: What Every Creator Should Verify Before Launching Their Site

Why This Matters

Your website is public by default. Anyone can visit it, screenshot it, and share it. For creators in adult-adjacent spaces, this isn't just an inconvenience — it's a real safety and privacy concern.

Before you hit publish, run through this checklist.

Domain & Hosting

• WHOIS privacy enabled — Your real name and address are hidden from public domain records
• Adult-friendly hosting — Your host won't terminate your account for your industry
• Separate billing — Use a payment method that doesn't link back to your personal identity
• Business email — Your contact email isn't your personal Gmail

Technical Privacy

• SSL certificate — Your site loads over HTTPS (non-negotiable)
• Anti-scraping measures — Basic protection against bots harvesting your content
• No third-party trackers — Analytics and tools that don't sell or share your data
• Comment moderation — If your site has comments, they're moderated to prevent doxxing
• No public author names — Your real name doesn't appear in page source or meta tags

Content Review

• No personal information — Address, real name, workplace, or other identifying details
• Image metadata stripped — EXIF data removed from all photos (contains GPS, device info)
• No personal social links — Your personal Instagram, Facebook, or other accounts aren't linked
• Careful with testimonials — Client quotes don't reveal identifying information
• Age gate if needed — Appropriate for your content and jurisdiction

Analytics & Data

• Privacy-focused analytics — Plausible, Fathom, or similar (not Google Analytics)
• No IP logging — Your analytics don't store visitor IP addresses
• Clear privacy policy — You tell visitors what data you collect and why
• Minimal form data — You only ask for what you actually need
• Data retention policy — You know how long you keep data and when you delete it

Security Basics

• Strong passwords — All accounts use unique, complex passwords
• 2FA enabled — Two-factor authentication on hosting, domain, and CMS accounts
• Regular backups — Automated backups that you can restore from
• Updated software — CMS, plugins, and dependencies are current
• Security monitoring — Something alerts you to suspicious activity

Legal & Business

• Terms of service — Clear rules for using your site
• Privacy policy — Required if you collect any data
• Contract for clients — If you work with other creators, have a written agreement
• Separate business records — Your website business is documented separately from personal finances

The Alias Test

Before launching, ask: If someone screenshots your site and shares it, can they identify you?

If the answer is yes, go back through this list. Every piece of identifying information is a risk.

Bottom Line

Privacy isn't optional for creators. It's a core part of your professional offering. Running through this checklist before launch — and revisiting it regularly — keeps you safe and your visitors confident.

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Need help implementing any of these? I build privacy-first sites with all of these protections included by default. Let's talk.