How we keep what you share

We receive the words and anything else you fill in: the original language, who said them, the source and its link, context, annotations, why they stayed with you, and a first name or nickname if you leave one. We check the source link as you type it to see whether it works. We also note when you sent it.

We receive your thought, the quote it belongs to, a name if you leave one, and when you sent it.

Every entry is read by a person, usually within a week. While it waits, a short preview may be emailed to us as a reminder.

We look for words that clearly mean something to the person who sent them. Then we check them:

• Who said it. We look for the original source, like the book, speech, or recording, rather than quote sites. If we can’t confirm who said it, we may credit it as a saying or as unknown, or hold it back.
• The source link. We make sure it works and isn’t flagged as unsafe.
• The wording. We may lightly edit for spelling, punctuation, formatting, or accuracy. We don’t change what you meant.

We keep words that are genuine, human, and good. So we don’t publish spam or ads, hateful or harmful content, sexually explicit content, private details about anyone, quotes that are made up or misattributed, or anything we can’t stand behind. The final choice is ours.

Thoughts go through the same reading.

Once approved, an entry becomes public in the collection, along with any name you left. Without a name, it’s credited to “a fellow human.” Anything we don’t approve is deleted. If we later take something down, we may keep a private copy unless you ask us to delete it.

We don’t ask for your email, so we can’t tell you whether your entry was approved. Keep an eye on the collection.

If something here doesn’t sit right with you, a quote, a note, or a thought, write to hello@wordswekeep.org. We’ll take a look.

By adding words or thoughts, you confirm that you’re free to share them. You also let us show them in the collection and share them elsewhere to talk about Words We Keep, such as on social media, in podcasts, in interviews, or in award entries. We credit you the same way the collection does. You keep the rights to what you wrote, and nobody pays or gets paid.

The quotes belong to the people who said or wrote them. We share short excerpts, always credited, alongside the reflections people bring to them. We don’t publish whole songs, poems, or texts. If you hold the rights to something here and want it changed or removed, write to hello@wordswekeep.org and we’ll act on it promptly.

If the words came from someone in your life, please use only a name they’d be happy to see here, and leave out private details about anyone.

We don’t store it with what you send. To stop spam, we turn it into a scrambled code that counts how often something is sent, and delete the code within an hour.

We don’t sell what you share. We don’t use ads, analytics, or tracking tools, and we don’t set cookies. Your browser keeps a few small notes on your device, like which quote you were reading and which ones you’ve already seen, so your next visit can open on something new. They never leave your browser.

The site runs on other companies’ services. They may see standard technical details such as your IP address and browser, under their own privacy policies. Their servers may be in the United States or elsewhere.

• GitHub hosts the site. The collection’s data is kept in a public GitHub repository.
• Cloudflare receives what you send, holds entries while they wait, delivers our fonts, and sends our reminder emails.
• When you open a quote with a video or song, your browser asks the platform it lives on (YouTube, Vimeo, TikTok, Instagram, Spotify, or Apple Music) for a preview image and details. The player loads only when you press play, and that platform may then set its own cookies.

To see, correct, or remove something you sent, write to hello@wordswekeep.org. We’ll reply within 30 days. When we remove something, it comes off the site and out of our records. Earlier versions can remain in the site’s public history on GitHub, and in places we don’t control, like search engines or other sites.

Words We Keep isn’t meant for children under 13. If you’re under 13, please don’t send anything.