Privacy Policy

Last updated: September 2026

This Privacy Policy explains how 9to5Azure ("I", "me", "my") collects, uses, stores, and protects personal data when you visit this website, create a member account, or interact with its features. It also explains your rights regarding your personal data.

Who I Am

9to5Azure is a personal technical blog operated by Thomas Cowen and is available at https://9to5azure.com.

If you have any questions about this Privacy Policy, wish to exercise your privacy rights, or would like to request access to or deletion of your personal data, please contact:

Email: support@9to5azure.com

What Data I Collect

a) Information You Provide

When you create a member account, I collect:

• Email address (required), used to create your account and send newsletters or post notifications where you have subscribed.
• Name (optional), if you choose to provide one, used to personalise emails and member communications.

I only collect the information required to operate the website and its member services.

b) Information Collected Automatically

To operate the website, improve its content, maintain security, understand how visitors use the site, and prevent abuse, 9to5Azure may collect the following information automatically.

Membership Information

• Account creation date and time.
• Login activity.
• Newsletter subscription, update and unsubscribe events.
• The page from which you registered.
• The source of your registration (for example LinkedIn, a search engine, or a direct visit).

Website Analytics

The website uses Microsoft Clarity to better understand how visitors interact with the site. Until you consent to analytics cookies, Clarity operates in its limited no-consent mode without using cookies to link activity across pages.

Clarity may collect information such as:

• Pages visited.
• Time spent on pages.
• Navigation paths.
• Scroll depth.
• Clicks and interaction events.
• Referring websites.
• Device type.
• Browser type and version.
• Operating system.
• Screen resolution.
• Approximate geographic location (such as country or region).
• Language settings.

This information is used only to understand website usage, identify areas for improvement, diagnose usability issues, and improve the overall visitor experience.

Microsoft Clarity is not used by 9to5Azure to identify you personally or for personalised advertising.

Microsoft Clarity

9to5Azure loads Microsoft Clarity in cookieless no-consent mode by default. In this mode, basic page views and interactions may be collected, but separate page visits are not linked into a continuous multi-page session. If you choose “Allow cookies”, Clarity may use analytics cookies to provide session continuity and its full analytics features.

Microsoft Clarity may collect behavioural information including:

• Anonymous session recordings.
• Heatmaps.
• Mouse movements.
• Scroll behaviour.
• Click interactions.
• Navigation paths.
• Device and browser information.

This information helps identify usability issues, improve navigation, optimise content, and understand how visitors interact with the website.

Microsoft Clarity processes data in accordance with Microsoft's own privacy policies. Personal information such as passwords, payment details, and sensitive form fields is not intentionally collected through Clarity.

For more information, please refer to the Microsoft Privacy Statement.

Security and Diagnostic Information

To maintain the reliability and security of the website, I may also collect:

• Missing page (404) requests.
• Requested URL.
• Query string.
• Referring page (where available).
• Browser user agent.
• Timestamp.
• Approximate country.
• A one-way hashed IP address, where available from the hosting platform.

Raw IP addresses are not stored by 9to5Azure for these purposes.

c) Campaign Labels

Where specific sign-up campaigns or promotions are offered, your account may be assigned an internal label to indicate how you registered.

Examples include:

• Newsletter campaign
• LinkedIn campaign
• Free advisory offer

These labels are used solely for administration, reporting, and communicating relevant information relating to that campaign.

They are never sold or shared for advertising purposes.

What I Do Not Collect

I do not require you to provide:

• Postal address
• Telephone number
• Date of birth
• Employer information
• Payment details

Free membership does not require sensitive personal information.

I do not intentionally collect special category personal data.

Why I Collect Your Information

Your information is used to:

• Provide member-only functionality.
• Authenticate member accounts.
• Deliver newsletters and notifications you have requested.
• Understand which channels drive website registrations.
• Improve articles, tools, navigation, and user experience.
• Understand visitor behaviour through website analytics.
• Identify broken links and missing pages.
• Detect automated abuse and malicious activity.
• Maintain the security and reliability of the website.
• Troubleshoot operational issues.

I only process personal information where there is a legitimate reason to do so.

Who Processes Your Data

9to5Azure uses trusted third-party service providers to operate the website and its services.

These may include providers responsible for:

• Website hosting.
• Member authentication.
• Email delivery.
• Database hosting.
• Analytics.
• Website performance monitoring.
• Content delivery.

These providers process data only as necessary to provide their respective services.

Data Sharing

I do not sell, rent, or trade your personal information.

Personal information is only shared where necessary:

• With trusted service providers operating the website.
• With Microsoft Clarity in limited cookieless mode, and with additional session continuity when you consent to analytics cookies.
• Where required by law or valid legal process.
• To protect the security, integrity, or operation of the website.

Cookies

9to5Azure uses cookies to support essential website functionality and improve the visitor experience.

Essential Cookies

These cookies are required for features such as:

• Signing in.
• Maintaining your authenticated session.
• Member account functionality.

These cookies cannot be disabled without affecting website functionality.

Functional Cookies

The Azure Naming Convention Generator stores functional cookies within your browser (prefixed ng_) to remember preferences such as:

• Customer acronym.
• Naming convention.
• Environment.
• Region.

These cookies expire after one year and exist solely to improve usability.

Analytics Cookies

If you choose “Allow cookies” in the website’s privacy controls, analytics cookies may be used by:

• Microsoft Clarity.

These cookies help understand:

• Which pages are most useful.
• How visitors navigate the website.
• Which features are used.
• Where visitors experience usability issues.

This information is used only to improve the website and is never used for personalised advertising.

Your choice is stored in your browser so the website can remember it. You can change or withdraw your choice at any time by selecting Cookie settings in the website footer. If you continue without analytics cookies, Clarity remains in limited cookieless mode and does not link your activity across pages using Clarity cookies.

If additional non-essential cookies are introduced in the future, this Privacy Policy will be updated accordingly and, where required, appropriate consent options will be provided.

Legal Basis for Processing

Where UK data protection law applies, personal data is processed under one or more of the following legal bases:

• Your consent, where required (for example, certain analytics cookies).
• The performance of a contract when providing member services.
• Legitimate interests in operating, securing, maintaining, and improving the website.
• Compliance with legal obligations where applicable.

Data Retention

Personal information is retained only for as long as necessary to operate the website, provide member services, maintain mailing lists, fulfil legal obligations, resolve disputes, or protect the security of the website.

If you request deletion of your account, I will delete or anonymise your personal data unless retention is required for legal, security, fraud prevention, or administrative purposes.

Your Rights

Depending on your location and applicable privacy laws, you may have the right to:

• Request access to your personal data.
• Request correction of inaccurate information.
• Request deletion of your personal data.
• Request restriction of processing.
• Object to certain processing activities.
• Withdraw consent where processing relies on consent.
• Request a copy of your personal data where applicable.

To exercise any of these rights, please contact:

support@9to5azure.com

Security

Reasonable technical and organisational measures are used to protect personal information against unauthorised access, disclosure, alteration, or destruction.

However, no website or online service can guarantee absolute security, and you provide information at your own risk.

Changes to This Privacy Policy

This Privacy Policy may be updated periodically to reflect changes in:

• Website functionality.
• Services used.
• Legal or regulatory requirements.
• Security practices.

The latest version will always be published on this page together with the updated revision date.

Continued use of the website after changes have been published constitutes acceptance of the revised Privacy Policy.

Contact

If you have any questions regarding this Privacy Policy or how your information is handled, please contact:

Thomas Cowen
9to5Azure
Email: support@9to5azure.com

Thank you for supporting 9to5Azure.