1. The short version
You can use the entire site without giving us any personal information.There are no signups, no login walls, no email required for the career quiz, no contact form for the simulator. Your saved paths are stored only in your own browser's storage, not on our servers.
When you visit, we collect basic, non-identifying usage data through PostHog(an analytics tool) so we can understand what content helps and what doesn't.
To pay for running the site, NextClimb shows ads served by Monetag, an advertising network. Monetag's code collects its own technical data in your browser, described in section 2.3.
2. What we collect
2.1 Analytics data (via PostHog)
When you visit any page, PostHog records:
- The URL you visited
- Time and date of the visit
- Country and approximate city (derived from IP — your full IP is not stored long-term)
- Browser type, version, and device type (mobile / desktop / tablet)
- The page you came from (referrer), if any
- How you interacted with key features: quiz started, quiz completed, course saved, comparison opened, simulator calculated
We use this aggregated data to improve content and understand which courses and guides are most useful. We do not link this data to your identity because we don't collect your identity.
2.2 Local browser storage
Some features remember things in your browser's localStorage. This data never leaves your device and is never sent to our servers or to analytics:
nextclimb:saved-paths:v1— courses and careers you bookmark with the Save button.nextclimb:radar-profile:v1— your Opportunity Radar answers (stage, stream, and whether you live in Maharashtra), used only to filter the dates shown to you.nextclimb:plan:v1— exam and scholarship dates you saved to “My plan”, with the status you set.nextclimb:radar-last-seen:v1— the date of your last radar visit, so we can mark what is new.
Analytics (only with your consent) records that a radar answer was saved as a broad bucket — for example “Class 12, PCM, Maharashtra” — never your date of birth, category or any other personal detail; the radar does not ask for them. You can clear all of this anytime by clearing your browser's site data.
2.3 Advertising data (collected by Monetag)
Ads on NextClimb are served by Monetag. When a page with ads loads, Monetag's code runs in your browser and sends Monetag:
- The address of the page showing the ad, and the page you came from
- Your IP address, and the country and region worked out from it
- Your browser and operating system
- An identifier kept in a cookie or similar browser storage, used to limit how often you see the same ad and to measure how ads perform
NextClimb does not choose individual ads and does not send Monetag your name, email, quiz answers or saved paths — we don't collect those in the first place. Monetag handles this data under its own privacy policy. You can turn off personalised Monetag ads on its opt-out page.
Monetag may also ask for permission to send ad notifications from nextclimb.in. Nothing is sent unless you allow it in your browser's prompt, and you can withdraw the permission at any time in your browser's site settings.
2.4 Calendar subscriptions
If you subscribe to an Opportunity Radar calendar, your calendar app (for example Google Calendar) downloads a public file from nextclimb.in/feeds/on its own schedule. The file is the same for everyone who picks that calendar; we don't know who subscribed and the request carries no personal data from us.
2.5 What we do NOT collect
- Your name, email, or phone number (we don't ask for them)
- Your school, college, or any educational record
- Your quiz answers — these live in the URL and are computed in your browser; we receive only that “a quiz was completed”
- Payment information (the site is fully free)
- Your contacts, photos, or any device permissions
3. Cookies and similar technologies
PostHog uses cookies and similar storage to recognise repeat visitors and session continuity. These are first-party cookies set by our analytics provider, and they are set only after you accept the cookie banner.
Ads are served by Monetag, whose code may set its own cookies or similar identifiers to limit repeat ads and measure performance (see section 2.3). The cookie banner covers analytics only; it does not switch these off. To stop personalised Monetag ads, use Monetag's opt-out page, or block third-party cookies in your browser.
Some course links are affiliate links (see section 4). Clicking one takes you to the partner's own website, which may set its own cookies to attribute the visit. Those cookies are set by the partner on their site, under their privacy policy — not by NextClimb.
Some pages also show a Udemy banner. Its picture and a tiny counting image (an impression pixel) load from Impact, Udemy's affiliate network, when the banner appears, so Impact can count how often it is seen. Impact receives that request like any web server and may set its own cookies under its privacy policy. The cookie banner does not switch this off; blocking third-party cookies or images in your browser does.
If you prefer not to be tracked at all, you can disable cookies in your browser settings or use a privacy-focused browser (Brave, Firefox Strict-Mode, Safari ITP). The site will continue to function fully.
4. Third-party services we use
- PostHog — product analytics. Their privacy policy is at posthog.com/privacy. We use them in a privacy-preserving mode (no autocapture, no session recording).
- Monetag — the advertising network that serves the ads on the site and collects the data described in section 2.3. Their privacy policy is at monetag.com/privacy and their opt-out page at monetag.com/opt-out.
- Google Fonts — to serve the fonts you read this page in. Google may log the request as part of standard CDN operation. Their policy: policies.google.com/privacy
- Affiliate learning platforms(for example Udemy or Coursera) — some “learn this skill” links carry an affiliate tag so NextClimb may earn a commission if you buy, at no extra cost to you. We pass no personal data to the partner; the link itself only identifies NextClimb as the referrer and which page, box and language it was on (for example “courses-bca, list, en”), so we can see which links help. Udemy links and banners run through Impact (impact.com/privacy-policy). Each partner's privacy policy applies once you are on their site.
- WhatsApp share links— when you tap a “Send on WhatsApp” button, you're redirected to WhatsApp's own share interface. We do not see the conversations.
Apart from Monetag, we use no advertising networks, and we add no retargeting pixels, session-replay tools, or chat widgets.
5. Your rights under India's DPDP Act 2023
India's Digital Personal Data Protection Act 2023 gives you specific rights over your personal data. Even though we collect very little, here are your rights and how to exercise them:
- Right to information — about what data is processed. This page is that information.
- Right to access — request a copy of any personal data we have about you. Email us at nextclimbsupport@gmail.com.
- Right to correction and erasure — request correction or deletion of any data tied to you.
- Right to grievance redressal — complain to us first; if unresolved, you can approach the Data Protection Board of India.
- Right to nominate — designate someone to exercise these rights on your behalf in case of death or incapacity.
Most requests can be self-served by clearing browser storage and disabling cookies. For anything that requires our action, write to nextclimbsupport@gmail.com and we will respond within 30 days as required by the Act.
6. Data security
The site is served entirely over HTTPS. We don't store user data on our servers (PostHog stores analytics on theirs, and Monetag stores ad data on its own). The site has strict security headers including Content-Security-Policy and HTTP Strict Transport Security. We don't run any server-side code that handles user input.
7. Children's data
NextClimb serves career guidance to students who may be under 18 (especially after-10th and after-12th audiences). Under the DPDP Act 2023, processing of children's personal data requires verifiable parental consent — which is why NextClimb itself collects no personal data at all from any user, regardless of age.
The ads work differently, and we want to be clear about it: Monetag's code collects the technical data in section 2.3 from every visitor, students included, because it cannot tell a student's browser from an adult's. NextClimb passes Monetag no data about you. If you see an ad that is not suitable for students, email the page address and a screenshot to nextclimbsupport@gmail.com and we will report it to Monetag to have it blocked.
The analytics data we do collect (page views, device type, country) is not considered personal data because it cannot identify an individual. Parents should still feel comfortable reviewing this policy and our Terms of Service before allowing their child to use the site.
8. Data retention
Analytics data is retained by PostHog for up to 12 months, then aggregated and anonymised further. Monetag keeps the ad data it collects under the retention rules in its own privacy policy. Local browser storage (saved paths) persists in your browser until you clear it.
9. International transfers
PostHog may store data in the United States or European Union depending on the instance configuration, and Monetag processes ad data on its own servers, which may also be outside India. By using the site, you understand that some analytics and ad data may be processed outside India. We use providers that comply with reasonable security standards.
10. Changes to this policy
We may update this policy as the service grows (for example, when a new affiliate partner is added). When we make material changes, we will update the “Effective” date at the top and, where reasonable, surface a notice on the site. Continued use after changes means you accept the updated policy.
11. Contact us
Privacy contact
For any privacy question, request, or complaint, email nextclimbsupport@gmail.com. We respond within 30 days as required by India's DPDP Act 2023.