About EarthData.IO
EarthData.IO helps travelers and would-be expatriates answer a simple question: where in the world would you feel most content — to live, to retire, or to visit and linger?
You share how you want to live (climate, housing, safety, culture, healthcare, practicalities, and more). We return ranked places with clear reasons — a personal starting point for living or lingering abroad, presented in the spirit of mid-century travel posters and holidaymaking guides.
EarthData.IO is operated by Zeal Automation, Inc. It is built for curious people who want inspiration grounded in their own preferences, not a one-size-fits-all ranking list.
Matching is anonymous: we do not ask for your name, and we do not collect personally identifying information to run a match. You describe how you want to live; we return ranked places. Buying a trip kit is optional and is processed by Stripe — see the Privacy Policy.
Matches are generated with assistance from modern AI models and then shaped into place cards, maps, activities, itineraries, and relocation notes you can save. They are travel and lifestyle inspiration — not legal, immigration, tax, medical, or financial advice.
How it works
Explore vs Live
Choose Find a place to explore when you want a trip-shaped shortlist — travel month, length of stay, culture, and things to do. Choose Find a place to live when you are weighing a longer stay: housing, healthcare, day-to-day fit, and settling in.
Your preferences
Mark what matters across domains such as climate, cost of living, safety, healthcare, culture, recreation, leisure, infrastructure, practicalities, and population. Add hard constraints (“must have” or “must avoid”) and optional notes. The slider on each topic sets how finely you describe it and how much it counts. 0 leaves that topic out. Anything left blank means no preference, not a dislike.
Reading a match
Each place includes a match strength, a short rationale, and key factors tied to your brief. United States locations are shown as Place, State, United States so cities with shared names stay clear. Dig deeper with Tell Me More, activities, vacation itineraries, or relocation packages when you want more detail on one locale.
Travelogue ethos
EarthData.IO borrows the tone of classic air-tours abroad guides: condensed titles, warm paper, and a ticket to elsewhere. We aim for candid, practical place notes — enough to spark a real conversation about where you might go next — while leaving final decisions (and due diligence) with you.
Privacy Policy
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Last updated: September 21, 2026
This Privacy Policy explains how EarthData.IO (“we,” “us”), operated by Zeal Automation, Inc., handles information when you use https://earthdata.io. By using the site, you agree to this policy.
Matching is anonymous
Matching is anonymous by design. We do not require an account, and we do not ask for your name, email address, phone number, or similar identifiers to generate place suggestions. Preference answers you enter (for example climate tastes or household type) are used to match places; they are not tied to a personal identity in EarthData.IO. If you buy a trip kit, Stripe collects billing identity for that charge — see Payments below. That purchase does not create an EarthData.IO account or attach your name to your preference profile.
Information we process
- Preferences you enter — household, languages, nationality, domain priorities, constraints, and notes. On your device these may be stored in browser local storage so you can continue a session; when you generate matches, the preference profile is sent to our servers only to run that matching request. We do not use it to build a named user profile.
- Technical data — standard server and security logs (for example IP address, browser type, timestamps) may be recorded by our hosting provider as part of operating and securing the site. We do not use those logs to identify you for matching or marketing. Approximate country may be read from the network request so we know whether a cookie choice is required.
- Saved exports — if you download a session PDF or HTML file, that file lives on your device; we do not receive a copy unless you separately send it to us.
- Email you choose to send — if you contact us at the address below, we will see whatever you include in that message (including your email address) solely to reply.
- Payments — if you buy a trip kit for one place, you leave EarthData.IO for Stripe Checkout. Stripe, not EarthData.IO, collects the information needed to take payment. That typically includes your name, an email address for the receipt, payment-method details, and sometimes a billing address — especially with Apple Pay or Google Pay. Stripe processes the charge under Stripe’s privacy policy. Zeal Automation, Inc. is the merchant. We can see that billing information in the Stripe Dashboard so we can confirm the payment, send or resend a receipt, handle refunds and disputes, and meet tax and accounting duties. We do not copy your name, email, or card details into EarthData.IO matching, preferences, or a named user profile. On our servers we store an opaque paid-unlock token in an httpOnly cookie bound to the place you paid for, plus Stripe session and payment identifiers. We do not receive or store your full card number.
AI providers
Place matching and follow-up explorations are powered with assistance from AI services (currently xAI / Grok). Preference text needed to produce a match is sent to that provider on our servers to generate results. That is not a cookie in your browser. Because matching is anonymous, avoid putting names, contact details, or other personally identifying information into preference notes.
Cookies and similar technologies
We use a short list of necessary cookies and similar storage so the product works: a paid-unlock token, an in-flight match job id, your language preference, and on-device drafts of preferences and results. Those are not advertising cookies. Matching, language, and a trip kit still work if you refuse optional cookies.
Optional: YouTube (privacy-enhanced embeds) may set video cookies if you play a travel film. We ask first if you are in the European Economic Area, the United Kingdom (including the Crown Dependencies), or Switzerland. Yes loads those Google video tags. No keeps YouTube off this site. Stripe Checkout cookies, if any, are set on Stripe’s domain when you choose to pay. We do not run advertising on EarthData.IO.
You can change that choice any time:
Your rights (EEA, UK, Switzerland)
If you are in the EEA, UK, or Switzerland, we rely on: (a) legitimate interests / necessity to operate matching, security, and a paid trip kit you requested; and (b) consent before YouTube embeds. You may withdraw consent with the button above. Because we do not run named EarthData.IO accounts, matching data is not a personal profile. If you paid, access, correction, or erasure requests may also concern Stripe payment records we can see as the merchant, and email you sent us. Contact us and we will help as required by GDPR, UK GDPR, and Swiss nFADP. Stripe also processes payment data under its own policy.
California and similar US state laws
We do not sell personal information for money, and we do not run advertising. Optional YouTube embeds can still involve Google video cookies under the CCPA/CPRA and similar state laws. You may opt out here, or with the Global Privacy Control (GPC) signal in a supporting browser. Opting out does not affect matching, language, or a paid unlock.
Retention and security
Preference data in local storage remains until you clear site data in your browser. The trip-kit cookie lasts up to 7 days for the place you paid for (also 7 days for a complimentary code). Match-job cookies expire in six hours. Server logs are retained only as long as needed for security and operations. Stripe retains payment records according to Stripe’s policies and applicable law; we can see those records in Stripe for as long as they remain on our merchant account. We do not keep a separate named customer database on EarthData.IO. We use reasonable safeguards appropriate to a small independent site, but no method of transmission is perfectly secure.
Children
EarthData.IO is not directed at children under 13, and we do not knowingly collect personal information from children.
Contact
Privacy questions: info@zealautomation.com
Terms of Use
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Last updated: September 21, 2026
By using EarthData.IO you agree to these Terms. If you do not agree, please do not use the site.
Who may use the service
EarthData.IO is for adults. You must be at least 18 years old to use the site, including to buy a trip kit.
Payments
Trip kits are a one-time purchase for one place. Payment is processed by Stripe on Stripe’s pages. Billing identity collected at checkout (typically name, receipt email, and payment-method details) is described in the Privacy Policy. Buying a pack does not create an EarthData.IO account.
What the service is
EarthData.IO provides place-matching and travel inspiration based on preferences you supply. Outputs may include ranked places, rationales, maps, photos from third-party sources (such as Wikimedia), activities, itineraries, and relocation-oriented notes.
Not professional advice
Content on EarthData.IO — including AI-assisted suggestions — is for general informational and inspirational purposes only. It is not legal, immigration, visa, tax, medical, safety, or financial advice. Using the site does not create an attorney, immigration-consultant, tax-preparer, medical, or other professional relationship. Always verify critical facts with official sources and qualified professionals before relocating, traveling, or making money decisions.
AI and third parties
Matches are generated with assistance from third-party AI (currently xAI / Grok) and may include photos, maps, and videos from other services. Outputs can be incomplete, outdated, or wrong. Named venues may be closed or misidentified. Payments are processed by Stripe. Third-party sites have their own terms and privacy policies.
Accuracy and availability
Places, businesses, prices, rules, and conditions change. Photos and place details may be incomplete or outdated. We do not guarantee that any match is suitable for you, that named venues remain open, or that the service will be uninterrupted or error-free.
Your responsibilities
You are responsible for the information you enter and for how you use results. Do not misuse the site (including attempting to disrupt service, scrape abusively, or use outputs for unlawful purposes).
Intellectual property
EarthData.IO branding, site design, and original copy are protected by applicable intellectual property laws. Third-party content (including map tiles and Wikimedia images) remains subject to its own licenses and attribution requirements.
Limitation of liability
To the fullest extent permitted by law, EarthData.IO and Zeal Automation, Inc. are not liable for any indirect, incidental, special, consequential, or punitive damages, or for loss of profits, data, or opportunities, arising from your use of the site or reliance on any match or suggestion. Our total liability for any claim relating to the service is limited to the greater of (a) the amount you paid us for the service in the twelve months before the claim or (b) twenty-five U.S. dollars.
Governing law
These Terms are governed by the laws of the State of California, without regard to conflict-of-law rules. Subject to rights you may have as a consumer in your place of residence, you agree that courts located in California are a proper venue for disputes relating to the service.
Changes
We may update these Terms from time to time. Continued use after changes means you accept the revised Terms. The “Last updated” date above will change when we revise this page.
Contact
Questions about these Terms: info@zealautomation.com
