Last updated: October 15, 2026
Terms of Service
These Terms of Service ("Terms") govern your access to and use of spotdle.com and any related products and services operated by Spotdle ("Spotdle," "we," "us," "our"). By using the Site, you agree to these Terms. If you do not agree, do not use the Site.
1. The Service#
Spotdle is a daily puzzle game in which players are asked to identify which items in a set are real and which are AI-generated. A new edition is published each day. The daily puzzle is free to play: no account required. A premium subscription tier (Spotdle+) is available for players who want full archive access and an ad-free experience.
We may change, suspend, or discontinue the Site or any feature at any time, with or without notice.
2. Eligibility#
You must be at least 13 years old to use Spotdle (or 16 in the EU/UK depending on your country). By using the Site, you represent that you meet this age requirement and have the legal capacity to enter into these Terms.
3. Acceptable use#
When using Spotdle, you agree not to:
- Scrape, copy, or republish puzzle content, item disclosures, or any substantial portion of the Site without our written permission
- Use automated tools (bots, crawlers, scrapers) except for well-behaved search engine indexing
- Reverse engineer, decompile, or attempt to extract source code from the Site
- Interfere with the Site's operation or security
- Use the Site to violate any law or regulation
- Misrepresent yourself, impersonate others, or create fraudulent accounts
- Attempt to manipulate streaks, leaderboards, or shared statistics
- Probe, scan, or test the vulnerability of any system without authorization
- Transmit malware, viruses, or any harmful code
- Use the Site in any way that could damage, disable, or impair the Site
We reserve the right to suspend or terminate access to anyone who violates these terms, with or without notice.
4. Content and intellectual property#
Our content#
The Spotdle name, logo, design, code, puzzle structure, site and article copy, methodology, and all other original materials are owned by Spotdle and protected by intellectual property laws. You may not copy, modify, distribute, or create derivative works without our written permission.
You may share your daily result (including the emoji-square share format) on social media, by email, or in messaging; that's the point of the share feature.
Real items used in puzzles#
Real items used in puzzles come from public-domain sources, Creative Commons licensed material, and other lawfully sourced content. We credit each real item's source at the result reveal. If you believe content has been used in violation of copyright, see Copyright and takedown notices below for our DMCA procedure.
Synthetic items used in puzzles#
Synthetic items are generated by AI tools selected by us. We disclose the prompt used at the result reveal; we do not publish the model used. We claim no special ownership over the underlying model outputs but do claim editorial selection and curation rights over the puzzle as a whole.
Copyright and takedown notices#
If you are a copyright owner and believe content used in a Spotdle edition infringes your copyright, please send a written notice to dmca@spotdle.com containing:
- Your contact information: name, address, telephone number, email
- Identification of the copyrighted work: describe the work you claim was infringed
- Identification of the infringing material: the URL of the Spotdle edition or page where the material appears, and any other identifying information
- A statement of good faith: that you believe in good faith that the use is not authorized by the copyright owner, its agent, or the law
- A statement of accuracy: that the information in the notice is accurate, and under penalty of perjury, that you are the copyright owner or authorized to act on behalf of the owner
- Your physical or electronic signature
We typically respond to valid DMCA notices within 10 business days. We will:
- Remove or disable access to the allegedly infringing material
- Notify the user (if applicable)
- Process counter-notices in accordance with applicable law
We respect the rights of copyright holders. If you have any concern about content on Spotdle, the fastest path to resolution is dmca@spotdle.com.
Despite the checks described on our About page, mistakes can occur: a license may be misread, or a source's terms may have changed. We take these concerns seriously and respond quickly. We would rather take down a borderline item than fight a complaint.
If something seems wrong, let us know. hello@spotdle.com for general concerns, dmca@spotdle.com for formal copyright notices.
Right of publicity and likeness#
Photos of people come from Unsplash under the Unsplash License, which does not include model releases. If you appear in a Spotdle item, you can ask us to remove it through our contact page, and we will remove it.
If you believe an AI-generated item depicts you in violation of your rights of publicity, contact us at hello@spotdle.com. We will review the concern promptly. If the concern is valid, we will remove the content.
Trademarks#
If you believe a trademark you own is used inappropriately on Spotdle, contact hello@spotdle.com.
Your feedback#
If you send us feedback, suggestions, or ideas about Spotdle, you grant us a worldwide, royalty-free, perpetual license to use that feedback without obligation to you.
5. Subscriptions and payments#
Spotdle+#
Spotdle+ is a premium subscription that unlocks full archive access (beyond the 3-day free window) and an ad-free experience.
Anonymous daily play remains free and first-class. You do not need a Spotdle+ subscription to play the daily puzzle or track your streak.
Pricing#
| Plan | Price |
|---|---|
| Monthly | USD $3.00 / month |
| Annual | USD $25.00 / year |
Prices are in US dollars and are exclusive of any applicable taxes. We reserve the right to change pricing with reasonable notice.
Free trial#
New subscribers receive a 7-day free trial. There is one free trial per account. You will not be charged until the trial period ends. If you cancel before the trial ends, you will not be charged.
Automatic renewal#
Subscriptions automatically renew at the end of each billing period (monthly or annually, depending on the plan you chose) until you cancel. You authorize Spotdle to charge your payment method on file through PayPal on each renewal date.
Payment processor#
Payments are processed by PayPal. By subscribing, you agree to PayPal's terms of service and privacy policy. We do not store your full card or bank details: all payment data is handled by PayPal.
Cancellation#
You may cancel your subscription at any time:
- From your Account page: click "Cancel subscription."
- Directly through PayPal: log in to PayPal, find the Spotdle billing agreement, and cancel it.
Cancellation is effective at the end of the current billing period. You retain access to Spotdle+ features until that date. No partial-period refunds are issued for cancellations mid-period, except as described below.
Refund policy#
You may request a full refund within 7 days of the first charge of any Spotdle+ subscription you start (or within the trial period, whichever is later), as long as you have not already received a refund from us. To request a refund, use the Cancel & request refund control on your Account page. If it is not available to you, email hello@spotdle.com with your PayPal transaction reference instead. No questions asked. A refund ends your Spotdle+ access immediately. Unlike a plain cancellation, you do not keep access until the end of the billing period. Refunds are processed within 5–10 business days through PayPal.
Each user is entitled to one no-questions refund. Refund eligibility is tracked by your Spotdle account and PayPal payer ID to prevent repeat-refund abuse.
After the 7-day window, all fees are non-refundable unless required by applicable law.
Taxes#
You are responsible for any applicable sales tax, VAT, GST, or similar tax in your jurisdiction. Where required by law, such taxes will be added to your subscription price at checkout.
6. Disclosures#
Spotdle shows no ads.
Affiliate links#
Spotdle does not currently use affiliate links anywhere on the Site. If this changes, we will disclose it here and on any pages where affiliate links appear.
Sponsored content#
Spotdle does not currently publish sponsored editions, sponsored items, or paid product placements. If we ever accept sponsorship for a specific edition (for example, a media-literacy nonprofit sponsoring a daily puzzle), the sponsorship will be clearly labeled on that edition and in this section.
Independence from sponsors#
Whether or not Spotdle is sponsored on a given day, all puzzle content (the items selected, the answers, the disclosures, the methodology) is set by the rules under which software assembles every edition. Those sourcing rules are on our About page. Sponsors do not influence puzzle content.
Tools used to make Spotdle#
How the site and its synthetic items are made with AI tools is described on our About page.
7. Disclaimers#
The Site is provided "as is" and "as available" without warranties of any kind, whether express or implied.
We make no warranty that:
- The Site will be uninterrupted, secure, or error-free
- The information provided in puzzles, at the result reveal, or on our methodology pages is accurate or complete
- Any pattern, technique, or familiarity you develop by playing Spotdle or reading our articles will reliably help you identify AI-generated content in any other context
- The Site is suitable for any particular purpose
Spotdle is intended as entertainment, not as a forensic, journalistic, legal, or scientific tool. Do not rely on Spotdle's puzzles, or on the source and prompt information we show at the result reveal, to make real-world decisions about whether content elsewhere is genuine. AI generation techniques evolve constantly. Spotdle does not claim that any individual item carries a reliable giveaway, and nothing shown at the reveal is an absolute or future-proof rule for judging content anywhere else.
8. Limitation of liability#
To the fullest extent permitted by law, Spotdle and its operators, employees, contractors, and affiliates shall not be liable for any indirect, incidental, special, consequential, or punitive damages, or any loss of profits or revenues, whether incurred directly or indirectly, or any loss of data, use, goodwill, or other intangible losses, resulting from:
- Your access to or use of, or inability to access or use, the Site
- Any conduct or content of any third party on the Site, including any defamatory, offensive, or illegal conduct
- Any content obtained from the Site
- Unauthorized access, use, or alteration of your transmissions or content
- Decisions you make based on Site content (including incorrectly identifying content elsewhere as real or AI-generated)
In no event shall Spotdle's aggregate liability exceed the greater of fifty Canadian dollars (CAD $50) or the amount you have paid Spotdle in the twelve months preceding the claim.
Some jurisdictions do not allow the exclusion or limitation of certain damages. In those jurisdictions, our liability is limited to the maximum extent permitted by law.
9. Indemnification#
You agree to defend, indemnify, and hold harmless Spotdle and its operators from any claims, damages, losses, liabilities, and expenses (including reasonable legal fees) arising out of:
- Your use of the Site
- Your violation of these Terms
- Your violation of any rights of another party
10. Termination#
We may suspend or terminate your access to the Site at any time, for any reason, with or without notice. You may stop using the Site at any time.
Sections that by their nature should survive termination (including intellectual property, disclaimers, limitation of liability, indemnification, governing law) will survive.
11. Governing law and dispute resolution#
These Terms are governed by the laws of the Province of Ontario, Canada, without regard to conflict of law principles. Any dispute arising from or relating to these Terms or the Site shall be resolved in the courts of Ontario, Canada, and you consent to the personal jurisdiction of those courts.
If you are a consumer in a jurisdiction that grants you the right to sue in your local courts (such as the EU), nothing in this section overrides those rights.
12. Changes to these Terms#
We may update these Terms from time to time. When we do, we will update the "Last updated" date at the top. Material changes will be announced more prominently on the Site. Continued use after changes constitutes acceptance.
13. Severability#
If any provision of these Terms is found unenforceable, the remaining provisions remain in full effect.
14. Entire agreement#
These Terms, together with the Privacy Policy, constitute the entire agreement between you and Spotdle regarding the Site.
15. Contact#
Questions about these Terms? Email hello@spotdle.com.