Acceptable Use Policy

Last Updated: February 27, 2026

1. Purpose

This Acceptable Use Policy ("AUP") outlines the permissible use of the FreeShippingDirectory.com API, MCP Server, and website. This policy is designed to protect our data integrity and ensure fair access for all users.

2. Prohibited Actions

You agree not to use the Service to:

• Scraping: You may not use automated scripts, scrapers, or spiders to bulk-download our database for the purpose of creating a competing directory or data set.
• Resale: You may not resell, redistribute, or sublicense access to our API or the data contained therein without our express written permission.
• Misrepresentation: You may not use our "Verified" badge on a website that has not been verified by us.
• Excessive Volume: You may not send requests to our API at a rate that exceeds our published rate limits (currently 60 requests/minute for public endpoints), or otherwise attempt to overwhelm our infrastructure (DDoS).

3. AI Agent Guidelines

Developers building AI agents using our MCP Server must adhere to the following:

• Attribution: If your agent displays data retrieved from our service to a human user, you must attribute the source (e.g., "Data provided by FreeShippingDirectory.com").
• Caching: You may cache API results for up to 24 hours to improve performance. Caching data for longer than 24 hours is prohibited to ensure users receive up-to-date shipping policies.

4. Enforcement

We reserve the right to investigate any violation of this policy. If we determine that you have violated this AUP, we may immediately suspend or terminate your API access and/or Merchant account without notice or refund.