WatSearch Privacy Policy

Last updated: December 1, 2025

1. Summary

WatSearch is designed from the ground up to protect user privacy. This Privacy Policy explains what information we collect, how it is used, and what data never leaves your device.

WatSearch does not upload, store, or process your LEARN course files on any server.All course materials you upload (PDFs, slides, HTML, assignments, outlines, etc.) are processed entirely inside your browser. Your files and extracted text are stored locally on your device, using IndexedDB. We do not have access to your course content, search queries, or any personal data contained within your documents.

Minimal, non-sensitive metadata may be stored on our server for functionality (e.g., settings, analytics). This metadata never includes course files or their contents.

2. Information You Upload — Course Materials

When you upload LEARN or other course materials to WatSearch:

  • Files remain local to your device.
  • Files are never transmitted to our servers.
  • Parsing, indexing, and search happen entirely client-side.
  • The processed data is stored in IndexedDB within your browser.

Examples of user-uploaded files that stay local:

  • PDFs (lecture slides, assignments, outlines)
  • HTML exports
  • Text files
  • Images included in course packages

3. Data We Do Not Collect

WatSearch does NOT collect or store:

  • Your LEARN files or any course materials
  • Text extracted from your documents
  • Your search queries
  • Course names or filenames
  • Personal student information
  • Cookies from the LEARN system
  • Any data related to your academic performance

No copies of your files are ever uploaded to our servers.

4. Local Storage (IndexedDB)

WatSearch stores user-uploaded files and extracted text in your browser’s IndexedDB, which is:

  • Private to your device
  • Cleared when you clear browser data
  • Fully under your control

You may delete all locally stored data at any time through your browser settings or within the WatSearch interface (if provided).

5. Server-Side Data

WatSearch may store limited, non-personal server-side data such as:

  • Deployment logs
  • Error reports not containing user files
  • Anonymous analytics (e.g., feature usage)
  • Non-copyrighted course metadata we generate (e.g., tags, course titles)

This data never includes user-uploaded files or their contents. We do not store raw course outlines, PDFs, document text, or user identifiers tied to academic content.

6. Third-Party Services

WatSearch may use third-party services (e.g., Vercel, Firebase) for:

  • Hosting the website
  • Authentication (optional)
  • Anonymous analytics

These services receive no course content. If authentication is used, we only store the minimum required information (e.g., an email or ID). Authentication providers do not receive your local IndexedDB data.

7. Security

Because your course materials never leave your device, the risk of unauthorized access is significantly reduced.

However:

  • Your files are stored unencrypted within IndexedDB unless explicitly stated otherwise in the app.
  • Clearing browser data will delete local content.
  • Using WatSearch on shared computers may expose your local storage to other users of that device.

For maximum privacy, use WatSearch on a personal device.

8. Your Choices

You may:

  • Upload or remove course files at any time
  • Delete all WatSearch data stored locally
  • Use the Service without creating an account (if supported)

If you delete your browser data, WatSearch resets completely.

9. Changes to This Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time. Changes take effect when posted. Continued use of WatSearch after changes means you accept the updated policy.

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