This Privacy Policy explains what information the Preface browser extension ("Preface," "the Extension," "we," "us," or "our") collects, how it is used, and the choices you have. It applies to the Extension and is incorporated by reference into our Terms of Use.
Preface runs only on a list of supported news websites (such as the Wall Street Journal, Bloomberg, Reuters, CNBC and the Financial Times). It does not run on email, banking or other websites. When you select (highlight) text on a supported page, Preface reads that specific selection — up to 500 characters — along with the title of the page you are currently viewing. No other content on the page is read, accessed, or stored. Preface does not have access to, and does not collect, the full text or HTML of any webpage beyond what you have actively highlighted.
Preface stores the following directly on your device, using your browser's local extension storage. This data is never transmitted to us:
You can clear your locally stored lookup history at any time using the "Clear" button in the Preface popup. Uninstalling the extension removes all locally stored data.
Unless you create an optional account or subscribe (described below), Preface does not collect your name, email address or account credentials. Preface never collects or stores payment card numbers or bank details, and does not collect health information, private messages, browsing history, location data, or any keystroke, click, or mouse-movement activity. Preface does not track which websites you visit; it only acts on text you actively select on whatever page you happen to be viewing at that moment.
To generate the contextual information Preface displays, the highlighted text and page title described above are sent to the following third-party services, solely for the purpose of producing your result:
| Recipient | What is sent | Purpose |
|---|---|---|
| Anthropic (Claude API), via our backend proxy | Highlighted text (up to 500 characters) and the page title | To generate historical context, implications, related-reading suggestions, and (when relevant) contextual connections to other news coverage |
| A market data provider (Yahoo Finance), accessed via our backend proxy | A financial instrument, index, or commodity symbol inferred from the highlighted text | To retrieve current market prices and related figures when the highlighted text references a financial instrument or publicly traded company |
To apply the Free plan's monthly limit, our backend also keeps a count of how many full answers have been used each month. If you are signed in, the count is linked to your account; if not, it is linked only to your random installation ID. Counts are deleted automatically after about 40 days.
These requests pass through backend servers that we operate, which relay the request to the above providers and return the result to your browser. We do not log, retain, or build user profiles from this data beyond what is transiently necessary to relay the request and generate a response. We do not sell your data, and we do not use it for advertising or share it with any party for their own independent purposes.
You can optionally create a free Preface account on our website to view your saved lookup history across devices on the "My Lookups" page. Accounts are entirely optional: the extension works fully without one, and if you never create an account, your lookup history stays on your device as described above.
If you create an account, we collect and store the following through Supabase, our authentication and database provider:
Saved lookups are private to your account. Database access rules ensure each signed-in user can only read and delete their own lookups; no other user can see them. We do not sell this information, use it for advertising, or share it with any party for their own purposes. You can delete individual lookups at any time from the "My Lookups" page, and you can request full deletion of your account and all associated data by contacting us at the address in the Contact section below.
If you subscribe to Preface Pro, payment is processed by Stripe, our payment provider. You enter your card details on Stripe's secure checkout page; Preface never sees or stores your full card number. Stripe handles your payment information under its own privacy policy.
From Stripe, we receive and store only what we need to run your subscription: your plan (Free or Pro), your subscription status and renewal date, and a Stripe customer reference linked to your Preface account. You can view receipts, update your payment method or cancel at any time from the "Manage subscription" link on the "My Lookups" page.
Highlighted text and page titles sent to generate a result are processed transiently and are not retained by us after a response is returned. Locally stored history, settings, and terms-acceptance status remain on your device until you clear them or uninstall the extension. If you create an optional account, your account details and saved lookups are retained until you delete them or request account deletion. Subscription and billing records may be kept by us and by Stripe for as long as required for tax and accounting purposes.
Preface is not directed to children under 13, and we do not knowingly collect information from children under 13.
We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time. Material changes will be reflected by an updated "Last updated" date above. Continued use of the Extension after changes are posted constitutes your acceptance of the revised policy.
Questions about this Privacy Policy can be sent to prefaceprep@gmail.com.
PREFACE — A PRODUCT OF PREFACE PREP