Shadow Trail

Privacy Policy

Last updated: April 18, 2026

Shadow Trail ("we," "us," or "our") is a Mac application that turns your local Chrome browsing history into a private, on-device knowledge graph. This Privacy Policy explains what information the app accesses, how it is handled, and the choices you have. By installing or using Shadow Trail, you agree to the practices described below.

1. Our Core Principle

Shadow Trail is built to be private by design. Your browsing history, derived insights, embeddings, and knowledge graph are processed and stored locally on your Mac. We do not sell, rent, or share your personal data with advertisers or data brokers.

2. Information Shadow Trail Accesses

To provide its features, Shadow Trail accesses the following information from your device:

  • Chrome browsing history. Shadow Trail reads your local Chrome history database (URLs, page titles, visit timestamps, and visit counts) to build your knowledge graph. This data remains on your Mac.
  • Page metadata. The app may fetch publicly available page metadata (such as titles, descriptions, and Open Graph tags) to enrich your graph.
  • Application data. Preferences, settings, and app state needed for Shadow Trail to function, stored locally in your user library.

3. Information We Do Not Collect

  • We do not upload your browsing history to our servers.
  • We do not track your identity, behavior, or location across the web.
  • We do not embed third-party advertising or analytics SDKs in the app.
  • We do not sell or share your personal information.

4. Third-Party Services

To generate topic clusters, summaries, and recommendations, Shadow Trail may send anonymized text snippets (such as page titles and short excerpts) to third-party AI model providers. These requests:

  • Do not include account identifiers or raw user credentials.
  • Are governed by the respective provider's privacy and data-handling terms.
  • Can be reviewed or disabled in the app's settings where available.

When the app fetches page metadata, the destination website may log standard request information (such as your IP address) as part of normal web operations.

5. Data Storage and Security

All derived data — including your knowledge graph, embeddings, and insights — is stored locally on your Mac in your user library. We rely on macOS file permissions and your system security settings to protect this data. You can delete all Shadow Trail data at any time by removing the app and its support files.

6. Your Choices

  • Access and deletion. Because your data lives on your device, you control it directly. Uninstalling the app removes the application; you may also delete its support folder to remove all stored data.
  • Permissions. You can revoke file or automation access granted to Shadow Trail at any time in System Settings › Privacy & Security.

7. Children's Privacy

Shadow Trail is not directed to children under 13, and we do not knowingly collect personal information from children.

8. Changes to This Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time. Material changes will be reflected on this page with an updated "Last updated" date. Continued use of the app after changes take effect constitutes acceptance of the revised policy.

9. Contact

If you have questions about this Privacy Policy or Shadow Trail's data practices, contact us at hello@shadowtrail.app.