Privacy Policy

This policy explains how Bindery HQ (“we,” “us”) handles information in connection with The Bindery desktop application (the “App”) and this website. The short version: The Bindery is built to be local-first, and we collect as little as possible.

Your content stays on your device

The App stores your projects, chapters, settings, version snapshots, and imported images locally, in a database and folders on your own computer. We do not have access to this data, it is not transmitted to us, and there is no account to register. Backing up this data is your responsibility; the App provides portable backup files to help.

No telemetry or analytics in the App

The App does not collect analytics, usage statistics, crash telemetry, or any record of how you write. It does not “phone home.”

Optional features that use the network

Some features connect to outside services, but only when you choose to enable and use them. When you do, your information is handled by those third parties under their own privacy policies, not ours:

• AI assistant. If you enable the AI assistant and select a cloud provider (such as Google Gemini, Anthropic Claude, or OpenAI ChatGPT), the text you submit in a prompt — which may include portions of your manuscript — is sent to that provider using the API key you supply, and is subject to that provider’s terms and privacy policy. If you instead use a local model through Ollama, that processing stays on your machine. The assistant only runs when you trigger it.
• Font downloads. If you use the Google Fonts feature with your own Google Fonts API key, the App contacts Google to search for and download fonts, subject to Google’s terms.
• License verification & updates. Activating a license key or checking for application updates may involve a network request to us or our service providers, limited to what is needed to validate the key or deliver an update.

You control these features. If you never enable them, the App does not send your content anywhere.

Information we receive directly

If you email us (for example, at support@binderyhq.com), we receive whatever information you choose to include, such as your email address and the details of your question. We use it only to respond to and resolve your request.

Purchases

When license purchasing becomes available, payments will be handled by a third-party payment processor. We do not collect or store full payment card numbers. The processor handles your payment information under its own privacy policy.

This website

This site is informational. It does not use advertising or third-party tracking cookies. It loads web fonts from Google Fonts, which may receive your IP address as part of serving those fonts. Our hosting provider may keep standard server logs (such as IP address and request time) for security and reliability. We do not use this site to build profiles of visitors.

Children

The App and this site are intended for general audiences and are not directed to children under 13, and we do not knowingly collect personal information from them.

Your choices and rights

Because we hold so little personal information, most control rests with you on your own device. If you have contacted us by email and would like us to delete that correspondence, or you have questions about your rights under laws such as the GDPR or CCPA, write to privacy@binderyhq.com and we will help.

Changes to this policy

We may update this policy as the App evolves. We will revise the “last updated” date above when we do, and material changes will be reflected here.

Contact

Questions about privacy? Email privacy@binderyhq.com, or write to Bindery HQ, Austin, Texas, USA.