Privacy policy

Scope and purpose

This policy covers the AO3 Tracker browser extension, AO3 Tracker Beta, native apps and their associated account and synchronization service, operated by QckSys. AO3 Tracker remembers your reading progress on Archive of Our Own (AO3) and lets you sync it across your devices. AO3 Tracker is independent of AO3 and the Organization for Transformative Works.

Data we handle

• Account and authentication: the name and email address you supply, password authentication data and session tokens. Passwords are stored as hashes by the authentication service. The extension stores your session token locally to keep you signed in. We do not ask for or collect your AO3 password.
• Reading data: AO3 work and chapter identifiers, titles, authors, tags, reading timestamps, chapter progress and scroll position, favourites, subscriptions, completion status, and the names and URLs of searches you save. The service also retrieves AO3 work metadata and downloadable work backups to support tracking and update notifications.
• Preferences and local storage: extension settings, cached works, synchronization state and notification preferences. Reading data stays in your browser until you sign in and synchronize it with the selected service.
• Technical information: IP addresses, browser user-agent information, session records and operational logs used to authenticate requests, prevent abuse and diagnose service failures. We do not request GPS access.

Page tracking is limited to AO3. We do not collect your general browsing history, payment details or private communications. Scroll position is used to restore your place in a chapter; the extension does not log everything you type.

Use and sharing

We use this data to provide reading tracking, synchronization, saved searches, favourites, account security and optional work-update notifications. Data is sent over HTTPS to AO3 Tracker's service. Cloudflare provides hosting, storage and transactional email delivery; PlanetScale provides database storage. These service providers process data as part of operating the service.

We do not sell your personal data, use it for advertising, transfer it for purposes unrelated to the extension's single purpose, or use it for creditworthiness or lending decisions. Transfers are limited to providing and securing the service, complying with legal obligations, or with your consent.

Native app diagnostics

Native apps send optional diagnostic data to help us improve reliability: app launches, screen names, sync outcomes, reader feature usage and error counts. These events go through AO3 Tracker's service to PostHog in the EU. They use a random session identifier rather than your account identity and exclude reading content, work IDs, search terms, raw error messages, credentials and IP addresses. We do not record reader sessions or automatically capture page content or clicks.

Crash reports also go through AO3 Tracker's service to PostHog in the EU. They include stack traces, exception messages, device information and app versions, using an anonymous device identifier. A bounded local disk queue retains crash reports for retry after network failures or app restarts.

Diagnostic data is enabled by default. Settings → Privacy → Send diagnostic data controls new usage and crash collection on this device, and the choice is saved across restarts. Incognito mode also pauses new collection. Usage events are kept only in memory and discarded when you opt out or close the app. Crash reports collected before opting out may still be delivered; opting out does not delete reports already received by PostHog.

Beta service

AO3 Tracker Beta connects to dev.ao3tracker.com. Its extension storage and development service are separate from the production edition. Development data and features may change or be reset during testing. This policy applies to both editions.

Your choices and retention

You can sign out to stop account synchronization, change notification preferences, remove tracked items and saved searches, or uninstall the extension to remove its browser storage. Uninstalling does not delete data already synchronized to the service. Some item deletions are retained as synchronization markers so other devices can receive the deletion. Account, reading and operational data are kept to provide the service and maintain its security; this policy does not promise automatic deletion after a fixed period.

To request access to or deletion of your account and associated data, or to ask a privacy question or get help with the app, email tom@qcksys.com. We may need to verify that you control the account before acting on a request.

Policy updates

We will publish updates on this page and change the date above when the policy changes.