SourceShelf — Privacy Policy

Extension: SourceShelf — Research Clips (short name: SourceShelf)
Version: 1.0
Author: Sneg HQ
Last updated: 2026-09-19
Contact: use the publisher contact information shown on the Chrome Web Store listing.

This policy describes what SourceShelf does with your information. In short:
everything stays in your browser — nothing is uploaded, synced, sold, or tracked.

1. Single purpose

SourceShelf has one purpose: save quotes from web pages together with their source, organize them into folders locally, and let you search, cite, back up, and export them.

1. What is stored, and where

When you explicitly choose to save, the extension stores in Chrome's local extension storage (chrome.storage.local, current browser profile only):

webpage title and URL you saved,
the quote / selected text you saved (up to 12,000 characters),
your note (up to 4,000 characters) and labels (up to 12),
folder (collection) names, default folder, and timestamps,
the result of your most recent right-click save (shown as a notice),
your appearance preferences (theme, accent color, density, text size, layout).

No other browsing data is stored. There is no account, no sync between devices, no backup server, and no analytics or advertising of any kind.

Local storage is not an encrypted vault. Anyone or any software with access to your browser profile or OS account may be able to read it. Do not save secrets or highly sensitive personal information. Export / backup files are also not encrypted.

1. When a webpage is accessed

SourceShelf accesses a page only at the moment you ask it to save:

clicking Save this page / Save selected text in the toolbar popup, or
using a right-click entry: Save selection / Save page / Save link to SourceShelf.

It does not run a persistent content script, does not monitor browsing history, and does not automatically collect form contents.

Saving a selected quote may include personal information if that information is part of your selection. URLs may contain sensitive query parameters. Review saved material before sharing or exporting it.

1. Permissions — why each is needed

Permission: storage
Why it is needed: Saves your clips, folders, and preferences locally in the browser profile.

Permission: activeTab
Why it is needed: Reads the title, address, and your text selection from the tab you press the button on, so a quote is saved with its source.

Permission: scripting
Why it is needed: Reads the selected text of the current tab only, at the moment you ask SourceShelf to save it.

Permission: contextMenus
Why it is needed: Adds the "Save selection / page / link to SourceShelf" right-click entries.

The extension requests no host permissions (HTTP and HTTPS wildcard URL patterns). Context menus are additionally restricted to HTTP and HTTPS document URLs.

1. Network activity — none

SourceShelf makes no network requests for analytics, research processing, licensing, or synchronization.

Content Security Policy for extension pages:
script-src 'self'; object-src 'none'; base-uri 'none'; connect-src 'none';

No remotely hosted code: every script ships inside the package.
No paid tier, checkout, or activation server.
The only "navigation" is yours: opening a saved source navigates your browser to that source address.

1. Sharing, selling, third parties

SourceShelf does not collect, transmit, sell, transfer, or share user data with anyone, for any purpose — including advertising, creditworthiness, or lending decisions.
There are no third-party SDKs, no analytics providers, no ad networks, and no data processors.

This corresponds to answering "does not collect user data" for every category in the Chrome Web Store privacy questionnaire.

1. Exports and clipboard (you control it)

Backups and exports (JSON backup, Markdown brief, CSV table) are written only when you request them.
Copy citation writes the selected citation to your operating-system clipboard. Other applications or clipboard managers may retain clipboard contents — that is outside the extension's control.

1. Your controls and deletion

Delete individual clips in the library (ui/library.html).
Deleting a folder never deletes its quotes — they move back to Inbox.
Corrupt-data recovery: if stored data ever fails validation, the background worker preserves the unreadable copy under the recovery storage key, starts a fresh library, and reports it. You can download the recovery snapshot, discard it, or reset the library from the backup panel.
Uninstalling the extension removes its local extension data. Downloaded backups, exported files, and clipboard history are not removed by uninstalling — delete those files yourself if needed.

1. Children

SourceShelf is a general-purpose productivity tool with no age-gated content and no data collection. It is safe for general audiences.

1. Changes to this policy

If the extension ever adds data collection, networking, or accounts, this policy will be updated and the store listing will be revised before release. The in-extension privacy page (ui/privacy.html) always reflects the currently installed version.

1. Summary for the store questionnaire

Single purpose: Save quotes from web pages with their source, organize them into folders locally, and export citations and backups.
Data collection: None — selects "does not collect user data" for every category. Clips and preferences stay in local extension storage and are never transmitted.
Data use / certification: Data is not sold, not transferred, not used for creditworthiness or lending, and not used for any purpose unrelated to the single purpose above.
Remote code: No. The package runs only its own bundled scripts.