Privacy policy

1. Who this covers

This policy applies to Sentimental Path (“we”, “us”), the website at sentimentalpath.com, and the book builder on it. By using the site you agree to this policy. If you do not agree, please do not use the service.

2. What stays on your device

Sentimental Path is built so that the work happens where you are. When you import a conversation or add photos, your browser reads the files and keeps a working copy in its own local storage on your device (a browser database called IndexedDB). Everything that follows happens there too:

• reading and parsing your export files
• showing you the messages and photos so you can review and organize them
• counting messages, photos, size and pages for the Book Size meter
• running the content safety check (see section 5)
• laying out the pages and generating the PDF
• saving the PDF to your device

None of this content is transmitted to Sentimental Path or to anyone else. There are no upload endpoints for conversations or photos. We cannot see your messages, your photos or your finished book, and we have no copy of any of them.

Because the working copy lives in your browser, it is tied to that browser on that device. If you clear your browser data, it is gone. If you use a different browser or device, you will not find it there. We cannot recover it for you.

3. What we receive: payments

When you buy a volume, payment is processed by Stripe, Inc. You enter your card details on a Stripe-hosted form. Stripe sends them to its own systems; we never receive your card number. Stripe’s handling of your payment is governed by its own privacy policy.

After a successful payment, we receive an order confirmation from Stripe containing:

• the amount paid
• the number of volumes purchased
• an order id
• the email address Stripe collected for your receipt

That is the complete list. The confirmation does not include your conversation, your photos, the names in it, or anything else about its contents. We use the order record to confirm your purchase, to help you if something goes wrong, and to keep the accounting and tax records we are required to keep.

4. What we receive: support emails

If you email sentimentalpath@gmail.com, we receive what you send: your email address, your message, and any attachments you choose to include. Please do not send us your conversations or photos unless we ask for a small sample to diagnose a problem, and even then send only what you are comfortable sharing. We keep support emails so we can follow up on your request.

5. What we never do

• We never upload, receive, read, store or back up your conversations or photos.
• We never store your finished book.
• We never sell your conversations, photos, or any information about you.
• We never use your content for advertising, profiling or training of any kind.
• We never log the contents of conversations.
• We never run analytics on your private content.
• We do not load third-party analytics or tracking scripts on this site. There are none at the moment, and if that ever changes we will update this policy before it does.
• We never require an account, a login or a password.

6. Content safety scanning, on your device

Before a book is generated, the builder checks the text and photos for material that cannot be included in a keepsake book (see our content safety page). This check runs entirely inside your browser. No text or image is sent anywhere to be checked. If something is flagged, it is shown to you with the reason so you can remove it. Rejected material is not retained by us, because it never reached us.

7. Data retention and deletion

On your device

• You can delete the working copy at any time by choosing “Delete my data from this device” in the builder.
• After you download your book, we prompt you to delete the working copy.
• If you do nothing, the working copy is cleared automatically after 30 days of inactivity.
• The PDF you downloaded is a normal file on your device. You control it; delete it whenever you wish.

With us

• Order records (amount, volumes, order id, receipt email) are kept for as long as accounting and tax law require, and then deleted.
• Support emails are kept for as long as needed to help you and to keep a record of what was agreed, and then deleted.

8. Cookies and local storage

We use only what is strictly necessary for the site and the builder to work: the browser storage that holds your working copy on your device, and any cookie needed to complete checkout with Stripe. We do not use cookies for advertising, tracking or analytics. There is no cookie banner because there is nothing to opt out of.

9. Children

Sentimental Path is not intended for children under 13, and we do not knowingly collect information from them. The service may not be used to create books containing sexual content involving minors; see our content safety rules. If you believe a child has made a purchase, email us and we will help.

10. Your rights

Depending on where you live, you may have rights under laws such as the GDPR in Europe or the CCPA in California: to know what personal information we hold about you, to receive a copy, to correct it, to delete it, and to object to or restrict certain uses. We honor these rights for everyone, wherever you live.

In practice, this is simple, because we hold so little. The only personal information we may hold about you is an order record and any support email you sent. To exercise any right, email sentimentalpath@gmail.com from the address you used at checkout or in support, and tell us what you would like. We will respond within 30 days. We will never discriminate against you for exercising your rights.

We do not sell or share personal information as those terms are defined under the CCPA, and we have not done so in the past 12 months.

11. Security

• The site is served over HTTPS everywhere.
• There are no public upload URLs, because there are no uploads.
• We keep as little as possible: order records and support emails only.
• Payments are handled by Stripe, a PCI-DSS Level 1 payment processor.

The security of the working copy on your device depends on your device: its lock screen, its user accounts, and who else can use it. If you are making a book on a shared or public computer, delete the working copy when you are done.

12. Where processing happens

Your content is processed only on your device, wherever you are. Order records are held by us and by Stripe, which may process payment data in the United States and other countries where it operates.

13. Changes to this policy

If we change this policy, we will post the new version here with a new effective date. If a change would let us receive more of your information than this version allows, we will say so clearly on the site before the change takes effect.

14. Contact

Questions about privacy go to sentimentalpath@gmail.com. We read every message.