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Privacy Policy

Last updated: May 20, 2026

Last updated: 2026-05-20

1. Introduction

InkMarshal ("we", "our", or "the Service") is a local-first desktop application for long-form novel creation. This Privacy Policy explains how the Service handles your information.

Core promise. InkMarshal is a local-first desktop application. All your novels, chapters, outlines, and creative content are stored exclusively on your own device in a local SQLite database. We do not collect, transmit, or have access to your creative content. We operate no servers that store your data. Your API keys are stored in your system keychain, not on any server we control. When you use a third-party AI provider, your content is sent directly from your device to that provider — not through our infrastructure. We collect no personal information, create no accounts, and use no tracking or advertising cookies.

2. Information We Do Not Collect

  • We do not ask for, transmit, or store your name, email address, phone number, or any other personal identifier.
  • We do not create user accounts. There is no sign-in, no password, no profile.
  • We do not transmit your novels, chapters, outlines, characters, conversations, or any other creative content to our infrastructure.
  • We do not synchronise your data between devices. The application has no cloud sync feature.
  • We do not use advertising cookies, tracking pixels, or analytics that identify you.
  • The public website may use Vercel Analytics and Speed Insights for aggregate page and performance metrics if enabled for a release. The desktop application does not load those web analytics, and creative content is not included.

3. Where Your Data Lives

All data created by the Service is stored on your local device:

  • Novels, chapters, outlines, knowledge entries, conversations, and chat messages are stored in a local SQLite database file in your operating system's application data directory.
  • Application preferences (theme, language, font size, layout choices) are stored in local storage on the device.
  • Third-party API keys that you choose to provide are stored in your operating system's secure keychain (macOS Keychain, Windows Credential Manager, or freedesktop Secret Service). If the operating system keychain is unavailable, the keys are written to an encrypted file under your application data directory, protected by a key generated on your device.

We have no copy of any of these. Removing the application or deleting the local database removes the data.

4. Third-Party AI Providers (Bring Your Own Key)

The Service uses on-device language models by default (a bundled llama-server engine, plus an MLX engine on Apple Silicon). When you configure your own credentials for a third-party AI provider (for example OpenAI, Anthropic, DeepSeek, or an OpenAI-compatible endpoint), the Service sends prompts and content directly from your device to that provider's API endpoint.

  • These requests do not pass through any server we operate.
  • The content of those requests is subject to the privacy policy and data handling practices of the provider you choose. Please review them before configuring a provider.
  • We never receive a copy of those requests or responses.

Hugging Face model downloads contact huggingface.co and its CDN to fetch model weights. These requests originate from your device and are subject to Hugging Face's privacy policy.

5. Your Rights and Controls

Because we do not collect your data, there is no account to delete and no profile to export from us. To control your data:

  • Export your creative content at any time using the in-app export feature.
  • Delete any novel, chapter, conversation, or knowledge entry from within the Service. Removal is immediate and local.
  • Remove all data by deleting the application's local database file in your application data directory and uninstalling the application.

6. Children's Use

The Service does not target users under the age of 13 and does not collect any information that could be used to identify a child. Because no personal information is collected from any user, no child-specific data collection occurs.

7. Changes to This Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy when the Service's behaviour materially changes. The current version is shipped with each release of the Service and the revision date appears at the top of this page.

8. Contact

If you have questions about this Privacy Policy, please contact us at support@inkmarshal.com.

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