Catchword Privacy policy
Privacy and data

Privacy policy

How Catchword handles selected text, AI requests, credentials, and your learning data.

Catchword has a local mode that does not send page text to a remote service. AI Mode is optional, requires your explicit opt-in, and connects directly to Google Gemini using your authorization key. Catchword does not include advertising, analytics, or tracking services.

Data Catchword handles

  • Selected website content: the word you deliberately double-click and a bounded sentence excerpt extracted locally at lookup time. The excerpt is sent to Google only when you open “In context.”
  • AI Mode credentials: the Google Gemini API key you choose to save.
  • Translation inputs: the selected word and target language.
  • Quiz inputs: the selected word for initial question generation; its definition and part of speech for follow-up review questions; and the word, definition, question, and submitted answer for typed grading.
  • Preferences: lookup enablement, language, appearance, text size, and popup dimensions, stored using Chrome Sync.
  • Local learning state: saved words, review schedules, generated questions, and grading outcomes.

When data leaves your browser

Local dictionary lookup uses bundled Open English WordNet data and stays on your device. Catchword uses Chrome’s on-device Translator API when it is available in local mode. If you enable AI Mode, Catchword sends only the inputs needed for the feature you invoke directly to Google’s Generative Language API over HTTPS. Your key is also sent to Google to authenticate requests, including a model-access check when you connect it. Catchword does not route requests through a publisher-operated server.

AI Mode can use eligible Gemini Unpaid Services or Paid Services. Catchword does not choose or independently determine your service tier. Under Google’s Unpaid Services terms, Google may use submitted content and responses to improve its products, and human reviewers may read, annotate, and process them. Google says not to submit sensitive, confidential, or personal information to Unpaid Services. Under Google’s Paid Services terms, prompts and responses are not used to improve Google products, but Google may retain them for safety, abuse prevention, and legal obligations. Google also processes service metadata such as IP addresses, authentication details, and usage. Its Gemini terms and Privacy Policy govern that processing.

Billing is not required by Catchword. Google charges may apply if you enable billing or use a paid service. Review your Google account’s current service tier, usage limits, and billing settings before using AI Mode.

Preferences may be synchronized by Google across your signed-in Chrome browsers when Chrome Sync is enabled. Your key, sentence context, vocabulary, and learning progress are not stored in Chrome Sync by Catchword. Chrome may download on-device translation models; local translation text stays on-device.

Storage and retention

  • Your Gemini API key and consent record remain in Chrome extension-local storage until you remove the key, clear the extension’s data, or uninstall Catchword.
  • Generated definitions, translations, and quizzes may remain in a bounded local least-recently-used cache until automatic eviction, key removal, or uninstall.
  • Sentence-context text and generated contextual explanations are used for the active request and are not persisted by Catchword.
  • Vocabulary and learning progress are stored in the extension’s local IndexedDB database without an application-level word limit. They remain until extension data is cleared or Catchword is uninstalled.

Your controls

In Catchword Settings, you can remove the Gemini API key and its consent record, disable double-click lookup, or return to local mode. Removing the key cancels pending AI work and clears the generated-result cache. This cannot recall requests already received by Google or delete Google’s retained records. Saved vocabulary and learning progress remain until extension data is cleared in Chrome or Catchword is uninstalled.

Security

Catchword restricts key access to trusted extension pages, validates extension messages, connects only to the configured Google Gemini origin, and does not execute remotely hosted code. Chrome extension storage is not an encrypted secret vault. Use a dedicated Gemini-only restricted key with conservative quotas, and do not reuse a key that grants access to unrelated services.

How data is used and shared

Catchword uses data to provide vocabulary lookup, translation, quizzes, and spaced review. The publisher does not receive your API requests or learning history, sell your data, use it for advertising, or transfer it for credit or lending decisions. The publisher sees content you deliberately include in a support request; public GitHub issues can be read by anyone. Google’s separate processing, retention, and permitted safety or legal access are described above. Catchword does not promise that no human can ever access data handled by Google. Catchword’s use of information received from Google APIs adheres to the Chrome Web Store User Data Policy, including its Limited Use requirements.

Children’s privacy

Catchword is a general-purpose learning tool and is not directed to children under 13. The extension does not knowingly collect personal information from children. AI Mode is available only to people who are at least 18 years old, consistent with the eligibility requirements for the Gemini API.

Support and privacy requests

Ask a question or report a problem through Catchword’s public GitHub Issues page. Do not include API keys, private page text, or other sensitive information in a public issue.

Policy changes

Material changes to data handling will be reflected on this page and, when required, will pause AI Mode until the updated disclosure is accepted.