Privacy Policy for QA Snapshot Extension

Last Updated: April 26, 2026

This privacy policy describes how the QA Snapshot browser extension ("we", "our", "the extension") handles user data. Your privacy is important to us, and we are committed to transparency.

📢 Summary: The QA Snapshot extension collects NO personal data. All captured website content stays locally in YOUR browser. Nothing is sent to any server.

1. What Data Does This Extension Collect?

The extension collects WEBSITE CONTENT only when you explicitly click the capture buttons. This includes:

Data Type	Collected?	Description
Personally Identifiable Information	❌ NO	No names, addresses, emails, phone numbers, or ID numbers
Health Information	❌ NO	No medical or health data
Financial & Payment Information	❌ NO	No credit card numbers, bank details, or payment history
Authentication Information	❌ NO	No passwords, credentials, or PINs
Personal Communications	❌ NO	No emails, messages, or chat content
Location Data	❌ NO	No GPS, IP tracking, or geolocation
Web History	❌ NO	No browsing history or visited pages list
User Activity	❌ NO	No click tracking, mouse position, scroll, or keystroke logging
Website Content	✅ YES	DOM structure, element positions, styles, text, attributes, and localStorage/sessionStorage from pages you test

2. How Is Website Content Collected?

The extension only captures website content when YOU explicitly take action:

You click "Capture Baseline" - saves current page state
You click "Capture Test" - saves another page state for comparison
You click "Compare" - analyzes differences between snapshots
You click "Highlight on Page" - shows visual overlay

No automatic or background collection occurs. The extension does not run until you click its icon.

3. How Is Collected Data Used?

The collected website content is used for ONE purpose only: visual and DOM regression testing.

Specifically, the extension uses the data to:

Compare "before" (baseline) and "after" (test) snapshots
Generate diff reports showing what changed, moved, or disappeared
Display colored overlays on the webpage to highlight differences
Export snapshots as JSON (only if you click the export button)

The extension does NOT use the data for any other purpose, including advertising, analytics, or user profiling.

4. Where Is Data Stored?

All data stays in YOUR browser. Nothing is sent to external servers.

Data is stored locally using Chrome's built-in storage APIs:

IndexedDB - Stores snapshots (baselines and test captures)
chrome.storage.local - Stores extension settings (ignore rules, preferences)

5. Is Data Shared With Third Parties?

NO. We do not sell, rent, transfer, or share any data with third parties.

The extension makes zero external network requests for data transmission. No servers, no APIs, no analytics platforms, no third-party services.

The only exception is if YOU choose to:

Export a snapshot as JSON - The file saves to your local computer. You decide if and where to share it.
Import a snapshot from JSON - You load a file you already have.

Even these actions are fully user-initiated and local-only.

6. How Long Is Data Retained?

Data is retained until YOU delete it:

You can delete individual snapshots anytime via the extension popup
You can clear all snapshots from the settings menu
Uninstalling the extension removes ALL stored data

No automatic expiration or data retention beyond what you choose.

7. Data Transfers & International Users

Since no data leaves your browser, there are no cross-border data transfers. The extension works the same regardless of your location.

8. Children's Privacy

The extension is not intended for children under 13. We do not knowingly collect any information from children. If you believe a child has used this extension, simply uninstall it - all data will be removed.

9. Changes to This Privacy Policy

If we update this privacy policy, the "Last Updated" date at the top will change. Continued use of the extension after changes constitutes acceptance of the updated policy.

10. Your Rights & Control

You have full control over your data:

✅ Access - View all saved snapshots in the extension popup
✅ Delete - Remove any snapshot individually or all at once
✅ Export - Save snapshots as JSON files to your computer
✅ Opt-out - Uninstall the extension removes all data

11. Permissions Justification

The extension requires certain permissions to function. Here's why each is needed and how it relates to data collection:

Permission	Why Needed	Data Access
activeTab	Temporary access to current page when you click capture	Reads DOM for snapshot (user-initiated only)
storage	Saves snapshots and settings locally	Writes to browser storage (no external access)
scripting	Injects visual overlay to highlight changes	Draws colored boxes on page (no data collection)
cookies	Optional - reads cookies only if user enables feature	Reads cookie values for UI state testing
host_permissions	Allows testing on any website user chooses	Access only when you click extension icon

12. No Remote Code

The extension does NOT execute any remote code. All JavaScript, CSS, and HTML files are packaged locally in the extension. No external scripts are loaded from CDNs or servers. This ensures that:

No third-party code can access your data
The extension works offline
You can audit the code yourself

13. Security

Since all data stays in your browser, we rely on Chrome's built-in security model. The extension:

Uses Chrome's storage APIs with standard encryption-at-rest
Does not create any external network connections
Does not use eval() or dynamic code execution
Follows Chrome Web Store security requirements

14. Contact Information

If you have questions about this privacy policy, contact:

Email: devendrapatil311@gmail.com
GitHub: https://github.com/dev310101/qa-snapshot-extension

15. Compliance Statements

We certify that:

✅ We do not sell or transfer user data to third parties
✅ We do not use user data for purposes unrelated to the extension's single purpose (UI regression testing)
✅ We do not use user data for creditworthiness or lending purposes
✅ We comply with Chrome Web Store Developer Program Policies