Privacy Policy

What we collect

When you create an account, we collect your email address, name, and company name. This is the minimum required to set up your workspace and contact you about your account.

We collect usage data, including which features you use, how many scans you run, and how you interact with the platform, to understand how the product is being used and where we can improve it.

You configure brand names and query prompts inside the platform. We store this data to run your scans and return results to you.

We also collect your IP address, browser type, and device type as part of standard web server logging and security practices.

How we use your data

We use the data we collect to run the platform and deliver your scan results. Without it, the core service cannot function.

We may send you product updates, new feature announcements, and occasional tips about getting more from AnswerTrace. You can unsubscribe from these emails at any time using the link in any email we send.

We use usage data and logs to troubleshoot problems, diagnose errors, and improve performance. We do not sell your data to third parties.

Data storage and retention

Your data is stored in Supabase, which runs on PostgreSQL hosted on Amazon Web Services (AWS). Supabase is our database and authentication provider.

We retain your data for the lifetime of your account. When you delete your account, we delete your personal data within 90 days. Some anonymised usage statistics may be retained beyond that period for internal analytics.

Third-party services

We share data with the following third-party services in order to operate the platform:

• Supabase, handles authentication and database storage. Receives your account information and stored brand/query data.
• Vercel, hosts the web application. Receives standard request logs including IP addresses.
• PostHog, powers product analytics. Before you sign in it receives page views and clicks; an identifier is stored on your device only if you accept cookies in the banner. After you sign in, events are tied to your account (user id, email, plan and workspace) so we can see how the product is used.
• Sentry, collects error reports when something breaks in the app. A report includes the page, the browser and, if you are signed in, your user id and email, so we can find and fix the problem.
• Crisp, runs the chat widget in the corner of the page. It receives what you type into the chat and, if you are signed in, your name and email so our replies reach you. Once you use the chat it keeps a session identifier in your browser so the conversation can continue across pages.
• AI engines (OpenAI, Google, Anthropic, Perplexity), used to run your visibility scans. We send only your configured brand names and query prompts to these services. We do not send your name, email, or any other personal data to AI engines.
• Google Search Console, only if you connect it. We read your search performance data; we send nothing to Google beyond the request itself. See the Google Search Console data section below.

Google Search Console data

If you choose to connect Google Search Console, AnswerTrace requests a single read-only permission: https://www.googleapis.com/auth/webmasters.readonly. This is the narrowest scope Google offers for Search Console. It lets us read your search performance data and nothing else. We cannot change your site, your Google account, or any Search Console setting.

We use this data for one purpose: to show you the keywords your site already ranks for on Google, and to compare that with whether AI engines recommend you for the same questions. That comparison is the product. We do not use Google user data to train models, to build advertising profiles, or for any purpose other than showing you your own results inside AnswerTrace.

What we store: your Search Console performance figures (clicks, impressions, click-through rate, average position, top queries, and top pages) as periodic snapshots, so you can see change over time. We also store the token that lets us refresh that data. The token is encrypted at rest and is tied to the single brand you connected it for.

What we do not do: we do not sell Google user data, we do not share it with third parties, and we do not transfer it to anyone for advertising, credit assessment, or lending purposes. No human at AnswerTrace reads your Search Console data, except where you have given explicit permission for a specific support request, where it is necessary for security or to comply with the law, or where the data has been aggregated and anonymised.

How to disconnect: go to Settings, then Integrations, and choose Disconnect. This revokes our access with Google immediately and deletes the stored token, so we can no longer read your data. You can also revoke access yourself at any time from your Google Account permissions page. The snapshots we already took stay in your workspace, so your history survives if you reconnect. They are kept for as long as the history window on your plan allows, are deleted when you close your account, and we will delete them sooner if you ask us at hello@answertrace.com.

AnswerTrace’s use and transfer of information received from Google APIs adheres to the Google API Services User Data Policy, including the Limited Use requirements.

Your rights

You have the right to access the personal data we hold about you, request corrections to inaccurate data, and request deletion of your account and associated data.

To exercise any of these rights, email us at hello@answertrace.com. We will respond within 30 days. If your request is complex or numerous, we may extend this period by a further 30 days and will notify you accordingly.

Cookies

We use essential cookies to keep you signed in and to maintain your session across page loads. These are required for the platform to function and cannot be disabled.

Analytics sets no cookie unless you allow it. The banner on your first visit asks; if you accept, PostHog stores an identifier in a cookie and in your browser storage so your visits can be linked, and if you decline nothing is stored except your answer. Once you are signed in the identifier is tied to your account and removed when you sign out. You can also block it in your browser's cookie settings without losing any feature of the platform.

Contact

If you have any questions about this privacy policy or how we handle your data, please contact us at hello@answertrace.com. We are based in India.