Privacy
What GetTheText collects, what it doesn't, and why the list is so short.
- No accounts, so we don't have your name or email unless you write to us.
- Transcripts are prepared when you ask and cached for a few days so repeat visits are instant. We don't keep a history of what you looked up.
- No cookies, no advertising trackers, no data brokers. Your settings live in your own browser.
What we collect
When you paste a link, we receive the video ID so we can prepare its transcript. The transcript is cached on our server for up to seven days, keyed by the video ID only, so the next person asking for the same video gets it instantly. We do not keep a per-visitor history of the videos you look up.
Our web server keeps standard access logs (IP address, browser type, requested page, time) for up to 30 days. They exist for security, rate limiting and debugging, and are not used to build profiles.
If you use the contact form, we keep your name, email, the message and the video link you included for as long as it takes to deal with it, then for up to a year in case you follow up.
What we don't collect
No accounts, no passwords, no payment details, no advertising identifiers. We don't sell personal data, and we don't share it with data brokers or ad networks.
Cookies and local settings
GetTheText sets no cookies. Your theme (light or dark), your preferred view (timestamps or paragraphs) and your text size are saved in your browser's local storage, which stays on your device and is never sent to us. Clearing site data in your browser removes them.
Because we don't track you, there is nothing for a Do Not Track or Global Privacy Control signal to switch off. We honour the intent either way.
Analytics
There is no analytics script on the site today. If we add one, it will be a cookieless tool that counts page views in aggregate and does not identify individuals or follow you across sites, and this page will name it.
Third parties
Video thumbnails are loaded from YouTube's image servers, which means YouTube may see your IP address when a thumbnail loads. The site is hosted by a cloud provider under a standard data-processing agreement; other than that, no third party receives data about you unless the law requires it.
Links to other websites, including YouTube itself, lead to services with their own privacy practices that we don't control.
Where data is stored
Our servers may be located outside your country. Whatever we hold is limited to the items above, and the same protections apply wherever it sits.
Security
Connections use HTTPS. Access logs and contact messages are kept on access-controlled systems and deleted on the schedule above. No system is perfectly secure, so we keep as little as possible to begin with.
Children
GetTheText isn't directed at children under 13, and we don't knowingly collect information from them. If you believe a child has sent us personal data through the contact form, tell us and we'll delete it.
Your rights
Depending on where you live, you may have the right to access, correct, export or delete personal data about you, to object to or restrict its use, and to complain to a data-protection authority. Because we hold almost nothing, there is usually nothing to export or delete, but if you emailed us and want that thread removed, say so and we'll do it. Requests go through the contact page and are answered within 30 days.
Changes
If this page changes in a way that matters, we'll update the date at the top. Continued use after a change means you're fine with it.
Contact
Questions about privacy go through the contact page.