Privacy Policy

Information FIELDNOTES handles

When you sign in with Google, FIELDNOTES receives the account information needed to identify your account, such as your Google account ID, name, and email address. FIELDNOTES does not receive your Google password.

Research information you add can include workspace names, Canvas cards and relationships, notes, Library sources, timeline events, tags, attachment metadata, and AI Short Notes. Attachments may be stored in FIELDNOTES private file storage or in the Google Drive account you connect, depending on the file and workspace configuration.

The hosting, database, and storage services used to operate FIELDNOTES may process technical request and security information as part of providing those services. Their own privacy terms also apply to that processing.

Google Drive access

Connecting Drive is optional. FIELDNOTES requests the Google Drive drive.file permission, which is limited to files created by FIELDNOTES or specifically made available to it; FIELDNOTES does not request general access to every file in your Drive. The app creates or reuses an app-marked FIELDNOTES folder for its files.

To keep a Drive connection working, FIELDNOTES stores a refresh token encrypted in its database and uses it on the server to access files for your workspace. The token is not included in Workspace Backup. Disconnecting Drive removes the stored connection credentials but does not delete files in your Google Drive. Deleting an attachment from FIELDNOTES can delete its corresponding Drive file once it is no longer used by a Library or Canvas record.

AI Short Notes

AI Short Note is optional and starts only when you request it for an eligible PDF and your account has permission to use the feature. FIELDNOTES retrieves the file, extracts text, and sends the extracted text to OpenAI to generate a short note. The generated note and related source information are saved in your FIELDNOTES workspace. Availability may depend on account permissions and usage limits. Viewing an existing note does not make another AI request.

OpenAI processes submitted text under the terms and data-retention settings that apply to the configured OpenAI service. FIELDNOTES does not promise a particular provider retention period here. Avoid requesting a note for material you are not comfortable sending to the configured AI provider.

How information is used and stored

FIELDNOTES uses account and workspace information to authenticate you, save and display your research, provide attachment and backup functions, protect account boundaries, and carry out features you choose to use. Workspace records are associated with the signed-in account and access is checked on the server.

The cloud application uses Neon PostgreSQL for account and workspace records, and private object storage for supported attachments and temporary backup transfers. Google Drive files remain in the connected user's Drive. FIELDNOTES does not make Drive files public as part of connecting the account.

Retention, deletion, and backups

FIELDNOTES does not currently apply a fixed automatic expiration period to account or workspace records. Workspace information remains available until it is deleted through the app or the account/workspace is otherwise removed. There is not currently a self-service account deletion control; for account-level deletion or privacy requests, contact the operator using the support email on the Google sign-in consent screen.

Deleting an attachment through the app removes its app-managed copy after it is no longer referenced. Disconnecting Google Drive removes FIELDNOTES's stored credentials but leaves Drive files in your account. You can also manage or remove those files directly in Drive.

Workspace Backup is a user-initiated metadata archive. It contains research records and attachment references, but not attachment binaries, Google credentials, or API secrets. Restoring it cannot recover a missing or deleted Drive file. FIELDNOTES does not provide a separate scheduled off-device backup service; database and storage recovery windows depend on the underlying providers and configured services.

Sharing and security

FIELDNOTES is designed for private, account-scoped workspaces. The app does not provide a workspace-sharing feature. You may choose to export or share material yourself. Google, Neon, Vercel, and OpenAI (when you request AI Short Note) process information as needed to provide their respective services.

FIELDNOTES uses authentication, server-side workspace ownership checks, encrypted Drive credentials, and private attachment delivery. No internet service can promise absolute security, and you should keep your account credentials and downloaded backups secure.

Changes and contact

This policy may be updated when FIELDNOTES features, providers, or data practices change. The date at the top indicates the latest published revision. For questions, access or deletion requests, use the FIELDNOTES support email shown on the Google sign-in consent screen.