Privacy, mapped clearly

1. The short version

Most of the pattern maker runs entirely in your browser. Image decoding, color matching, editing, bead counts, PNG export, and print/PDF preparation happen on your device.

Browser storage keeps your language preference, build-along progress, and dismissed tips. If you allow anonymous metrics, it also keeps delivery markers and one coarse UTC visit day. These values stay on your device and can be cleared in your browser.

When you allow anonymous product metrics, we count fixed workflow milestones, new or returning browser-day buckets, and the first, second, fifth, and tenth successful generation in a tab. We do not create user identifiers, send the stored visit day, keep event-level histories, or include your image, pattern contents, file name, title, or author.

When you allow metrics, Google Analytics loads and may use analytics cookies or similar identifiers to measure page views, traffic sources, device and browser categories, tool-entry clicks, content-depth milestones, fixed workflow events, and engagement time. Google Signals and ad-personalization signals are disabled in our site configuration. We do not send source photos, pattern contents, file names, titles, authors, support messages, or free text to Google Analytics.

With your metrics consent, fixed Google Analytics events also cover bead-maker actions, pattern-detail brand changes and exports, and Alpha chart generation and exports. Repeated actions may be counted separately. Export events mean a file or print sheet was prepared, not that you saved a file or finished printing. Image and text inputs stay on your device.

The site loads Google AdSense code for site review and ad serving. Third-party vendors, including Google, may use cookies, web beacons, IP addresses, or other identifiers to serve, personalize, and measure ads, subject to applicable consent controls and your settings.

Google uses advertising cookies to enable Google and its partners to serve ads based on your prior visits to this site or other websites. Depending on your location and consent choices, those ads may be personalized. You can manage or opt out of personalized advertising in Google Ads Settings and read how Google uses information from partner sites.

Our current advertising provider is Google AdSense. We do not directly integrate another advertising network in the site code. Google may use participating ad technology partners for ad delivery and measurement; the applicable partners depend on location, consent choices, and the ad request. Review Google's published ad technology partners and their privacy links. You can also use YourAdChoices to opt out of participating third-party vendors.

2. What information goes where

After you allow metrics, the stored UTC visit day stays on your device. The site sends only fixed first-seen or returning, recency, and page-family buckets, never the date itself.

3. Retired online sharing

Online QR sharing was retired on July 31, 2026. New links cannot be created, opened, or deleted through the site.

Legacy share records remain in private Vercel Blob storage with public API access disabled. They are not used for new links and will be handled separately before any permanent deletion.

4. Technical requests and service providers

When you request a page or API, Vercel may process standard technical data such as IP address, user agent, requested URL, time, status, and security signals.

The metrics API accepts only documented event names and fixed enum values, then immediately increments daily aggregate counters in Upstash Redis. It rejects extra fields and does not log event payloads.

We use Vercel to host the site and disabled share API, Vercel Blob for access-restricted legacy share records, Upstash for anonymous aggregate counters, and—with your permission—Google Analytics for website usage measurement. Support email is forwarded by Namecheap and then handled by the destination mailbox provider. Google and its advertising partners may process analytics and advertising request data under their own terms and your consent choices.

We use information to provide and improve requested features, understand website use after consent, keep the service secure and reliable, respond to messages, and meet legal obligations. We do not make decisions with legal or similarly significant effects based on Analytics data.

Where applicable, we rely on legitimate interests to operate and secure the service, on consent for Google Analytics, anonymous product metrics, or advertising where required, on your request for support, and on legal obligations when required.

5. Children and families

The core editor works without an account and without transmitting a source photo. If you are under 13 or the digital-consent age where you live, ask a parent or guardian before emailing support or making advertising consent choices.

You never need to attach the image you uploaded. Source photos stay in your browser, and support requests should not contain them.

6. Your choices and rights

Depending on where you live, you may have rights to access, correct, delete, restrict, object to, or obtain a copy of personal information, and to complain to a local authority.

Send requests to support@mybeadpattern.com. We may need enough information to verify and respond to a request, but we will not ask for your source photo.

You can clear language, build information, and Analytics cookies through browser site-data settings. You can also use Google's Analytics opt-out browser add-on and use the site without sending email.

Google Analytics and anonymous product metrics stay off unless you allow metrics. You can change or withdraw that choice at any time on this device.

Change anonymous metrics choice

You can manage or opt out of personalized advertising in Google Ads Settings. If a consent message is shown, use its controls to review participating ad partners and manage your choices.

7. Security, changes, and contact

We use data minimization, browser-local image processing, same-origin checks, security headers, and provider security controls. No online system is perfectly secure.

We may update this policy if features, providers, or legal requirements change. We will change the date above and provide additional notice if a change materially affects how information is handled.