Privacy Policy
CiteOwl is a tool for writing research papers. To do that, it stores the documents you create and sends parts of them to AI and search providers so the agent can research, write, and cite. This page explains exactly what we collect, why, and the choices you have. The principle behind all of it: your writing is yours, it is never used to train AI models, and it is never sold.
Who we are
CiteOwl ("we", "us") provides the CiteOwl service at this website. For any privacy question, or to exercise the rights described below, email hello@citeowl.com. The data controller is [legal entity name and registered address].
What we collect
- Account information. When you create an account we store your email address and, if you sign in with Google, your name and the basic profile your Google account shares. If you sign in with a password, we store only a securely hashed version of it, never the password itself.
- Your content. The documents, sections, sources, citations, figures, and revision history you create or import. This is the core of the service and stays in your account.
- Usage and billing data. Your plan, AI-usage credits, storage used, and, for paid plans, the billing details handled by our payment processor. We do not see or store your full card number.
- Technical data. A session cookie to keep you signed in, plus basic logs (such as request times and errors) needed to operate and secure the service. With your consent where required, we also use analytics cookies (see Cookies and analytics below).
How we use it
- To run the service: store your work, let the agent research, draft, and cite, and show you every change as a reviewable diff.
- To process your requests through AI and search providers (see below) when the agent acts on your instructions.
- To manage your account, enforce plan limits, and handle billing.
- To keep the service secure, debug problems, and prevent abuse.
- To reply when you contact us.
We do not use your documents to train any AI model, and we do not sell your personal data or your content to anyone.
AI and search providers
When the agent works for you, the relevant parts of your document and your instructions are sent to third-party providers so they can return a result:
- AI model providers (such as OpenAI) generate and edit text on our instruction.
- Search providers (Exa for web search, plus the large open scholarly databases OpenAlex, CrossRef, and Unpaywall, which together index hundreds of millions of papers) are queried to find and verify sources.
These providers process this data only to return a result to us and operate under their own terms; reputable AI providers contractually agree not to train their models on data sent through their business APIs. We send the minimum needed for the task, not your whole account.
Other services we rely on
- Google Sign-In, only if you choose to sign in with Google, to verify your identity.
- Stripe, to process payments on paid plans. Stripe handles your card details directly under its own privacy policy.
- Hosting and infrastructure, to store data and run the service.
Cookies and analytics
One essential cookie keeps you signed in. Beyond that, we use analytics to see how CiteOwl is used so we can improve it:
- Google Analytics, aggregate traffic and usage.
- PostHog (hosted in the EU), how people move through the app, so we can fix friction. Replays mask your inputs and document text: we record how you use the interface, not what you write.
In the EU, EEA, and UK none of this loads until you accept the cookie banner; elsewhere it loads by default. You can change your preferences any time. We never use advertising cookies or sell your data.
How long we keep it
We keep your account and content for as long as your account is active. Delete a document and it is removed from your account; delete your account and we remove your personal data and content, except where we must keep limited records (for example, billing records) to meet legal obligations. Backups are rotated on a routine schedule.
Your rights
You can access, correct, export, or delete your data. Depending on where you live, you may also have the right to object to or restrict certain processing, and to lodge a complaint with your local data-protection authority. To make any of these requests, email hello@citeowl.com and we will respond within a reasonable time.
Security
We protect data in transit with encryption, hash passwords, and limit who can access systems. No service can promise perfect security, but we work to keep your work safe and will notify you if a breach affects your data as required by law.
Children
CiteOwl is not directed at children under 16, and we do not knowingly collect their data. If you believe a child has given us personal data, contact us and we will remove it.
Changes to this policy
We may update this policy as the product evolves. When we make a material change we will update the date above and, where appropriate, notify you in the app or by email.
Contact
Questions about privacy? Email hello@citeowl.com.
← Back to home