Privacy Policy

1. Overview

ToolHQ (“we”, “our”, or “us”) operates toolhq.app — a collection of free browser-based utility tools, operated by Everstone Dynamics LLC. We are committed to protecting your privacy. This policy explains what data is and is not collected when you use ToolHQ.

2. How Your Files Are Handled

Most tools run entirely in your browser and process files locally — your files never leave your device. Certain tools require server-side processing; for these, files are uploaded to a secure server solely to perform the requested operation and are deleted immediately after processing completes or fails.

Client-side tools (files never leave your device):

• Image converters, compressors, and editors
• Background Remover (AI model runs entirely in your browser via WASM)
• Text tools (word counter, case converter, diff checker, etc.)
• Developer tools (JSON formatter, Base64, regex tester, etc.)
• Calculators and unit converters
• QR code and barcode generators

Server-assisted tools (files are processed on a secure server and deleted immediately):

• PDF tools (conversion, compression, merging, splitting, OCR, translation, etc.)
• Audio and video transcription
• Website screenshot
• Network analysis tools (SSL checker, HTTP headers, redirect checker, etc.)

3. Data We Do Not Collect

• We do not require registration or account creation.
• We do not maintain user profiles or persistent user records of any kind.
• We do not sell your data to third parties.
• We do not store any personally identifiable information.

4. Analytics

We use Google Analytics 4 (GA4), a web analytics service provided by Google LLC, to understand how visitors use the Service. Google Analytics collects information such as:

• Pages visited and time spent on the Service
• General geographic location (country/region level, derived from IP address)
• Device, browser, and operating system type
• Referral source (how you arrived at the Service)
• Interactions with tools and features (e.g., which tool pages are viewed)

This data is collected in aggregate and pseudonymized form. Google Analytics uses cookies and similar technologies to collect this information. We use this data solely to understand overall usage patterns, improve the Service, and measure the effectiveness of our content — we do not use it to identify individual users.

Google Analytics may share data with Google for the purposes described in Google’s Privacy Policy. You can learn more about how Google uses data from sites that use its services at Google’s “How Google uses information from sites or apps that use our services”.

Opting out: You can opt out of Google Analytics tracking by installing the Google Analytics Opt-out Browser Add-on, or by using your browser’s “Do Not Track” or cookie-blocking settings. Blocking analytics cookies does not affect your ability to use any tool on the Service.

5. Advertising

We display advertisements served by Google AdSense. Google AdSense uses cookies to serve ads based on your prior visits to this and other websites. Google’s use of advertising cookies enables it and its partners to serve ads based on your visit to our Service and/or other sites on the internet.

You may opt out of personalized advertising by visiting Google’s Ad Settings. You can also opt out of a third-party vendor’s use of cookies for personalized advertising by visiting www.aboutads.info.

6. Cookies

The Service itself does not set any first-party tracking cookies. Cookies present on the Service originate from:

• Google Analytics — for understanding aggregate usage patterns (see “Analytics” above)
• Google AdSense — for serving and measuring advertisements (see “Advertising” above)

Certain tools may use browser local storage (not cookies) to temporarily hold your preferences (e.g., theme selection) or in-progress work during your session. This data stays in your browser and is not transmitted to us.

7. Third-Party AI and Processing Services

Some tools rely on third-party services to provide their functionality. Depending on the specific tool used, your input (text, image, or audio/video file) may be transmitted to:

• Anthropic — for AI-assisted text generation tools such as grammar checking, summarization, and content generation
• Groq — for AI-assisted image analysis and audio/video transcription
• Google Translate — for the PDF translation tool

These providers process your input solely to generate the output you requested. We do not permit these providers to use your input to train their models, and content is not retained by us beyond the duration needed to fulfill your request. Tools that run entirely in your browser (such as the Background Remover, which uses a locally-run AI model) do not transmit your data to any third party.

For network-diagnostic tools (such as website screenshot, broken link checker, IP/DNS lookup, or SSL checker), the URL or domain you submit is sent to the relevant external target and to supporting third-party APIs as needed to return results to you.

8. Other Third-Party Services

Some tools (e.g., IP geolocation, currency exchange rates, URL shortening) fetch data from external APIs. These requests may expose your IP address or submitted URL/domain to those third-party services. We use these integrations solely to return the result you requested.

9. Children’s Privacy

The Service is not directed at children under 13, and we do not knowingly collect personal information from children under 13. Because the Service does not require registration or accounts, we do not knowingly collect any persistent personal data from any user, including children. If you believe a child has provided us with information through the Service, please contact us at contact@toolhq.app.

10. Changes to This Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time to reflect changes in our practices, the tools we offer, or legal requirements. The “Last updated” date at the top of this page indicates when the policy was last revised. We encourage you to review this page periodically. Continued use of the Service after changes are posted constitutes acceptance of the updated policy.

11. Contact

Questions about this privacy policy can be sent to contact@toolhq.app.