Last updated: 15 June 2026
Page Commons is a privacy-first reading companion. It is built so that your reading life stays yours. This policy explains, plainly, what data the app handles and where it goes. The short version: your data lives on your own device, and Page Commons does not run any server-side database of user accounts or reading data.
By default, everything Page Commons remembers — your shelf, your reading status, your conversations with the companion, your notes, your saved passages, and your preferences — is stored locally in your browser using localStorage on the device you are using. There are no user accounts, and this information is not transmitted to or stored on Page Commons servers.
When you chat with the companion, your messages — along with limited context such as the book's title and author and your stated reading status — are sent to an AI provider so it can respond. Which provider depends on your settings:
The companion's responses are generated by AI and may be inaccurate. Please do not send sensitive personal information in chat.
Book searches use two sources: the Google Books API (via a Page Commons serverless function) as the primary source, and the Open Library API (openlibrary.org, contacted directly from your browser) as a secondary fallback for additional titles and cover images. Neither source receives personally identifying information — only the search query itself. Search queries are not stored by Page Commons.
Google Drive sync is entirely optional and off until you connect it. If you choose to connect it:
drive.file scope. This grants access exclusively to the files that Page Commons itself creates in your Google Drive. Page Commons cannot see, read, or access any other files in your Drive.Page Commons's use and transfer of information received from Google APIs adheres to the Google API Services User Data Policy, including the Limited Use requirements.
If you use a transfer code to move an API key between devices, the code and its payload are stored only briefly on a server and are deleted immediately after they are retrieved once. They are single-use.
To keep the free shared AI pool and transfer service available, the Page Commons serverless functions apply basic rate limiting that may temporarily process your IP address. This is used only to prevent abuse and is not used to build a profile of you or retained beyond what rate limiting requires.
Page Commons does not show advertising, does not sell data, and does not use analytics or tracking cookies. There is no engagement tracking and no algorithmic feed.
The support page links to Ko-fi (tips). If you follow that link, the destination site has its own privacy policy that governs your activity there.
Page Commons is not directed to children under 13, and we do not knowingly collect personal information from them.
Because your data lives on your device, you remain in control of it. You can export a full backup or clear it from your browser at any time, and you can disconnect Google Drive and revoke its access whenever you wish.
If this policy changes, the "last updated" date above will change with it. Material changes will be reflected on this page.
Questions about privacy? Please open an issue on GitHub. Page Commons is an independent project maintained by its solo founder, Pete.