Privacy and your data
Last updated 2026-09-12
We collect data to run Boat Guru and, if you allow it, usage analytics and session recordings to improve the product. We don't sell your data. You can delete your account and request deletion of previously collected analytics. Here's how that works.
What we collect
- Account info. The email address you sign up with, plus a hashed password if you use email/password (we never store the plaintext).
- Boat profile. What you tell us about your boats and engines. This is the data that makes answers good — see the engines guide for why.
- Chat history. The questions you ask and the answers we give. Stored against your account so you can come back to a thread.
- Feedback. When you hit thumbs-up or thumbs-down on an answer, we record the rating and your comment if you wrote one.
- Manuals (BoatGuru Plus and Pro). The service manuals you upload. Private to your account.
- Subscription records. Stripe handles web purchases, Apple handles iOS purchases, and Google Play handles Android purchases. We retain purchase identifiers and subscription status to provide access, restore purchases and handle billing support. We do not receive your full payment card number.
- Operational data. Standard server logs (IP, user agent, timestamps) for security and debugging. Retained briefly, then rotated out.
- Optional usage analytics. If you allow it, PostHog receives page or screen visits and session recordings to help us improve the product. Passwords are hidden; other text, form entries, messages and images may be recorded. We connect signed-in activity using an internal account ID. Names and emails are not added as analytics profile properties, but may appear in recorded screen content. Turn this off from the privacy policy on the website or Account settings in the app. Turning it off stops future collection; contact support to request deletion of previously collected analytics.
Boat profiles can include an optional hull identification number (HIN). Only add identifiers you want to store. Details you include in a chat or feedback comment are also treated as user content. Public shared reports omit full engine serial numbers by default.
How we keep your conversations
Your conversations are kept with your account so you can return to them and Boat Guru can keep track of what you have already discussed. We do not share conversations with other users or sell them. We may look at broad patterns to check whether Boat Guru is useful. If you enable optional session recordings, conversation text visible on screen can also appear in a recording linked to your internal account ID.
How feedback comments are handled
When you submit a thumbs-down with a comment, that comment is read by our team to figure out where Boat Guru went wrong. Comments are stored with your user ID so we can ask follow-up questions if needed. If you'd rather submit feedback that isn't tied to your account, let us know via the contact form — we can scrub the user link.
Your deletion rights
You can delete your account at any time from your account settings. Deletion removes your account, boat profile, chat history, manuals, feedback, and recall-alert subscriptions. Some operational logs persist briefly for security reasons and roll off on their normal retention schedule.
Account deletion does not automatically delete previously uploaded PostHog analytics and recordings. Use the contact form to request deletion of that data as well. Turning off analytics stops future collection but does not delete previous recordings.
If you want to delete a specific feedback comment or chat thread without deleting the whole account, use the contact form and tell us what to remove. We aim to handle these within a couple of business days.
Data retention
- Active accounts. We retain your data as long as your account is open.
- Closed accounts. Account deletion removes application records. Some backup copies and records needed for legal obligations remain under their retention schedules; see the privacy policy. Account deletion cannot be undone.
- Survey responses. When you delete your account, survey scores are kept without your name so we can see broad trends. If you want us to remove a score entirely, ask through the contact form.
- Optional session recordings. PostHog recordings currently expire after 30 days. Analytics events have a separate retention period; contact support to request their deletion.
GDPR and CCPA
If you're in the EU, UK, or California (or anywhere with a comparable regime), you have rights of access, correction, deletion, and portability. Email us via the contact form and we'll respond within the statutory window. We don't sell personal information, full stop.
Questions
For anything privacy-related — including a request to see, correct, or delete your information — use the contact form and pick "Privacy" as the topic. A real human reads it.