Privacy, in plain English
No accounts, no cookies, no ads and no tracking across other sites. Your work stays in your browser. Here is exactly what happens to your data.
Last updated 7 October 2026
At a glance
| What | Where it goes | Who can see it |
|---|---|---|
| Your progress, drafts and settings | Your browser, on your device | Only you |
| Anonymous visit counts | GoatCounter, a privacy-friendly counter | Totals only, with no way to identify you |
| Code in a share link | Inside the link itself | Whoever you give the link to |
| Requests to the AI lessons' assistant | Nowhere: it runs on the page | No one |
| Standard server logs | The web host | The host, for security and running the site |
What is stored on your device?
Your progress, your saved drafts and a few settings, such as whether you have seen the quick tour, are kept in your browser's local storage on your own device. They are never sent to PlainFinch.
To reset everything, clear this site's data in your browser settings. Using another browser or device starts fresh.
What is counted?
On plainfinch.com, your browser sends anonymous visit counts to GoatCounter. These counts use no cookies, store nothing on your device and do not identify you. They include:
- the page you opened, its title, your screen size and the site that linked to you, if any;
- when a lesson or a Break It challenge is finished;
- what you type into the lesson search box, cut short and lowercased, sent only after you stop typing and only when it is three letters or more;
- when a helper feature is used, such as a hint, See the goal, Share or Expand.
These numbers show which lessons help and where people get stuck, so the lessons can be improved.
If your browser sends the Do Not Track signal, nothing is counted at all. Counts are only sent from plainfinch.com, never from a copy of the site.
What is never collected?
- The code you write, your drafts or your answers.
- Your name, email address or any account details, because there are no accounts.
- Anything you type to the AI lessons' pretend assistant, which runs entirely on the page.
- Advertising or cross-site tracking data. There are no ads and no tracking pixels.
What about the web host?
Like almost every website, the server that hosts PlainFinch may keep standard technical logs, such as IP addresses and the pages requested, to keep the site secure and running. Fonts, scripts and images are served from plainfinch.com itself, not from outside services.
Questions people ask
Does PlainFinch use cookies?
No. Not for analytics, not for logins and not for ads.
Can I delete my progress?
Yes. Clear this site's data in your browser settings and everything stored on your device is removed.
Is my data sold or shared?
No. There is no personal data to sell: no accounts, no emails and no tracking profiles.
Can I stop being counted?
Yes. Turn on Do Not Track in your browser, or use a content blocker. Lessons work the same either way.
Changes and contact
If what PlainFinch stores or counts ever changes, this page will be updated first. Questions about privacy are welcome at hello [at] plainfinch.com.