Privacy Policy

Summary

Real Word Count is a client-side word counter. Your text never leaves your browser. We do not collect, store, or transmit the text you enter. All word and character counting is performed 100% locally on your device. We store your theme preference locally, and we use Google Analytics 4 to understand website traffic, visitor interactions, and overall usage patterns.

This policy explains what happens when you use the website, how local preferences are handled, what technical data hosting infrastructure and analytics process, and your rights.

Text You Enter Into the Word Counter

When you type or paste text into the editor, all processing — word counting, character counting, sentence detection, paragraph detection, reading time estimation, speaking time estimation — happens entirely in your browser using JavaScript. Your text is not sent to any server, is not stored in any database, and is not logged.

You can verify this by opening your browser's developer tools (Network tab) and observing that no requests containing your text are made. You can also disconnect from the internet after the page loads; the word counter will continue to work fully offline.

The text exists only in the page's memory while you have the tab open. Closing the tab or navigating away discards it. We have no access to it.

Theme Preference

Real Word Count offers a light and dark theme. Your choice is saved in your browser's localStorage under the key theme with a value of either "light" or "dark".

This preference is stored locally on your device only. It is not transmitted to any server, not associated with any identifier, and not shared with third parties. You can clear it at any time by clearing your browser's local storage for this site.

Accounts, Databases, and Advertising

• No user accounts. You cannot create an account, log in, or save data to a profile.
• No application database. There is no backend database storing user content or text metadata.
• No advertising currently. The site does not currently display ads, use ad networks, or include ad tracking pixels. See the Advertising section below for what will apply if advertising is enabled in the future.
• External font requests. The site loads the Geist and Geist Mono font stylesheet from Google Fonts (with preconnect hints). Loading that stylesheet sends a standard request to Google that includes technical information such as your IP address and browser user agent; see Google's Privacy Policy.

Analytics and Cookies

Real Word Count uses Google Analytics 4 (GA4), a web analytics service provided by Google LLC (“Google”). Google Analytics helps us understand how visitors discover, navigate, and interact with the website so that we can improve user experience and monitor site performance.

What is collected: When you browse the website, GA4 automatically collects standard telemetry and interaction data, such as your approximate geographic location (country or city-level, derived from your IP address before it is discarded), device type, operating system, browser type, language preference, referring URL, pages viewed, and session duration. Your text is never sent to Google Analytics: All word counter text analysis happens strictly in your browser using local JavaScript, completely separate from analytics.

Cookies used: Google Analytics sets first-party cookies (such as _ga and _ga_*) stored on your device to distinguish individual sessions and visitors. Google acts as a service provider (data processor) processing this data on our behalf in accordance with Google’s Privacy Policy.

Managing cookies and opting out: You can manage or disable cookies directly through your browser settings. You can also prevent Google Analytics from collecting data on any website by installing the official Google Analytics Opt-out Browser Add-on.

Implementation note: Analytics scripts currently load upon page load. The only other data stored on your device is your visual theme choice (theme) saved in your browser’s localStorage to remember your light or dark mode preference.

Technical Data Processed by Hosting Infrastructure

Like any website, Real Word Count is served through hosting infrastructure (e.g., a CDN or static host). That infrastructure may automatically process certain technical data as part of serving the page, such as:

• IP address (for routing and security)
• Request timestamp
• User agent string (browser/OS information)
• Requested URL path
• HTTP referrer (if provided by your browser)
• Response status code and byte counts

This data is standard web server access log information. It is not linked to your text input, not used to build profiles, and not sold. The specific hosting provider depends on how the site is deployed and may change over time; we do not name a provider here, and that provider's published privacy policy governs retention and handling of this data.

If you have concerns about this infrastructure-level data, consider using a VPN, Tor, or a privacy-focused browser configuration.

External Links and Third-Party Sites

The website may contain links to external sites (for example, the Google Fonts privacy policy, the Astro framework site, or the Tailwind CSS site). This privacy policy applies only to Real Word Count. When you follow a link to another site, that site's privacy practices apply.

We encourage you to review the privacy policies of any third-party sites you visit.

Advertising

Real Word Count does not currently display advertising. This policy will be updated before any advertising is enabled, and no ad code is present on the site today.

If advertising is enabled in the future — for example, through Google AdSense — the following will apply:

• Google and other third-party vendors may use cookies to serve ads based on your prior visits to this website or other websites.
• Google's use of advertising cookies enables it and its partners to serve ads to you based on your visit to this site and/or other sites on the Internet.
• You may opt out of personalized advertising by visiting Google Ads Settings. You can also opt out of some third-party vendors' use of cookies for personalized advertising by visiting www.aboutads.info.
• For users in the European Economic Area (EEA), the United Kingdom, and Switzerland, personalized ads will only be served after consent is collected through a Google-certified consent management platform (CMP) integrated with the IAB Transparency and Consent Framework (TCF), as required by Google's EU User Consent Policy.

Data Retention and Security

Your text: Never stored by us. Exists only in browser memory during your session.

Theme preference: Stored in your browser's localStorage until you clear it or switch themes.

Hosting infrastructure logs: Retained per your hosting provider's standard log retention schedule (typically days to weeks).

Analytics data: Aggregated interaction and traffic data collected by Google Analytics 4 is retained in Google Analytics according to standard data retention schedules (2 months for event-level and user-level data) and handled pursuant to Google’s privacy terms.

We implement reasonable technical measures (HTTPS and no unnecessary data collection) to protect the minimal data that flows through the system. However, no internet transmission or storage system can guarantee absolute security. By using the site, you acknowledge this inherent limitation.

Children's Privacy

Real Word Count is a general-purpose utility. It is not directed at children under 13 (or the applicable age in your jurisdiction), and we do not knowingly collect personal information from children.

Since the site does not collect personal information from any user — child or adult — there is no children's data to protect, delete, or manage. If a parent or guardian believes a child has entered sensitive text into the tool, rest assured that text never left the child's browser.

Changes to This Policy

We may update this privacy policy to reflect changes in the website, legal requirements, or best practices. The effective date at the top of this page will be updated when changes are made.

We encourage you to review this page periodically. Continued use of the site after changes constitutes acceptance of the updated policy.

Contact

If you have questions about this privacy policy or the site's data practices, you can reach us via the Contact page or by email at [email protected].