Noterva Reference Manager — Privacy Policy

Effective 23 July 2026. Privacy policy for Noterva — Reference Manager on Chrome, Edge and other Chromium browsers.

In one line

This extension does its work in your browser. It runs no analytics or ad trackers, loads no remote code, and never sells your data. The only personal data we hold is what you give us if you choose to create a Noterva account — your email and password — used to sign you in, check your licence, and (if you opt in) sync your library across devices.

What it does

When you save a source it captures that page’s bibliographic details into a library stored locally in your browser. To complete a citation it may look up a public identifier (DOI, title) with Crossref, OpenAlex or Unpaywall, and it can read an open PDF you ask it to capture. On Google Scholar pages, when you capture a result, it can also read Scholar’s own public citation data to fill in the journal, volume, issue and page numbers. Creating a Noterva account is optional; if you do, you sign in inside the extension with an email and password, which unlocks your licence on this device and lets your library sync to your account so you can reach it across devices.

Data that leaves your device

• Your account email and password → the Noterva account/licensing server, when you create an account or sign in. The password is stored only as a secure one-way hash; it is never kept in the extension.
• A random device ID (and, if you use one, an offline activation code) → the Noterva licensing server, to validate your licence and enforce the per-account device limit.
• A public identifier or search query (DOI, title, authors) → Crossref, OpenAlex, Unpaywall, to fetch accurate bibliographic details and open-access links.
• A result’s public citation identifier (with its title and authors) → Google Scholar, only when you capture a citation on a Google Scholar page.
• Your library (JSON) → your Noterva account, only if you opt into sync.

Page content read to build a citation is used only to create that citation and is not sent to us except as part of a library you choose to sync.

Browser permissions

• storage — save your library, preferences and license state locally.
• tabs, scripting — read the page or PDF you ask it to capture, to extract the citation.
• clipboardWrite — copy a formatted citation when you ask.
• Host: all sites — save a source from whatever publisher or PDF page you are on; it reads a page only when you act on it.
• Host: api.crossref.org, api.openalex.org, api.unpaywall.org — complete citations and find open-access versions.
• Host: the Noterva licensing server — create/sign in to your account, validate your license and (if you opt in) sync your library.

What we do not collect

No browsing history, no page content beyond what a feature needs, no personal identity beyond your account email, no analytics or telemetry, no advertising trackers. We do not sell or share your data, and payment is handled separately on our website — the extension never sees card or bank details.

Storage, retention & your rights

Local data stays in your browser until you clear it or uninstall. Server-side we keep only your account record — your email, a hashed password, your licence, your linked device IDs, and (for Reference Manager sync) your library — while your account is active. You may ask to view or delete any data we hold, in line with India’s Digital Personal Data Protection (DPDP) Act. Transfers use HTTPS; the extension contains no secrets.

Contact

Questions, access and deletion requests: connect@noterva.com. Noterva is a product of The Writing Project.