Privacy Policy
PaperSaver ("the Extension") is a Chrome browser extension that helps researchers save academic papers to Notion, Zotero, Google Scholar, and their local device in one click. To provide account-based features including trial access, subscription management, and your personal paper Library, PaperSaver operates a backend service that stores limited account and usage data.
This policy explains exactly what data is collected, why, and how it is handled.
1. Data Collected by PaperSaver
1.1 Account Data
When you sign in using Notion OAuth, PaperSaver receives and stores on its backend:
- Your Notion user ID (a stable identifier used as your account ID)
- Your name and email address as provided by Notion
- Your trial start date (the timestamp of your first sign-in)
- Your payment date (set when a purchase is confirmed)
This data is stored in a Cloudflare D1 database operated by the developer and is used solely to manage your account, trial period, and access status.
1.2 Paper Save History
Each time you save a paper, the following metadata is recorded and associated with your account:
- Paper title, URL, DOI, authors, and year
- Which destinations were saved to (Notion, Zotero, Google Scholar, local download) and whether each succeeded
- The timestamp of the save
This history is displayed to you in the Library page and is not used for any other purpose.
1.3 Session Tokens
On sign-in, a session token (a 64-character random string) is generated and stored both in the backend database
and in your browser's local storage (chrome.storage.local). This token authenticates your requests to
the backend and does not expire unless you sign out.
1.4 Subscription Data
Payments are processed by Lemon Squeezy, who act as Merchant of Record. PaperSaver's backend does not receive or store your card number, billing address, or any payment details. The subscription-related data stored by PaperSaver is limited to: your Lemon Squeezy subscription ID, subscription status (active, cancelled, expired, etc.), and the next renewal or access-end date. Lemon Squeezy's own privacy policy governs all payment data.
2. Data the Extension Accesses Locally
The following data is accessed within your browser and is never transmitted to PaperSaver's backend:
2.1 Web Page Content
The Extension reads the content of academic paper pages (title, authors, abstract, year, DOI, URL) locally in your browser. Only the fields listed in §1.2 are sent to the backend after a save — the full page content and abstract are not stored server-side.
2.2 Browser Cookies
Cookies are used solely to authenticate PDF fetch requests to publisher websites on your behalf (e.g. to download a PDF through your institutional access). They are passed only to your locally running Zotero application or used locally for PDF fetching. They are never sent to PaperSaver's backend.
2.3 Notion Token
Your Notion OAuth access token is stored in Chrome's storage.sync and sent only to Notion's API
(api.notion.com) to create pages in your workspace. It is not stored on PaperSaver's backend.
3. Data Sent to Third-Party Services
| Service | What is sent | When |
|---|---|---|
| PaperSaver backend (Cloudflare) | Account data, session token, paper metadata | On sign-in and on each paper save |
| Notion (api.notion.com) | Paper title, URL, authors, year, DOI, abstract | When saving with Notion enabled |
| Lemon Squeezy (lemonsqueezy.com) | Name, email, payment details | When subscribing or managing a subscription |
| Zotero (localhost:23119) | Paper metadata and PDF bytes | When saving with Zotero enabled; local only |
| Google Scholar | Paper title as a search query | When saving with Scholar enabled |
| Academic publishers | HTTP requests using your browser session | When fetching metadata or PDF bytes |
4. How Data is Used
| Data | Purpose |
|---|---|
| Notion user ID, name, email | Account identity and display |
| Trial start date | Enforcing the 7-day free trial |
| Subscription status & renewal date | Granting access during active subscription period |
| Session token | Authenticating requests to the backend |
| Paper save history | Displaying your Library; no other use |
PaperSaver does not use your data for advertising, profiling, analytics, or any purpose beyond operating the service.
5. Data Sharing
PaperSaver does not sell, rent, or share your personal data with any third party, except:
- Cloudflare — hosts the backend infrastructure (Workers and D1 database).
- Lemon Squeezy — processes payments as Merchant of Record. Only the minimum data required for payment is shared.
6. Data Retention and Deletion
Your account data and paper history are retained for as long as your account exists. To request deletion of your account and all associated data, contact the developer at the address below. Data will be deleted within 30 days of a verified request.
7. Data Storage and Security
- All backend data is stored in a Cloudflare D1 database in the EU region.
- Communication between the Extension and the backend uses HTTPS.
- Session tokens are randomly generated and stored only in your browser's local storage and the backend database.
- Notion tokens and settings are stored in Chrome's encrypted
storage.sync.
8. Permissions Explained
| Permission | Purpose |
|---|---|
activeTab |
Read the current page to extract paper metadata |
scripting |
Inject the metadata extraction script |
tabs |
Open background tabs for metadata lookup and Scholar saves |
storage |
Store your settings and session token locally |
downloads |
Save PDF files to your device |
cookies |
Read domain cookies to authenticate PDF fetch requests |
webNavigation |
Detect when background tabs have loaded |
notifications |
Reserved for future use |
identity |
Open the Notion OAuth consent screen via Chrome's identity API |
9. GDPR — Your Rights (EU/EEA Users)
PaperSaver is operated by a developer based in Greece (EU). The General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) applies to the personal data described in this policy.
You have the right to access, rectify, erase, restrict, or port your data. To exercise any of these rights, contact the developer below. Requests will be handled within 30 days.
The lawful basis for processing is contract performance and legitimate interests (fraud prevention, security).
10. Children's Privacy
PaperSaver is intended for researchers, academics, and students. It is not directed at children under 13 and does not knowingly collect information from children.
11. Changes to This Policy
If this policy is updated, the "Last updated" date will change. Continued use of the Extension after changes constitutes acceptance of the revised policy.
12. Contact
Ioannis Marios Stavropoulos
ioannis@ioannismarios.com
PaperSaver is an independent tool and is not affiliated with, endorsed by, or connected to Notion, Zotero, Google Scholar, Lemon Squeezy, IEEE, arXiv, or any academic publisher.