Privacy Policy
Rewind records why spreadsheet numbers change into a shareable, replayable session
file (.rewind). This policy explains what we collect, why, and your rights. It
covers the Excel add-in, the Google Sheets add-on, and the web viewer.
The short version
- Your spreadsheet content never leaves your machine.1 The
.rewindfile - cell edits, notes, microphone audio (on by default), optional webcam video, and an optional embedded workbook snapshot (on by default) or bundled reference-workbook files - is built and saved locally by the add-in. We do not receive, store, or process your spreadsheet, its cell values, note text, sheet names, workbook titles, or filenames. - We collect your account email and usage metadata only (counts, durations, booleans, short labels) to run the product and measure growth.
- Payments are handled by Stripe; we never see your full card number.
- Our website loads analytics only if you accept them (details); the add-in and the web viewer never load them.
What we collect
Account
Your email address, used to sign you in (a one-time code, or Google sign-in) and to identify your licence and any subscription. That's the only personal identifier we hold.
Usage metadata (two tiers)
To understand how the product is used we record small, structured events. Every event is metadata only - numbers, true/false flags, and short fixed labels. We never capture cell contents, note text, sheet names, workbook titles, filenames, or any free text.
| Tier | When | What it includes (plain language) |
|---|---|---|
| Minimal | Always on while signed in | That the pane was opened, that you signed in, that a recording started and stopped (how long, how many changes and notes, whether audio was used, and the session category you picked from the fixed "What are you working on?" list - never free text), that a file was saved (its size), that a session was imported, and that a replay was opened and closed (how long it was watched). |
| Full | Only if you opt in | Everything in Minimal, plus which features were used: recording settings toggled (audio, snapshot, tutorial, object sync), whether the mic test was used, that a note was added (a count only - never its text), replay speed changes, upgrade clicks, timeline seeks, and import mode. |
Full-tier collection is off by default. You turn it on with an unchecked opt-in box on the sign-in screen, and you can change it later in settings. Whichever tier you choose is stored against your account.
Web viewer (anonymous)
The web viewer needs no account, so its usage statistics are fully anonymous. We record that the viewer was opened, that a session file was played (and for how long), and coarse counts of which controls were used. To tell repeat visits apart we store a random identifier in your browser - it is not an account, is not linked to your identity, and we do no fingerprinting. We never receive file contents, file names, workbook or sheet names, or note text. If your browser sends Do Not Track or Global Privacy Control, viewer telemetry is disabled entirely.
Billing
If you subscribe, Stripe processes your payment and holds your billing details under its own privacy policy. We receive only the fact of a successful payment and your subscription tier - never your full card number.
Bug reports
If you send a bug report from the add-in, we receive your description and, only if you
tick the matching box for that report, the attachments you choose: a copy of your
current session file (.rewind) and/or a copy of the workbook (.xlsx).
Attachments are never sent automatically - each is opt-in per report, used solely to debug the
issue you reported, and deleted once it is resolved.
Cookies, local storage and analytics
This section covers our website (excelrewind.com). Everything we store in your browser, and every analytics tool we use, is listed here.
| What | Where | Why | Consent | Lifetime |
|---|---|---|---|---|
rw_theme |
Cookie, .excelrewind.com |
Remembers the light/dark theme you picked, across our sites | Not required - a preference you set yourself | 12 months |
rw_attr, rw_ref, rewind.viewer-id |
Local storage, our own domain | First-party audience measurement: how you first found us (a fixed source label and any campaign or referral code), and telling repeat visits apart. Sent only to our own servers. No profiles, no ads, no cross-site tracking, no fingerprinting. | Off entirely if your browser sends Do Not Track or Global Privacy Control | Until you clear your browser; the events themselves as per Retention below |
rw_consent |
Local storage | Remembers your analytics choice so we stop asking | Not required - it exists to honour your choice | 12 months, then we ask again |
PostHog (ph_*) |
Cookie + local storage, set by PostHog | Product analytics for this website: which pages get read, which links get clicked | Only after you accept. Nothing is loaded, requested, or stored until then. Change your mind any time via Cookie settings in the footer. If your browser sends Do Not Track or Global Privacy Control we treat that as a decline and never show the banner. | 12 months |
PostHog is hosted in the United States. We run it with autocapture off and session replay off, so it never records keystrokes, form contents, or a video of your screen - only the page-level events above. We use no advertising cookies and no ad-network pixels: no Google Analytics, no Meta Pixel, nothing that follows you to other sites.
None of this applies to the Excel add-in, the Google Sheets add-on, or the web viewer - they never load PostHog. Their data collection is described above.
Lawful bases (GDPR)
| Data | Basis |
|---|---|
| Account (email), sign-in, licence | Performance of a contract |
| Minimal usage metadata | Legitimate interest (running and improving the product; minimal, metadata-only) |
| Full usage metadata | Consent (explicit opt-in; withdrawable at any time) |
| Billing | Performance of a contract |
| Website analytics (PostHog) | Consent (Art. 6(1)(a) and ePrivacy Art. 5(3)); withdrawable at any time via Cookie settings |
Retention
| Data | Kept for | Then |
|---|---|---|
| Website analytics events (PostHog, only if you accept) | 12 months | Deleted by PostHog's retention setting |
| Usage and viewer metadata (add-in, Sheets add-on, viewer, website) | No longer than 24 months | Deleted, or kept only in aggregated, non-identifying form; deletion is also enforced on request and through periodic review |
| Account data (email, licence, settings) | While your account exists | Hard-deleted on request, in a single irreversible transaction |
Kiosk/Exam submissions (.rewind uploads) | 90 days after submission, or until the sponsoring organisation deletes it - whichever is first | Deleted from storage |
| Bug-report attachments (opt-in, per report) | Until the report is resolved, and no more than 90 days | Deleted |
| Billing records | As required by tax and accounting law (typically 7-10 years) | Retained by Stripe under its own policy; we hold only invoice and subscription metadata |
Who processes your data
| Processor | Purpose | Region |
|---|---|---|
| Supabase | Authentication, account, usage metadata storage, and the two explicit uploads described above (Kiosk/Exam submissions, opt-in bug-report attachments) | United States |
| Resend | Transactional email - sign-in one-time codes and account notices, sent to the email address you sign in with | [US — verify sending region] |
| Stripe | Payment processing | Global (per Stripe) |
| Razorpay | [Planned] Payment processing for customers in India (not yet live) | India |
| Cloudflare | Hosting and delivery of the add-in and viewer | Global edge |
| PostHog | Product analytics for this website only, and only after you accept analytics cookies | United States |
Your .rewind session files are not sent to any of these - they stay on your machine
unless you choose to share them yourself.
Your rights
You can ask us to:
- Access the personal data we hold about you.
- Delete your account and associated data.
- Object to processing based on legitimate interest, and withdraw consent for full-tier metadata at any time.
- Portability - receive your data in a structured, machine-readable form.
To exercise any of these (under the GDPR, the UK GDPR, or India's DPDP Act), email [email protected]. Erasure is real, not a flag: account deletion runs an irreversible routine that hard-deletes your account, licence, and associated usage metadata in a single transaction. You also have the right to complain to your local data protection authority.
GDPR (EU / UK)
If you are in the EU or UK, the lawful bases above apply. Full-tier metadata relies on your affirmative, unambiguous opt-in, and you may withdraw it at any time with no effect on the lawfulness of prior processing. We do not use your data for automated decision-making or profiling that produces legal effects.
India (Digital Personal Data Protection Act, 2023)
If you are in India, we process your personal data on the bases described above. Full-tier metadata is collected only with your consent, which you may withdraw as easily as you gave it. You may request access to, correction of, and erasure of your personal data, and raise grievances, by emailing [email protected].
California (CCPA / CPRA)
We do not sell or share your personal information for cross-context behavioural advertising. California residents have the right to know what we collect (see above), to request deletion, and to be free from discrimination for exercising these rights. Requests: [email protected].
Changes to this policy
We may update this policy; the effective date above will change and material updates will be communicated in-product or by email.
Rewind is an independent product and is not affiliated with, endorsed by, or sponsored by Microsoft Corporation. Microsoft and Excel are trademarks of the Microsoft group of companies. General contact: [email protected].