Privacy Policy — YouTube Study Notes

Last updated: June 12, 2026

Overview

YouTube Study Notes is a browser extension that helps you create study notes from YouTube video captions. We do not operate a backend server. All note generation runs in your browser or on your computer (Ollama).

Data processed on your device

• Video metadata (title, channel, video ID) from YouTube pages you open.
• Transcripts from YouTube’s public caption tracks when you generate notes.
• API keys you optionally enter (OpenAI/Gemini), stored in Chrome sync/local storage.
• Generated notes, tags, and library history stored locally unless you export them.
• Settings (provider, language, theme) stored in Chrome sync.

Third-party and local AI services

• Ollama (default, free): If you choose Ollama, transcript text is sent only to http://localhost or 127.0.0.1 on your own computer. No data is sent to us or to Ollama’s cloud.
• OpenAI / Google Gemini (optional): If you add your own API key, transcript text is sent directly from your browser to that provider. We do not receive or store that data.

What we do not collect

We do not collect account information, analytics, advertising identifiers, or personal data on our servers. We do not sell data.

Why the extension needs permissions

• youtube.com — Show the notes panel and read public captions on videos you watch.
• storage — Save your notes library and settings on your device.
• scripting — Inject the notes panel if it is not already loaded on a tab you open.
• downloads — Export notes as Markdown, PDF, CSV, or backup JSON when you choose.
• declarativeNetRequest — Adjust request headers so local Ollama can respond to the extension (CORS).
• localhost / 127.0.0.1 — Connect only to Ollama running on your machine; not used for remote tracking.
• OpenAI / Gemini hosts — Only when you configure cloud AI and generate notes.

Contact

Questions: use the support link on the Chrome Web Store listing for this extension.