Privacy Policy

ArcAnswer, a product of Birchwood Group LLC

At a glance: ArcAnswer runs its page audits locally inside your browser. We do not upload the content of the pages you scan, we do not sell your personal information, and we do not use third-party AI models to perform a scan. This Privacy Policy explains, in plain English, exactly what we collect, why we collect it, and the rights you have over your data.

Introduction

ArcAnswer is a premium, AI-powered Chrome extension that audits any web page for AI search readiness (also called Answer Engine Optimization and Generative Engine Optimization) and generates one-click, copy-ready fixes for engines such as ChatGPT, Claude, Gemini, and Perplexity. It is built and operated by Birchwood Group LLC, a limited liability company organized under the laws of the State of Florida, United States.

We designed ArcAnswer around a simple principle: your browsing is yours. Most of what the extension does happens entirely on your device, and the information that does leave your browser is limited to what is strictly necessary to run a paid subscription. This Privacy Policy describes how we handle personal information and browser data when you install, use, or subscribe to ArcAnswer, and how we comply with data protection laws including the European Union General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR), the California Consumer Privacy Act as amended by the California Privacy Rights Act (CCPA/CPRA), and the Google Chrome Web Store Developer Program Policies, including the Limited Use requirements for user data.

We have written this document to be read, not just filed away. Where a concept is technical, we explain it. Where the law grants you a right, we tell you how to use it.

Table of Contents

1. Executive Summary
2. Purpose
3. Scope
4. Definitions
5. Information We Collect
6. Extension Permissions and Browser Data
7. How and Why We Use Information
8. Legal Basis for Processing
9. Cookies, Local Storage, and Similar Technologies
10. Third-Party Services and AI Processing
11. How Data Is Shared
12. Data Retention
13. Data Security and Encryption
14. International Data Transfers
15. Your Privacy Rights
16. Data Deletion Requests
17. Children's Privacy
18. Do Not Track
19. User Responsibilities
20. Company Responsibilities
21. Examples
22. Frequently Asked Questions
23. How to Contact Us
24. Future Policy Changes
25. Conclusion

Executive Summary

ArcAnswer is privacy-first by design. The core audit engine reads the page you are actively viewing, calculates an AI Readiness score, and produces fixes without sending your page content to our servers. The only outbound requests the audit makes are to the audited website's own public files, such as its robots.txt, llms.txt, and sitemap.xml.

The limited personal information we process is tied to optional activities: subscribing to a paid plan and contacting support. Billing is handled by ExtensionPay and Stripe, which collect the email address and payment details needed to manage your subscription. We do not store your card number, and we never sell your personal information.

The table below summarizes our practices.

Purpose

The purpose of this Privacy Policy is to give you a complete, transparent, and legally sound account of how ArcAnswer collects, uses, stores, shares, and protects information. It exists to help you make an informed decision before you install the extension, to satisfy our obligations under global privacy and data protection laws, and to support a trustworthy relationship between you and Birchwood Group LLC.

This policy also documents our compliance posture for the Chrome Web Store, where a clear and accurate privacy disclosure is a condition of listing an extension that handles any user data.

Scope

This Privacy Policy applies to:

• The ArcAnswer browser extension for Google Chrome and Chromium-based browsers.
• The ArcAnswer marketing website and any related web pages operated by Birchwood Group LLC.
• Support interactions you have with us by email or other channels.
• Subscription and billing activities carried out through our payment providers.

This policy does not apply to third-party websites you audit with ArcAnswer, to the independent privacy practices of our payment providers beyond what we describe here, or to any third-party service that is governed by its own privacy policy. When you audit a website, that website's own privacy policy governs your relationship with it, not ours.

Definitions

To keep this document precise and readable, we use the following defined terms consistently throughout.

Information We Collect

We collect the minimum information necessary to deliver the Service, keep it secure, and operate a paid subscription. We group that information into the categories below.

Information You Provide

You may choose to give us information directly when you:

• Subscribe to Pro. To manage a subscription, our payment provider collects your email address and payment details.
• Contact support. When you email us, we receive your email address, your message, and anything you choose to include, such as a description of a problem.
• Submit feedback. If you send feedback through the extension or our website, we receive the content of that feedback.

Note: You can install ArcAnswer and use the free tier without creating an account or providing personal information. Personal data collection begins only when you subscribe or contact us.

Automatically Collected Data

When you use the Service, a small amount of technical information may be processed automatically:

• Usage counters stored locally on your device to enforce free-tier limits (for example, the number of scans used today and this month).
• Subscription status cached locally so the extension can display the correct plan, including when you are offline.
• Basic diagnostic information if you opt in to share it, such as an error type, to help us fix problems.

Device Information

ArcAnswer does not build a device fingerprint and does not collect persistent hardware identifiers. Your browser may expose standard technical attributes (such as browser version) to any extension, and we use such attributes only transiently to ensure compatibility and are not in the business of profiling your device.

Usage Analytics

If analytics are enabled, we collect aggregated, privacy-respecting usage signals, such as which features are used and whether a scan completed successfully. These signals are designed to be non-identifying and are used to improve the product. We do not use analytics to track your browsing history across the web.

Payment Information

Payment information, including your card details, is collected and processed by ExtensionPay and Stripe, our payment infrastructure providers. We do not receive or store your full card number. We receive limited billing metadata, such as your email address, subscription plan, and payment status, so that we can provision Pro features and support your account.

Authentication

ArcAnswer does not require you to create a username and password. Your entitlement to Pro features is validated through your subscription with ExtensionPay, tied to the email you used at checkout.

Extension Permissions and Browser Data

Chrome extensions must request permissions to function. We request the fewest permissions necessary, and we explain each one below so you understand exactly what it does and does not allow.

Best practice: ArcAnswer deliberately uses activeTab rather than broad host permissions. This means the extension never has continuous access to the sites you browse. Access is granted only on your explicit click and ends when you navigate away.

Browser data handling. When you run an audit, ArcAnswer reads the structure of the page you are viewing (such as headings, meta tags, and structured data) and fetches the audited site's own public files (robots.txt, llms.txt, and sitemap.xml). This analysis happens in your browser. The resulting score and recommendations are shown to you and can be saved locally if you choose. The page content itself is not transmitted to Birchwood Group LLC.

How and Why We Use Information

We use the information described above for the following purposes:

1. To provide the Service. Running audits, calculating scores, and generating fixes.
2. To operate subscriptions. Provisioning Pro features, processing payments through our providers, and preventing billing errors.
3. To enforce fair usage. Applying free-tier limits using locally stored counters.
4. To provide support. Responding to your questions and resolving issues.
5. To improve the product. Understanding, in aggregate, which features help users, and fixing bugs.
6. To keep the Service secure. Detecting and preventing abuse, fraud, and security threats.
7. To comply with law. Meeting legal, tax, accounting, and regulatory obligations.

We do not use your information to build advertising profiles, and we do not sell or rent it.

Legal Basis for Processing

If you are located in a jurisdiction that requires a legal basis for processing personal data, such as the European Economic Area or the United Kingdom, we rely on the following bases.

Where we rely on legitimate interests, we have weighed those interests against your rights and freedoms. Where we rely on consent, you may withdraw it at any time without affecting the lawfulness of processing before withdrawal.

Cookies, Local Storage, and Similar Technologies

The ArcAnswer extension stores data on your device using the browser's local storage mechanisms rather than tracking cookies. This includes your settings, usage counters, saved projects, and generated reports. Our marketing website may use a limited set of cookies, which are described in detail in our separate Cookie Policy. That document explains each cookie category, how long cookies last, and how to control them.

Note: Because the extension relies on local storage rather than cross-site cookies, clearing the extension's local data (for example, by removing the extension) will erase your saved projects and reports. Export anything you want to keep before uninstalling.

Third-Party Services and AI Processing

We keep our third-party footprint intentionally small. The table below lists the providers that may process limited data on our behalf and the reason for each.

AI processing. This is an important point of trust for an AI-powered product: ArcAnswer does not send the pages you scan to an external AI model to produce a score. The scoring engine and the fix generators are deterministic and run locally. When ArcAnswer produces, for example, FAQ schema or an llms.txt file, it constructs that output from the structured signals it read on your page, on your device. This design keeps your content private and your audits fast.

How Data Is Shared

We share personal information only in the limited circumstances below, and never in exchange for money.

• With service providers (such as our payment and email providers) strictly to operate the Service, under contracts that require them to protect your data.
• For legal reasons, such as complying with a valid legal request, enforcing our agreements, or protecting the rights, safety, and property of our users, the public, or Birchwood Group LLC.
• In a business transfer, such as a merger or acquisition, in which case we will require the recipient to honor this Privacy Policy or notify you of any material change.
• With your consent, when you direct us to share information.

Warning: Be cautious about the fixes and content you generate and publish. ArcAnswer produces suggestions for your own website. What you choose to publish on the public web becomes visible to search engines, AI engines, and the public, and is outside the scope of this policy.

Data Retention

We keep information only for as long as it serves a legitimate purpose, then delete or anonymize it.

Because most of your data lives on your own device, you control most of the retention. When you delete a project or uninstall ArcAnswer, the associated local data is removed from your browser.

Data Security and Encryption

We take reasonable and appropriate technical and organizational measures to protect information against loss, misuse, and unauthorized access.

• Encryption in transit. Network requests, including subscription checks and support communications, use encrypted HTTPS connections.
• Minimized data collection. We reduce risk by not collecting page content or building profiles in the first place.
• Least-privilege permissions. The extension requests only activeTab, scripting, and storage, plus a narrowly scoped billing content script.
• Trusted payment infrastructure. Card data is handled by PCI-compliant providers, not by us.
• No remote code. The extension ships all of its code in the package and does not execute remotely hosted scripts, reducing the attack surface.

Note: No method of transmission or storage is perfectly secure. While we work hard to protect your information, we cannot guarantee absolute security, and we encourage you to keep your device and browser up to date.

International Data Transfers

Birchwood Group LLC is based in the United States, and our service providers may process data in the United States and other countries. If you access ArcAnswer from outside the United States, you understand that limited personal data (such as billing metadata) may be transferred to and processed in the United States. Where required, we rely on appropriate safeguards, such as Standard Contractual Clauses, to protect international transfers of personal data.

Your Privacy Rights

Depending on where you live, you have rights over your personal information. We honor these rights for all users where we are able, regardless of location.

GDPR Rights (European Economic Area and United Kingdom)

• Right to access the personal data we hold about you.
• Right to rectification of inaccurate or incomplete data.
• Right to erasure ("right to be forgotten").
• Right to restrict processing in certain circumstances.
• Right to data portability, to receive your data in a portable format.
• Right to object to processing based on legitimate interests.
• Right to withdraw consent at any time.
• Right to lodge a complaint with your local supervisory authority.

CCPA/CPRA Rights (California)

• Right to know what personal information we collect, use, and disclose.
• Right to delete personal information, subject to exceptions.
• Right to correct inaccurate personal information.
• Right to opt out of the "sale" or "sharing" of personal information. We do not sell or share your personal information, so there is nothing to opt out of, but we honor the right regardless.
• Right to non-discrimination for exercising your rights.

To exercise any right, contact us using the details in the How to Contact Us section. We will verify your request and respond within the timeframes required by law.

Data Deletion Requests

You are in control of your data, and deleting it is straightforward.

1. Local data. Delete individual projects and reports inside the extension, or remove the extension entirely to erase all locally stored data.
2. Subscription and billing data. Email us to request deletion of billing metadata associated with your subscription, subject to records we must keep for legal and tax reasons.
3. Support records. Ask us to delete your support correspondence.

We will confirm completion of verified deletion requests and explain any data we are legally required to retain.

Children's Privacy

ArcAnswer is a professional productivity tool intended for adults and is not directed to children under the age of 16. We do not knowingly collect personal information from children. If you believe a child has provided us with personal information, please contact us and we will delete it promptly.

Do Not Track

Some browsers offer a "Do Not Track" (DNT) signal. Because there is no universal industry standard for interpreting DNT signals, ArcAnswer does not respond to them differently. However, our privacy-first design means we already avoid the cross-site tracking that DNT is intended to limit.

User Responsibilities

You play a role in keeping your information safe and in using ArcAnswer responsibly. We ask that you:

• Keep your browser and device secure and up to date.
• Protect access to the email address associated with your subscription.
• Use ArcAnswer to audit websites you own or are authorized to analyze.
• Review the privacy practices of third-party websites you interact with.
• Contact us promptly if you suspect unauthorized use of your subscription.

Company Responsibilities

In turn, Birchwood Group LLC commits to:

• Collect only the data we genuinely need.
• Be transparent about what we collect and why.
• Protect your information with appropriate safeguards.
• Honor your privacy rights promptly and fairly.
• Never sell your personal information.
• Notify affected users and regulators of a qualifying data breach as required by law.

Examples

To make our practices concrete, here are three realistic scenarios.

Example 1 — Free audit. You install ArcAnswer, open your company blog, and click the icon. ArcAnswer reads the page in your browser, fetches your blog's robots.txt and sitemap.xml, and shows an AI Readiness score. No account is created, and no page content is sent to us.

Example 2 — Upgrading to Pro. You decide to track a client's site over time, so you subscribe. ExtensionPay and Stripe collect your email and payment details to manage billing. We receive confirmation that your subscription is active and unlock Projects and Reports. We never see your card number.

Example 3 — Exercising your rights. You email us asking what data we hold and request deletion. We verify your identity, provide the billing metadata associated with your subscription, delete it where we are permitted, and explain the limited records we must retain for tax purposes.

Frequently Asked Questions

Does ArcAnswer send the pages I scan to a server? No. Audits run locally in your browser. The only outbound requests are to the audited site's own public files.

Do you use ChatGPT, Claude, or other AI models to score my pages? No. Scoring and fixes are deterministic and run on your device, which keeps your content private and results fast.

Do I need an account to use ArcAnswer? No. The free tier works without an account. An email is only involved when you subscribe or contact support.

Do you sell my personal information? Never. We do not sell or rent personal information to anyone.

Where is my data stored? Your projects, reports, settings, and usage counters are stored locally on your device. Only limited billing metadata is processed by our payment providers.

How do I delete everything? Delete projects and reports inside the extension or remove the extension entirely, and email us to remove billing metadata.

Is ArcAnswer GDPR and CCPA compliant? Yes. We honor the rights granted by GDPR and CCPA/CPRA for all users where we are able.

How to Contact Us

We welcome your privacy questions and requests.

• General and privacy inquiries: privacy@bwg.llc
• Support: support@bwg.llc
• Legal notices: legal@bwg.llc
• Company: Birchwood Group LLC, State of Florida, United States
• Websites: https://arcanswer.com and https://bwg.llc

If you are in the European Economic Area or the United Kingdom and have an unresolved concern, you have the right to contact your local data protection authority.

Effective Date, Version, and Last Updated

• Effective Date: July 19, 2026
• Version: 2.0
• Last Updated: July 19, 2026

Future Policy Changes

We may update this Privacy Policy to reflect changes in our practices, technology, legal requirements, or the Service. When we make material changes, we will update the "Last Updated" date and, where appropriate, provide a more prominent notice, such as an in-extension message. We encourage you to review this page periodically. Your continued use of ArcAnswer after an update takes effect constitutes acceptance of the revised policy, to the extent permitted by law.

Conclusion

Privacy is not a feature we bolt on; it is the foundation ArcAnswer is built on. By keeping audits on your device, minimizing what we collect, refusing to sell your data, and giving you clear rights and controls, we aim to earn the confidence it takes to install an extension and let it work alongside you. If anything in this policy is unclear, we would rather you ask than wonder, so please reach out. Thank you for trusting ArcAnswer.