Privacy policy

This page explains what information SyllabusDB handles, what becomes public, and how to contact us about your data.

Last updated

1. Information the site handles

  • Account information. Google sign-in provides account details such as your email, display name, profile image, and account identifier. We store profile details and notification preferences to support your account and submissions.
  • Anonymous submissions. If you submit without Google sign-in, Firebase creates an anonymous account identifier that can be associated with your upload or college request. Submitting without signing in does not mean no data is stored.
  • Files and contributions. We store PDFs, file names, course details, professor names, terms, years, submission dates, college requests, and any optional rating or written review you provide.
  • Usage information. The site uses Google Analytics to measure visits and interactions, including college page views. Analytics may process browser and device information, page activity, identifiers, and approximate location under Google's policies.
  • Messages. If you contact us, we receive your email address and any information you include.

2. What becomes public

Approved syllabi, course details, ratings, and written experiences are displayed publicly. Do not include student records, private contact details, passwords, or other sensitive information in your files or reviews.

Your account email is not displayed as part of the public syllabus view. Files are stored with download links; anyone with a working file link may be able to access the PDF. Removal from a listing cannot recall copies that others already downloaded or shared.

Helpful votes

If you mark a syllabus helpful, we store your account identifier and vote timestamp to enforce one vote per account. The total count is public; your individual vote is not displayed publicly. You can remove your vote by tapping Helpful again while signed in.

3. Why we use information

  • Authenticate users, associate submissions with accounts, and show users their uploads.
  • Store documents and organize colleges, courses, and syllabi.
  • Review contributions, respond to reports, and address misuse.
  • Send submission-related notifications according to account preferences.
  • Understand site usage and improve the service.
  • Respond to support, privacy, and removal requests.

4. Providers and sharing

We use Google Firebase for authentication, database storage, and PDF storage, and Google Analytics for usage measurement. A notification backend hosted on Render receives submission details to support notifications and review. These providers may process data on servers outside your region.

See Firebase's privacy information and Google's Privacy Policy for their practices.

We do not sell or rent your personal information. We may disclose information when needed to comply with legal requirements, investigate abuse, or protect the service and other people. Public contributions are accessible as described above.

5. Cookies and browser storage

Authentication, analytics, and caching use cookies or other browser storage. The site caches college listings locally, and Firebase can store database data in your browser to support faster loading and offline access.

You can clear site data or restrict storage in your browser. This may sign you out, clear cached data, or disrupt features. Clearing an anonymous session can prevent you from accessing the same anonymous account again; it does not delete submissions stored on our servers.

You can also review Google's Analytics opt-out browser add-on.

6. Retention and security

Uploaded content is retained to provide the library unless removed through moderation or a removal request. Account, submission, and support records may be retained as needed to operate the service, address misuse and disputes, or meet legal obligations. Provider logs and backups may follow separate retention schedules.

No storage or transmission system is completely secure. Avoid submitting sensitive information, and contact us if you believe a document exposes private data.

7. Your choices and requests

  • Browse without signing in or submitting content.
  • Manage submission email preferences in Settings when signed in.
  • Request access to, correction of, or deletion of your personal information by emailing katophh@gmail.com.
  • Use the removal request process for a PDF or review that should not be public.

Include the relevant account email or page links, but do not send passwords or unnecessary identity documents. We may need to verify your connection to the account or content before acting. Available privacy rights depend on where you live; we will consider requests under applicable law.

8. Children, updates, and contact

SyllabusDB is intended for college students and is not directed to children under 13. If you believe a child under 13 has submitted personal information, email us so we can investigate and remove it as appropriate.

This policy covers the SyllabusDB website. The browser extension has a separate privacy policy. Updates to this page will include a revised date. For questions, contact katophh@gmail.com.