Privacy Policy

Last updated: September 9, 2026

Cairn is a Chrome browser extension that helps you organize open tabs into named workspaces, search across your browsing, and clean up tab clutter. This policy explains what data the extension touches, where it lives, and what — if anything — ever leaves your device.

Summary

Cairn stores everything locally in your browser. There is no account, no server, no backend, and no telemetry of any kind. The only thing Cairn ever sends off your device is an AI request you explicitly and manually trigger, using your own API key, to an AI provider you choose — and it shows you exactly what would be sent before it sends anything.

What data Cairn accesses, and why

Data	Why Cairn accesses it	Where it goes
Open tabs and tab groups	To save your current browser as a workspace, and to restore, close, pin, or group tabs on your command	Stored locally only (`chrome.storage.local`)
Browsing history	Searched locally to power universal search and to detect "old" (stale) tabs	Never leaves your device; not stored by Cairn, only queried live
Bookmarks	Searched locally to power universal search	Never leaves your device; not stored by Cairn, only queried live
Recently closed tabs/sessions	Powers the "Recently closed" recovery list	Never leaves your device
A rolling snapshot of your open tabs	So that if the browser crashes or closes unexpectedly, Cairn can offer those tabs back — including ones you never saved as a workspace. Keeps the last few snapshots, discards them after a week, and never records incognito tabs. Can be turned off in Settings.	Stored locally only (`chrome.storage.local`)
Workspace names, tabs, notes, tags you create	The core feature — saved workspaces	Stored locally only, on your device
Extension settings	Your preferences (theme, font, search sources, thresholds, etc.)	Stored locally only, on your device

Cairn does not run any content script on any webpage, does not track your activity, does not use analytics or crash-reporting SDKs, and does not communicate with any Cairn-operated server — because there is no Cairn-operated server. Everything above lives in chrome.storage.local, which is private to your browser profile and is deleted if you uninstall the extension or clear its site data.

The one optional exception: AI workspace analysis

Cairn can optionally use an AI provider (Anthropic, OpenAI, or a self-hosted/custom OpenAI-compatible endpoint) to summarize or answer questions about a workspace. This feature is:

Off by default. Nothing is sent anywhere until you go into Settings and configure a provider yourself, with your own API key.
Manually triggered per request. Every AI request requires you to click "Ask AI" and then "Continue" on a privacy notice.
Fully disclosed before it happens. The privacy notice lists exactly which fields — tab titles, tab URLs, and/or your notes — will be included, based on checkboxes you control.
Sent directly to the provider you chose, using your own API key, over HTTPS. Cairn has no server in the middle.
Your API key is never included in exported backups.

Chrome will separately ask your permission (a native browser prompt) the first time you configure a specific AI provider, scoped only to that provider's domain — requested at that moment, never at install.

Data Cairn does not do

Cairn does not sell or transfer user data to third parties.
Cairn does not use or transfer user data for purposes unrelated to the extension's core functionality.
Cairn does not use or transfer user data to determine creditworthiness or for lending purposes.
Cairn does not collect any data for advertising, analytics, or personalization outside of the extension itself.

Data retention and deletion

All Cairn data lives in chrome.storage.local under your Chrome profile. You can delete it at any time via:

Settings → Data → Clear local data (removes everything Cairn has stored, keeps the extension installed)
Settings → Data → Reset extension (returns Cairn to its just-installed state)
Uninstalling the extension, which removes all of its local storage

Changes to this policy

If Cairn's data practices change, this document will be updated and the "Last updated" date above will reflect the change.