Privacy policy

How gitsparse itself handles data

gitsparse is a static site with no backend. Browsing a repository, estimating a zip's size, and building the actual download all run as JavaScript in your browser, talking directly to GitHub's own API and CDN (api.github.com, raw.githubusercontent.com). We never see the repos you browse, the files you download, or anything else about that activity — there's no server on our end for it to pass through.

If you add a GitHub token on the sign-in page to raise your API rate limit, it's stored only in your browser's session storage, sent only to GitHub's API, and cleared the moment you close the tab. We never receive, store, or log it.

We don't maintain a mailing list or user accounts. Beyond the consent cookie and, only if you accept it, Google Analytics — both described below — there is nothing else for us to sell, share, or retain, because we never collect it in the first place.

Cookies and similar technologies

gitsparse sets one cookie itself, gitsparse_consent, which just remembers whether you accepted or declined analytics, so it doesn't ask again. It holds no personal data, expires after 1 hour (so you're asked again periodically rather than just once, ever), and — since its only purpose is remembering that choice itself — is considered strictly necessary and isn't gated behind its own consent prompt.

You can change or withdraw that choice at any time: reset your cookie choice

If you accept, Google Analytics sets its own cookies (typically _ga and _ga_<container-id>) to distinguish visitors and sessions. Those are set by Google, expire after up to 2 years, and only get set at all once you've accepted — declining, or not choosing yet, means gitsparse never loads Google Analytics or sets those cookies in the first place.

The one piece of browser storage the app uses beyond that — an optional GitHub token — is described above and is not a tracking technology; it never leaves your device except to authenticate directly with GitHub.

Analytics (Google Analytics)

Once you accept the cookie banner, gitsparse loads Google Analytics to see aggregate visit counts — which pages get browsed, roughly where from, and what device or browser — so we know whether anyone's actually using this. It's Google's service, running under Google's own policies, not ours.

You can opt out of Google Analytics entirely, across every site that uses it, via Google's Analytics opt-out browser add-on. Or, on this site specifically, just decline — or never accept — the cookie banner above: either way, gitsparse never loads Google Analytics or sets its cookies.

How Google collects and uses this data is governed by Google's own policies, not ours:

• How Google uses information from sites that use its services
• Google Privacy Policy

EEA, UK, and Switzerland (GDPR)

If you're visiting from the European Economic Area, the UK, or Switzerland, that's exactly why the cookie banner gates Google Analytics specifically: nothing loads, and no analytics cookie is set, until you actively accept. You can withdraw that consent at any time via the reset link above, and gitsparse stops loading Analytics from that point on.

Children's privacy

gitsparse is not directed at children under 13, and we do not knowingly collect personal information from children.

GitHub

Since your browser talks to GitHub directly, GitHub's own privacy policy applies to those requests — GitHub's Privacy Statement.

Data retention

Because gitsparse has no backend and no database, we retain nothing: there's no server-side log, record, or copy of the repos you browse, the files you download, or any token you enter. Anything gitsparse itself stores lives only in your browser's session storage and is gone as soon as you close the tab.

Changes to this policy

If this policy changes, we'll update the effective date above and the change will be visible in this repository's commit history — see the file's history.

Contact

Send us any privacy question through the contact page.