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Privacy & data

markbird is local-first, which is a claim worth making concrete.

Where your documents live

By default: only in your browser, in IndexedDB and localStorage. No account, no upload, no copy on a server.

Content leaves your device in exactly four cases, each triggered by something you do:

  1. You sign in for sync — documents are stored in Google Cloud Firestore (EU) so they reach your other devices.
  2. You create a share link — a copy of that one document goes to markbird's servers (EU) so recipients can open it.
  3. You use real-time collaboration — edits pass through a relay so collaborators see them.
  4. You export to Word while online — the document is sent to markbird's server (EU), converted with Pandoc and returned as a file. It is processed in memory and not stored. Offline, the conversion runs on your device instead.

Nothing else does. Notably, importing from Claude does not: that document travels in a URL fragment, which browsers never transmit, and is decoded in your browser.

No tracking

No ads, no analytics, no tracking cookies, no third-party scripts. The site and the app load only from markbird's own servers. There is no cookie banner because there is nothing to consent to.

Security

  • Rendered Markdown is sanitized before the trusted transforms run, so no script, on* handler or javascript: URL survives — from a document you open, import, or read through a share link.
  • A strict Content Security Policy backs that up.
  • The app and the API are same-origin, so there is no CORS surface.
  • Browser clients never reach the database directly; rules deny client access.
  • Import from URL fetches server-side with protection against being pointed at internal addresses.

Deleting things

  • A document — delete it from the library; the trash holds it until emptied.
  • A share — revoke it; the server-side copy is deleted.
  • Your account — Account & data… → Delete. Removes the account, synced documents and share copies.

Local documents belong to your browser. Clearing site data removes them, so export or back up first.

Formal details

The privacy policy has the complete legal account of what is processed and on what basis.