Privacy policy

Effective date: August 20, 2026

Return to Intent (shown as Return in compact interfaces) is a local-first Chrome extension. It does not require an account, backend service, analytics service, advertising service, or network connection. The extension’s user-facing purpose is to add a short, reversible pause before websites selected by the user, so the user can leave or continue temporarily with a stated intent.

Data processed and stored locally

Return processes and stores the following data only in the current Chrome profile:

• normalized website hostnames selected by the user;
• rule names, matching mode, rule-group membership, enabled state, weekdays, and the derived direct-access windows for the pause-first schedule you select;
• rule-group names and enabled state;
• domain-level events for pauses, returns, temporary visits, expiry, and global pauses, including timestamps;
• a structured visit purpose, the selected 1, 5, or 10 minute duration, and a locally generated random event ID;
• an optional intent note entered by the user, limited to 120 user-perceived characters and included in local exports;
• interface language, theme, pause intensity, in-page reminder setting, optional-favicon setting, and data-retention setting.

This information is used only to provide the extension’s visible rule, pause, temporary-access, reminder, review, export, and deletion features. The developer cannot access it.

Data processed temporarily

• A full original URL can exist temporarily in a Declarative Net Request redirect parameter, extension-page memory, or storage.session while Return sends a tab back to its original destination or retries reclaiming it. It is not written to durable events, storage.local, or exports.
• If the user explicitly requests suggestions from Chrome’s most-visited list, Return temporarily reads the URL entries returned by the optional topSites permission and immediately derives normalized hostnames for display. The returned URLs and derived list remain in page memory and are not stored or exported; Return does not use the returned page titles.
• If the user explicitly enables Chrome’s local website icons, Return reads Chrome’s existing on-device favicon cache through the optional favicon permission. Return does not store the image, favicon URL, or full page URL and does not contact the website or an icon service.

Data Return does not collect

Return does not collect or store:

• URL paths, query parameters, fragments, page titles, page content, search terms, form contents, or cookies;
• clipboard data, account credentials, identity data, payment data, health data, personal communications, or cross-site browsing history;
• measured foreground browsing time;
• analytics, telemetry, crash reports, advertising identifiers, or server logs.

Return does not request the Chrome history permission.

Permissions

• storage: stores the local rules, rule groups, settings, temporary grants, and domain-level events described above.
• alarms: reconciles schedules, temporary-access expiry, reminders, and global-pause expiry after service-worker suspension or browser restart.
• activeTab: reads the hostname of the active tab only after the user clicks Return, so the current site can be offered for quick setup.
• declarativeNetRequestWithHostAccess: performs local main-frame redirects for hostnames that the user has selected and authorized.
• scripting: shows the local one-minute reminder only in the focused active tab when it is displaying the authorized website whose temporary visit is about to end. The reminder does not read page content.
• topSites (optional): requested only when the user asks to see Chrome’s most-visited sites as setup suggestions.
• favicon (optional): requested only when the user enables Chrome’s locally cached website icons.
• website access (optional): not requested at installation. Return requests access to a specific HTTP(S) origin only when the user saves a rule for that website and attempts to release it after the last matching rule is deleted.

Sharing, sale, and third parties

Return does not transmit user data to the developer or any third party. It does not sell user data, use it for advertising, use it for creditworthiness or lending, or transfer it for purposes unrelated to Return’s single user-facing purpose. There is no developer or human access to locally stored data. Exported JSON or CSV files leave the extension only when the user explicitly downloads them and are then controlled by the user.

The production extension contains no fetch, XMLHttpRequest, WebSocket, sendBeacon, telemetry, crash-reporting, advertising, or third-party analytics code. Its core workflow works offline.

Retention and user control

Domain-level events are retained locally for 90 days by default. The user can select 180 or 365 days. Shortening the period deletes older events immediately after confirmation; increasing it does not restore deleted records. The user can export JSON or CSV, clear activity records, clear all local data, disable optional permissions, or uninstall the extension. Clearing all data attempts to release optional permissions; uninstalling removes the extension’s local and session storage through Chrome.

Security

Return minimizes stored data to hostnames and the local fields listed above. It validates domains, messages, and settings before changing state. It neither transmits user data nor executes remotely hosted code. Security issues can be reported to hi@searchpcc.com.

Limited Use disclosure

Return’s use and transfer of information received from Google APIs adheres to the Chrome Web Store User Data Policy, including the Limited Use requirements. Return uses Chrome API data only to provide or improve the extension’s prominent user-facing features described in this policy.

Changes and contact

Material changes to data handling will be reflected in this policy and in the product’s prominent disclosures before the changed handling takes effect. Questions about this policy can be sent to hi@searchpcc.com.