Privacy Policy

Last updated: November 1, 2026

Our Privacy Commitment

ShortHop is built with privacy as a core principle. We believe your browsing habits and shortcuts are personal, and we've designed both the extension and this website to keep your data completely under your control.

What We Don't Collect

We collect zero personal data. Specifically:

❌ No browsing history - We don't track what sites you visit
❌ No search queries - We don't see what you search for
❌ No personal information - No names, emails, or demographic data
❌ No usage analytics - We don't track how often you use shortcuts
❌ No location data - We don't access your geographic information
❌ No device fingerprinting - We don't identify your specific device

How Your Data Works

Local Storage Only

Your custom shortcuts and preferences are stored locally in your browser
Default shortcuts are built into the extension - no external requests needed
Everything runs entirely within your browser environment

Sync Storage (Optional)

If you're signed into your browser (Chrome/Firefox/Edge), your custom shortcuts sync across your devices
This sync is handled directly by your browser vendor (Google, Mozilla, Microsoft)
We never see your sync data - it goes directly between your devices through your browser account

No External Servers (Core Functionality)

ShortHop's core shortcut functionality doesn't communicate with any external servers
No browsing data, search queries, or shortcut usage is sent to us, third parties, or analytics services
All shortcut processing happens locally in your browser
Your typed command is never sent anywhere to be looked up. Some shortcut tools work by routing what you type through a server that decides where to send you - ShortHop doesn't work that way. The redirect is computed entirely within your own browser, using Chrome and Firefox's native request-redirecting APIs, with no network request involved in that decision at all
The only exception is the optional Pro upgrade, described below

Permissions Explained

ShortHop requires certain browser permissions to function. Here's exactly what each permission is used for:

Storage Permission

What it does: Saves your custom shortcuts and preferences
Data stored: Only your custom shortcuts, hidden shortcuts, and customization preferences
Location: Your local browser storage and browser sync (if enabled)

Tabs Permission

What it does: Opens new tabs or redirects existing tabs when you use shortcuts
Data accessed: Only the URL you're navigating to (which you initiated)

DeclarativeNetRequest Permission

What it does: Intercepts your shortcut commands and redirects to the correct websites
Data accessed: Only the URLs that match your shortcut patterns

Web Navigation Permission

What it does: Detects when you've used a shortcut command for fallback handling
Data accessed: Only navigation events that match shortcut patterns

Notifications Permission

What it does: Reserved for upgrade-related alerts (e.g. confirming a successful Pro purchase)
Data accessed: None - no notification currently fires in the shipped extension

Offscreen and Scripting Permissions

What they do: Detect whether your system is in light or dark mode, so the toolbar icon matches
Data accessed: None - this only reads your OS's color scheme preference, not any browsing data

Important: These permissions are used exclusively for ShortHop's core functionality (or, for the Pro upgrade, the ExtensionPay/Stripe integration described above). We don't use them to collect data about your general browsing.

Third-Party Services

When you use ShortHop shortcuts, you're redirected to third-party websites (Google, GitHub, Amazon, etc.). Your interaction with those sites is governed by their respective privacy policies, not ours.

ShortHop simply facilitates the connection - we don't track or modify your interactions with destination websites.

Pro Upgrade (ExtensionPay / Stripe)

ShortHop's optional one-time $14.99 Pro upgrade is processed by ExtensionPay, which uses Stripe to handle payment. This only applies if you choose to upgrade - it has no involvement in the free version's core functionality.

When you click "Upgrade," the extension communicates with extensionpay.com to open the payment page and check your purchase status
ExtensionPay assigns your install an anonymous key to identify your purchase; if you provide an email (e.g. to activate your purchase on another device), that's stored by ExtensionPay, not by us
Payment details (card numbers, etc.) are handled directly by Stripe and never pass through ShortHop's code
See ExtensionPay's privacy policy and Stripe's privacy policy for how they handle this data

Website Privacy

This Website (shorthop.to)

No analytics: We don't use Google Analytics, tracking pixels, or any analytics services
No cookies: This website doesn't set any cookies or tracking cookies
No user accounts: No registration, login, or user accounts required
Static hosting: Hosted on GitHub Pages with no server-side processing or logging
No forms: No contact forms, newsletters, or data collection forms

Extension Statistics

We rely solely on public statistics provided by browser extension stores (Chrome Web Store, Firefox Add-ons, etc.) rather than implementing our own tracking.

Data Security

No transmission: Since we don't collect data, there's no data to intercept or breach
Local encryption: Browser storage is protected by your browser's security measures
Sync security: If using sync, data is encrypted by your browser vendor's sync infrastructure
No passwords: ShortHop doesn't require accounts, passwords, or authentication

Your Control

You have complete control over your data:

Custom shortcuts: Add, edit, or delete through the extension options
Sync control: Enable/disable sync through your browser settings
Complete removal: Uninstalling the extension removes all local data

Legal Compliance

GDPR (European Union)

ShortHop's core functionality collects no personal data, so GDPR requirements don't apply to it. If you choose the optional Pro upgrade, ExtensionPay and Stripe process limited payment-related data on our behalf as described above - see their privacy policies for their own GDPR compliance.

CCPA (California)

We don't sell, share, or process personal information as defined by CCPA. The Pro upgrade's payment processing is handled by ExtensionPay/Stripe, not by us directly.

Children's Privacy

ShortHop doesn't collect any data from users of any age, making it safe for all users including children under 13.

Changes to This Policy

We may update this privacy policy to reflect changes in our practices or for legal compliance. Any changes will be posted on this page with an updated "last modified" date.

Since we don't collect contact information, we recommend checking this page periodically if you have concerns about privacy.

Open Source Commitment

ShortHop's privacy-first approach isn't just a promise - it's verifiable:

The extension uses standard browser APIs with no custom data collection
All functionality is local or uses browser-native sync
The architecture makes data collection technically impossible without major code changes

Questions?

If you have questions about this privacy policy or our privacy practices, you can:

Review the extension's permissions in your browser settings
Check that no network requests are made to external servers (visible in browser developer tools)
Verify that uninstalling removes all extension data

Privacy-first design means your shortcuts stay yours.