Privacy Policy
Effective Date: February 14, 2026 · Last Updated: June 22, 2026
1. Introduction
Columnly ("Columnly", "we", "us", "our") is a Google Sheets add-on that helps users clean, analyze, and restructure spreadsheet data using artificial intelligence. This Privacy Policy describes how we collect, use, and protect information when you use the Columnly add-on and related services.
By installing and using Columnly, you agree to the practices described in this Privacy Policy.
2. Information We Collect
2.1 Information Collected Automatically
When you use the Columnly add-on, the following information is sent to our backend service to process your requests:
| Data Type | Purpose | Example |
|---|---|---|
| User prompt | Understand your request (e.g., "clean this data", "build a dashboard") | "Sum column A by region" |
| Google email address | Identify the requesting user for rate limiting | [email protected] |
| Spreadsheet ID | Identify the active spreadsheet for context | A unique Google Sheets identifier |
| Sheet name | Identify the active sheet tab within the spreadsheet | "Sheet1" |
| Schema data | Column names, header row structure, and data range metadata | ["Name", "Email", "Revenue"] |
| Sample rows | Provide data context for analysis (cleaning, quality checks, dashboards, and briefs) | A sample of data rows; the number depends on the operation |
| Full sheet data | Perform operations that require the full dataset (e.g. restructuring, and computing dashboard/brief figures) | All rows and columns |
2.2 Information We Do NOT Collect
- We collect data only from the spreadsheet you are actively working in; we do not collect data from other spreadsheets in your Google Drive.
- We do not access Google Drive files, Gmail, Contacts, Calendar, or any other Google service.
- We do not collect browser history, cookies, or device identifiers.
Payment information: When you subscribe to a paid plan, payments are processed by our payment processor, Razorpay. Columnly does not store your full card details; Razorpay processes card data under its own terms.
3. How We Use Your Information
We use the information collected solely to provide the Columnly service:
| Use | Description |
|---|---|
| Formula generation | Analyze your prompt and schema to produce spreadsheet formulas |
| Data cleaning | Analyze sample data to suggest cleaning operations (trim, normalize, deduplicate) |
| Dashboard creation | Generate dashboard specifications (KPIs, tables, charts) based on your data structure |
| Data restructuring | Transform data layout (pivot, transpose, group) based on your instructions |
| Formatting | Apply styling and formatting rules to your sheet based on your request |
| Analysis briefs | Produce narrative analysis and insights from your data |
| Rate limiting | Enforce per-user request limits to ensure fair usage |
| Access control | Verify user identity to enforce per-user rate limits |
We do not use your information for:
- Training or fine-tuning machine learning models
- Advertising or marketing purposes
- Profiling or behavioral analysis
- Selling or sharing with third parties for their own purposes
4. Data Retention
- Request data (prompts, schema, sample rows) is processed synchronously and is not stored beyond the duration of the API request.
- Server logs (Cloud Run request logs) may contain request metadata (timestamps, response codes, user email) and are retained according to the Google Cloud Platform default log retention policy (30 days).
- No database of user spreadsheet data is maintained by Columnly.
- Account and usage data: To operate the service, enforce usage limits, and manage your plan, we store a record of your account — your Google email, plan tier, and usage/credit counts — in our database. This is retained while your account is active. We do not store the contents of your spreadsheets.
- Grid output (formulas, cleaning, formatting, and restructuring results) is returned to the add-on and written to your spreadsheet. Columnly does not retain copies of this output.
- Dashboards and analysis briefs are generated as hosted HTML artifacts rather than written to your spreadsheet. They are stored on Google Cloud (europe-west) and automatically deleted after 30 days.
5. Data Sharing
We do not share your data with third parties, with the following limited exceptions:
| Recipient | Purpose | Data Shared |
|---|---|---|
| Anthropic (Claude API) | LLM-powered analysis for formula, dashboard, and cleaning suggestions | Prompt text, sheet schema, and a sample of your data — or, for some operations (such as restructuring, dashboards, and analysis briefs), larger portions of the sheet — are sent to the Claude API to produce the requested result. |
| Google Cloud Platform | Infrastructure hosting (Cloud Run) and hosted dashboard/brief reports | Request processing occurs on GCP. Generated dashboards and analysis briefs are hosted on Google Cloud (europe-west) and automatically deleted after 30 days. Subject to Google Cloud's data processing terms. |
| Turso (database hosting) | Stores account and usage data | Google email, plan tier, usage/credit counts. No spreadsheet contents. |
| Razorpay (payment processing) | Process subscription payments | Billing details needed to process your payment. Columnly does not store full card details. |
We do not sell, rent, or trade your personal information.
6. Data Security
We implement the following security measures:
- Encryption in transit: All communication between the add-on and backend uses HTTPS/TLS.
- Access control: Backend API access is authenticated per request and used to enforce per-user rate limits. Full access available soon.
- Rate limiting: Per-user request limits prevent abuse.
- Minimal scopes: The add-on requests only the minimum OAuth scopes necessary for operation.
- URL whitelist: The add-on can only communicate with the designated Columnly backend URL.
- Undo support: Operations that modify your sheet (such as cleaning and formatting) can be reversed from within the add-on. Dashboards and analysis briefs are generated as hosted HTML artifacts and are not written into your spreadsheet.
7. Google API Services User Data Policy Compliance
Columnly's use of information received from Google APIs adheres to the Google API Services User Data Policy, including the Limited Use requirements:
- We only use Google user data to provide and improve the Columnly add-on functionality.
- We do not transfer Google user data to third parties except as necessary to provide the service (see Section 5).
- We do not use Google user data for advertising.
- We do not allow humans to read Google user data unless:
- We have the user's affirmative consent,
- It is necessary for security purposes (e.g., investigating abuse), or
- It is necessary to comply with applicable law.
8. Your Rights
You have the following rights regarding your data:
- Access: You can review what data the add-on sends by inspecting the Apps Script execution logs.
- Deletion: Since we do not persistently store user spreadsheet data, there is no stored data to delete. If you wish to remove all traces, uninstall the add-on.
- Opt-out: You can stop using Columnly at any time by uninstalling the add-on. No data will be collected after uninstallation.
- Data portability: All output data is written directly to your Google Sheets and remains under your control.
For data deletion requests or privacy concerns, contact us at the address below.
9. Children's Privacy
Columnly is not directed at children under the age of 13. We do not knowingly collect personal information from children under 13. If you believe a child has provided us with personal information, please contact us and we will delete it.
10. Changes to This Policy
We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time. We will notify users of material changes by updating the "Last Updated" date at the top of this document. Continued use of Columnly after changes constitutes acceptance of the updated policy.
11. Contact Information
If you have questions or concerns about this Privacy Policy, please contact us:
- Email: [email protected]
- Developer contact: [email protected]
- Website: https://columnly.ai