Privacy
Maps of History stores account and product-use records to provide the service and improve it. This page explains what we hold and where we keep it.
What we don’t do
- No ad networks, no pixels, no fingerprinting, no third-party analytics or trackers of any kind.
- We do not sell personal data. Service providers process the information described below.
Your account
An account has one record in our own database (Cloudflare D1). It contains your email address, your name if you provide one, your plan and, if you use a password, a salted cryptographic hash rather than the password itself. Google sign-in shares only your name and email with us. Two first-party cookies support the account: a session cookie keeps you signed in, and an anonymous random device identifier identifies the device.
Usage, to make the maps better
To improve the atlases, we record first-party product events: pages viewed, atlases opened, chapters read, map quizzes finished and plans-page visits. These records are tied to the anonymous device identifier and, when you’re signed in, to your account. We never share them with a third party or enrich them with third-party data.
Tests that improve the site
To learn which version of a page helps readers more, we sometimes compare two versions, such as two pricing-page layouts. Your anonymous device identifier chooses the version you see. The identifier is set on your first page and kept for up to 400 days, so the version stays the same on every visit. We record that version and the product events listed above in our own database. A small share of visitors always sees the site without recent changes, giving us a way to measure what those changes did. A browser sending a Global Privacy Control signal is never included. You can also leave all tests here:
Your progress and notes
Reading progress, map quiz scores, your day streak and settings are stored in your browser as localStorage records. Clearing browser data removes those records. If you are signed in, your progress and pinned notes (Your notes) are also saved to your account, allowing them to follow you between devices.
Questions you ask
Select text in an atlas and press Ask, and your question, the highlighted text and the chapter you are reading go to OpenRouter. It passes them to an AI model provider to write the answer. The free models we use may keep what they receive, so please do not put personal information in a question. We also keep the question, highlighted text and answer in our own database, together with your account if you are signed in. This helps us see what readers find unclear and improve the atlases. Deleting your account deletes them.
Chapter Chat saves conversations in your browser. When you send a message, the chapter, recent conversation and a short learning summary go through OpenRouter to an AI model. We keep a usage record to apply message limits and cache replies so a retry uses the same message. We also store your questions, answers and learning summaries, linked to your account when signed in, so our team can review conversations and improve the atlases. Older retry caches are cleared; conversation records remain. Deleting your account removes its chapter-chat records.
Explore the map conversations
We retain the complete questions and answers, recent conversation supplied to the model, model requests and returned responses, map state before and after each request, requested changes, source references, event timing, model identifiers and usage information returned by the provider. We also record failures and partial results so that support can investigate them and a retry can recover a saved answer. These records are linked to your account or first-party browser identifier and can be reviewed by authorised administrators. API keys, passwords and payment-card details are excluded.
OpenRouter and the selected model provider process the question, recent messages and map context to create the answer and map changes. Provider policies govern their retention. Conversation records remain in our database for history, support and product improvement until account deletion or a verified deletion request, subject to records that the law requires us to retain. You can request a copy or deletion at paul@mapsofhistory.com.
Payments
You check out on Stripe’s hosted payment pages. Your card details go to Stripe, never to us. To activate your plan instantly, Stripe tells us your email address and what you bought.
When you join the Dispatch, our email list, we first send an email asking you to confirm. If you confirm, we send a short welcome series, followed by a letter when a new atlas opens. Nothing else. Our database stores your email address, the page where you joined and the dates you joined and confirmed. The page tells us which study guide belongs in your first letter.
Cloudflare Email Service sends the letters through the same Cloudflare account that hosts the site. Your address and the list remain in our database. Cloudflare handles each outgoing email, keeps delivery logs and processes data under its data processing agreement (EU standard contractual clauses). We do not track opens or clicks: the emails contain no tracking pixels, and their links go straight to our own pages. Each letter has an unsubscribe link, as well as your mail app’s own Unsubscribe button; either stops all letters at once. Deleting your account also removes you from the list. If you write to us, we keep the correspondence as an inbox ordinarily does.
Hosting
The site is served by Cloudflare Pages. Cloudflare sees the traffic a web host sees, including IP addresses in transient logs; our own event log stores no IP addresses.
Your rights
You can ask for a copy of what we hold about you or ask us to delete all of it. This includes your account record, events, purchase record at Stripe and mailing-list entry. Email hello@mapsofhistory.com with your request.