Privacy Policy
This policy explains what personal information Orkes, Inc. ("Orkes", "we", "us") collects in connection with ParticleDB, how we use it, who we share it with and the choices you have. ParticleDB is a product of Orkes, Inc.
The short version. The data you store in a ParticleDB database is yours and is never sent to us. The ParticleDB server sends anonymous usage telemetry to Google Analytics by default, which you can turn off with one flag or setting. Our website also uses Google Analytics. Downloads are logged by our content delivery network. If you sign in from Studio or send an issue report, we receive what you choose to send.
Who we are and what this policy covers
Orkes, Inc., 20380 Town Center Ln, Suite 200, Cupertino, CA 95014, USA, is the controller of the personal information described in this policy. It covers:
- the website and documentation at particledb.ai;
- downloads and the install script served from get.particledb.ai;
- usage telemetry sent by the ParticleDB server and Studio, and the server's update check;
- signing in to a ParticleDB account (api.particledb.ai), including from ParticleDB Studio, and issue reports sent from Studio;
- email and other messages you send us.
Your databases are not covered because we never see them. When you run ParticleDB yourself, the tables, rows, keys, vectors, files, queries and credentials in it stay on infrastructure you control. Nothing in this policy gives us access to them, and no ParticleDB feature sends them to us. For personal information you store in your own database, you are the controller, and you decide how it is handled.
Information we collect
When you visit particledb.ai
The website loads Google Analytics 4 (measurement ID G-4LEQL8DTW2). Google Analytics sets cookies in your browser and sends Google the pages you view, the page that referred you, the time and length of your visit, the links and controls you use, your browser, operating system, device type, screen size and language, and an approximate location (country, region and city) that Google derives from your IP address. Google Analytics 4 does not log or store IP addresses. We see this information only in aggregated reports.
Like any website, the servers and content delivery network that deliver particledb.ai receive standard request information (IP address, user agent, requested URL and time) in order to serve pages and protect the site against abuse.
The documentation remembers your preferred code language and display settings in your browser's local storage. That value never leaves your browser.
When you download ParticleDB
Requests to get.particledb.ai, including the install script and binary downloads, are logged by our content delivery network (Amazon CloudFront). Each log record holds the IP address, user agent (for example curl/8.5.0), the URL requested, the date and time, the referring page if any, the response status, the bytes transferred, the delivery location and TLS details. No cookies are set on get.particledb.ai.
We use the IP address to derive the country, region and city, the network operator, the type of network (for example cloud provider, company or consumer ISP) and, where available, the name of the organization that owns the address. After that step we replace the IP address with a one-way hash that changes every day, so downloads can be counted without keeping the address. We use the result to count downloads and installations by version, platform and region, to measure how often downloads fail and to understand which organizations are trying ParticleDB.
Product usage telemetry from the ParticleDB server and Studio
The ParticleDB server sends anonymous usage events directly to Google Analytics 4, using Google's Measurement Protocol. Telemetry is on by default, and you can turn it off at any time (see Turning off product telemetry). It tells us which versions, platforms, features and kinds of workload are used, so we can decide what to fix and build next.
| Category | What is sent |
|---|---|
| Installation | A random installation ID generated on first start, not derived from your hardware, hostname, account or network; ParticleDB version and edition; operating system and CPU architecture; resource and size ranges (for example CPU count, memory and data size), reported as ranges rather than exact values |
| Lifecycle and features | Lifecycle events such as server start and shutdown; counts of how often product features are used, never what they were used on |
| Query statistics | For statements the server runs, metadata only: statement type (for example SELECT or INSERT), the protocol used, a workload category (vector, key-value, OLTP, OLAP or AI), a query length range, the number of tables, joins and columns involved, ranges for rows, result size and duration, which product features the statement used, and the SQLSTATE class of an error (the first two characters of the code, not the message) |
| Studio | Which Studio tabs are opened and how long they stay in view; interface events: Sign in clicked and sign-in completed, Report an issue opened and submitted, the update link clicked and the Slack link clicked |
Never sent: SQL text, commands, literals or bind values; database, schema, table, column or key names; any data stored in your databases; hostnames or usernames; passwords, keys, tokens or other credentials; file paths or environment variable values; error message text.
Events are sent over HTTPS. Like any internet request, they reach Google from your server's public IP address, and Google Analytics uses that address to derive an approximate location (country, region and city), as it does for website visits. Google Analytics 4 does not log or store IP addresses, and we see the data only in aggregated reports. Because the installation ID is random and nothing else in the events identifies you, we cannot link telemetry to a person, a company or an account. A failed or blocked telemetry request never affects the server.
Update check
Every 6 hours the server fetches https://get.particledb.ai/latest/version.txt to learn whether a newer version is available. That request is logged like any other download request (see When you download ParticleDB): IP address, user agent, URL and time. Turn it off with --no-update-check or with any of the telemetry opt-outs.
When you sign in to a ParticleDB account
You can sign in with Google, GitHub or an email address and password, including from the Sign in button in ParticleDB Studio. We collect:
- your email address and name, and the account identifier given to us by Google or GitHub when you sign in with them;
- your password, if you create one, used only to verify your sign-in;
- the IP address and a device identifier of the browser that signs in, used to limit repeated attempts and prevent abuse. Sign-up and sign-in forms may use a CAPTCHA service for the same purpose;
- a session cookie on particledb.ai that keeps you signed in.
When Studio signs in, your ParticleDB server receives your account ID, name and email from us and holds its sign-in tokens in memory only. Opening Studio sends nothing to us. Your server contacts our account service only when you select Sign in, send a report or sign out. A server started with --cloud-api-url off never contacts it.
When you send an issue report from Studio
Studio's Report an issue form shows you everything that will be sent, and you can edit or remove any of it before you send. A report contains:
- the title and description you write;
- the SQL in the editor, only if you tick the box to include it (off by default);
- diagnostics: ParticleDB version, edition, operating system and architecture, uptime, recent server warnings and errors, and recent error codes;
- your account ID and email, so we can follow up.
Your server replaces secrets such as passwords, API keys, access tokens and connection-string passwords with [redacted] before it shows you the preview and again before sending, and our service redacts the report again on arrival. The report is then filed as an issue in a private GitHub repository that only our team can see. Our account service keeps only the fact that you sent a report, its status, the issue number and the time.
When you contact us
If you email us or otherwise get in touch, we receive your email address and whatever you include in your message.
What we do not collect
We do not collect the contents of your databases, we do not process payment card details today, and we do not buy personal information from data brokers.
How we use information and our lawful bases
| Purpose | Information used | Lawful basis (EEA and UK) |
|---|---|---|
| Operating, securing and improving the website and documentation | Website analytics, request logs | Legitimate interests in running a useful, secure site; consent where local law requires it for analytics cookies |
| Delivering downloads and measuring installs, failures and adoption by region and organization | Download logs and the information derived from them | Legitimate interests in distributing the software reliably and understanding its use |
| Deciding which versions, platforms, features and workloads to support and improve, and telling you when an update is available | Product telemetry, update check requests | Legitimate interests in improving the product; you can opt out at any time |
| Creating and operating your account and signing you in to Studio | Account information, session cookie | Performance of our contract with you |
| Investigating and answering the issues you report | Report contents, account ID and email | Performance of our contract with you; legitimate interests in fixing defects |
| Preventing abuse, fraud and attacks | IP address, device identifier, request logs | Legitimate interests in protecting our users and services |
| Responding to your messages | Contact details and message contents | Legitimate interests; performance of a contract where the message concerns one |
| Complying with law and enforcing our terms | Any of the above, as needed | Legal obligation; legitimate interests in establishing or defending legal claims |
We do not use personal information for automated decisions that have legal or similarly significant effects on you, and we do not sell it.
Cookies and similar technologies
| Name | Set by | Purpose | Duration |
|---|---|---|---|
_ga, _ga_4LEQL8DTW2 | Google Analytics on particledb.ai | Distinguish visitors and sessions for aggregated usage statistics | Up to 2 years |
| Account session cookie | ParticleDB account service | Keeps you signed in; strictly necessary for signing in | Until you sign out or the session expires |
| Studio session cookie | Your own ParticleDB server | Keeps you signed in to Studio. It is set by the server you run and is never sent to us | Until the server restarts or you sign out |
| Code language and display preferences (local storage) | particledb.ai documentation | Remembers your chosen code language and theme; never sent anywhere | Until you clear site data |
We do not use advertising cookies or show ads. To stop Google Analytics, block or delete cookies in your browser settings, use a content blocker, or install the Google Analytics opt-out browser add-on. The site works the same without these cookies. Google's use of the data is described in How Google uses information from sites that use its services.
Turning off product telemetry
Any one of the following turns telemetry off. When it is off, the server and Studio send no telemetry at all, and the update check is off too.
| Method | How |
|---|---|
| Command-line flag | Start the server with --no-telemetry |
| Environment variable | PDB_TELEMETRY=0 |
| Cross-tool convention | DO_NOT_TRACK=1 |
| Configuration file | [telemetry] section with enabled = false |
| Studio | Turn off the telemetry switch in Studio's settings |
| Update check only | Start the server with --no-update-check |
Blocking outbound connections from the server to Google Analytics (www.google-analytics.com) and to get.particledb.ai at your firewall also keeps telemetry and the update check inside your network.
Children
ParticleDB is a tool for software developers and businesses. It is not directed to children under 16, and we do not knowingly collect personal information from them. If you believe a child has given us personal information, contact us at privacy@orkes.io and we will delete it.
Your access and choices
- Telemetry: turn it off with any method in Turning off product telemetry.
- Analytics cookies: block or delete them in your browser, or use the Google Analytics opt-out add-on.
- Sign-in and reports: both are optional. Studio and every database feature work without an account, and
--cloud-api-url offremoves the Sign in button and reports entirely. - Your account: you can ask us to access, correct, export or delete your account information, or to delete an issue report you sent, by writing to privacy@orkes.io. We will verify the request comes from the account holder before acting on it.
- Email: we send account email (such as address verification and password resets) only when needed to operate your account.
Telemetry and download records are not linked to your name, email or account, so we usually cannot find records about you in them. If you can give us your installation ID, we will delete the telemetry recorded under it.
How we disclose information
We do not sell personal information, and we do not share it for cross-context behavioral advertising. We disclose it only as follows:
- Service providers that process it for us under contract: Amazon Web Services (hosting, content delivery and storage), an email delivery provider for account email, Google (website analytics and product telemetry, and sign-in if you choose Google), GitHub (sign-in if you choose GitHub, and hosting of the private repository that holds issue reports), a CAPTCHA provider for sign-up and sign-in forms, and providers of IP address geolocation and network ownership data.
- Within Orkes, to the people who need it to operate and support ParticleDB.
- For legal reasons, when required by law or legal process, or when needed to protect the rights, property or safety of Orkes, our users or others.
- In a business transfer, such as a merger, acquisition or sale of assets, subject to this policy.
- With your consent or at your direction.
Security
We protect personal information with measures appropriate to its sensitivity, including encryption in transit, access limited to the people and services that need it, redaction of secrets in issue reports, and short retention for raw IP addresses. No method of transmission or storage is completely secure, so we cannot guarantee absolute security. If you believe you have found a security problem, write to privacy@orkes.io.
Data processing and cross-border transfers
Orkes is based in the United States, and we process and store personal information in the United States. Our service providers may process it in other countries. When we transfer personal information from the European Economic Area, the United Kingdom or Switzerland, we rely on an adequacy decision where one applies, or on the European Commission's Standard Contractual Clauses and their UK and Swiss equivalents, together with any additional safeguards required.
California residents
If you live in California, the California Consumer Privacy Act, as amended, gives you the right to know what personal information we collect, use and disclose; to access and receive a copy of it; to correct it; to delete it; and to opt out of its sale or sharing. We do not sell or share personal information as those terms are defined in that law, and we do not use or disclose sensitive personal information for purposes that would give you a right to limit it. We will not discriminate against you for exercising these rights.
In the last 12 months we collected these categories of personal information, from the sources and for the purposes described above: identifiers (name, email address, account ID, IP address, device identifier, random installation ID); internet or other electronic network activity (website usage, download and update check requests, product feature use, query statistics metadata and Studio usage); approximate geolocation derived from IP addresses; and any information you choose to include in messages and issue reports. We disclosed them for business purposes to the service providers listed in How we disclose information.
To exercise your rights, write to privacy@orkes.io. We will verify your request by matching information you provide with what we hold. You may use an authorized agent, who must show us your signed permission.
Nevada residents
We do not sell covered information as defined in Nevada law. You may still send a request about the sale of your covered information to privacy@orkes.io.
EEA, UK and Swiss residents
If you are in the European Economic Area, the United Kingdom or Switzerland, you have the right to access the personal information we hold about you, to correct it, to have it erased, to restrict or object to our processing of it, including processing based on legitimate interests, and to receive it in a portable format. Where we rely on your consent, you may withdraw it at any time without affecting earlier processing. To exercise these rights, write to privacy@orkes.io. You also have the right to lodge a complaint with your local data protection authority.
Retention
| Information | How long we keep it |
|---|---|
| Raw download logs, including IP addresses | 30 days, then deleted automatically |
| Download records after the IP address is replaced by a daily hash, and the daily totals built from them | 18 months |
| Product telemetry | According to the retention setting of our Google Analytics property, at most 14 months for event-level data; aggregated reports may be kept longer and contain no personal identifiers |
| Website analytics | According to the retention setting of our Google Analytics property, at most 14 months for event-level data |
| Account information | While your account is open, and for a limited period after you close it to meet legal obligations and resolve disputes |
| Issue reports | Until the issue is resolved and no longer needed, or until you ask us to delete it |
| Messages you send us | As long as needed to respond and keep a record of the conversation |
Links to other sites
Our website and documentation link to sites we do not control, such as GitHub, package registries and third-party tools. Their own privacy policies apply when you visit them.
Changes to this policy
We may update this policy as ParticleDB changes. We will post the new version on this page with a new effective date, and when a change materially affects how we handle your personal information we will give more prominent notice, for example in the release notes.
Contact us
Questions or requests about this policy or your personal information:
Orkes, Inc.
20380 Town Center Ln, Suite 200
Cupertino, CA 95014
USA
Email: privacy@orkes.io