Privacy Policy

Last updated: March 8, 2026

This Privacy Policy describes how Knowster ("we," "us," or "our") collects, uses, shares, and protects personal information when you interact with the Knowster service, including our AI chatbot widget, website at knowster.chat, and related services (collectively, the "Service").

This policy applies to two groups of people: (1) Customers who embed the Knowster widget on their websites, and (2) End Users (website visitors) who interact with the widget on a Customer's site.

1. Information We Collect

1.1 Information from Customers (Website Owners)

Account information: name, email address, password, and billing details when you register for a Knowster account.
Website configuration: your website URL, chatbot customization settings, and knowledge base content you provide.

1.2 Information from End Users (Website Visitors)

When a visitor interacts with the Knowster widget on a Customer's website, we may collect:

Data Type	Details
Chat messages	All text messages sent by the visitor to the chatbot and all AI-generated responses
Lead capture data	Name, email address, and phone number — only if the visitor voluntarily provides them via the widget's lead capture form
IP address	Collected automatically with each request
Browser and device info	Browser type and version, operating system, device type, screen resolution, and language preference
Analytics events	Page URL visited, widget open/close events, message count, timestamps, and session duration
Referrer information	The URL from which the visitor arrived at the Customer's page

1.3 Information Collected Automatically

Our servers automatically log standard request data, including IP addresses, request timestamps, URLs, and HTTP headers, for all interactions with the Service.

2. How We Use Your Information

We use the information we collect for the following purposes:

Providing AI chat responses: Chat messages are sent to a large language model (LLM) to generate relevant responses for the visitor.
Lead management: Contact information submitted by visitors is stored and made available to the Customer through their Knowster dashboard.
Analytics: We aggregate page views, widget interactions, and session data to provide Customers with usage analytics.
Service operation: To maintain, monitor, troubleshoot, and improve the Service.
Security: To detect and prevent fraud, abuse, and security incidents.
Communication: To send Customers service-related notices, updates, and support responses.

3. Third-Party Service Providers

We share data with the following categories of third-party providers who process data on our behalf:

Provider	Purpose	Data Shared
OpenRouter (via Google Gemini model)	LLM processing to generate chat responses	Chat messages and relevant context from the conversation
Contabo GmbH	Server hosting (VPS located in the United States)	All data described in this policy is stored on Contabo infrastructure
Stripe, Inc.	Payment processing	Billing and payment information (name, email, payment card details). Stripe's own privacy policy governs payment data.

We do not sell personal information to any third party. We may also disclose information if required by law, regulation, or valid legal process.

4. International Data Transfers

The Service is hosted on servers located in the United States. If you are accessing the Service from outside the United States, please be aware that your information will be transferred to, stored, and processed in the United States. By using the Service, you acknowledge this transfer.

For EU/EEA residents, see Section 8 for information about the legal basis and safeguards for these transfers.

5. Data Retention

We retain different categories of data for different periods:

Chat logs: Retained for 12 months from the date of the conversation, then permanently deleted.
Lead capture data (name, email, phone): Retained until the Customer deletes the lead or deletes their account, whichever comes first.
Analytics data: Individual event data is aggregated after 24 months. Aggregated, non-identifiable analytics may be retained indefinitely.
Account data: Retained for the duration of the Customer's account plus 30 days after account deletion to allow for recovery.

Customers may request earlier deletion of any data associated with their account by contacting us.

6. Cookies and Local Storage

The Knowster widget does not use traditional HTTP cookies. Instead, it uses the following browser storage mechanisms:

sessionStorage: Used to maintain chat state (conversation history and session identifier) during a single browser session. This data is automatically cleared when the browser tab is closed.
localStorage: Used to store user preferences such as widget open/closed state and language selection. This data persists across sessions but can be cleared by the user at any time through their browser settings.

Neither mechanism tracks users across different websites.

7. Your Rights

Depending on your location, you may have the following rights regarding your personal information:

Access: Request a copy of the personal data we hold about you.
Correction: Request that we correct inaccurate or incomplete personal data.
Deletion: Request that we delete your personal data.
Portability: Request a machine-readable copy of your personal data.
Restriction: Request that we restrict processing of your personal data.
Objection: Object to our processing of your personal data.

End Users: If you interacted with Knowster on someone else's website, you may exercise your rights by contacting us directly at support@knowster.chat or by contacting the website owner (the data controller). We will respond to verified requests within 30 days.

Customers: You can access, export, and delete most of your data directly through your Knowster dashboard.

If you are located in the European Union or European Economic Area, the following applies:

Data Controller and Processor

For End User data collected through the widget, the Customer (website owner) is the data controller and Knowster acts as a data processor. For Customer account data, Knowster is the data controller.

Legal Basis for Processing

Contractual necessity: Processing necessary to provide the Service to Customers.
Legitimate interests: Analytics, security monitoring, and service improvement, where these interests are not overridden by your rights.
Consent: Where End Users voluntarily submit their contact information through the lead capture form.

International Transfers

Data is transferred to the United States. We rely on your consent (acknowledged at the time of use) and, where applicable, standard contractual clauses to legitimize these transfers.

Supervisory Authority

You have the right to lodge a complaint with your local data protection supervisory authority if you believe your rights have been violated.

9. Information for California Residents (CCPA)

If you are a California resident, the California Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA) provides you with the following rights:

Right to Know: You may request that we disclose the categories and specific pieces of personal information we have collected about you, the categories of sources, the business purpose for collecting it, and the categories of third parties with whom we share it.
Right to Delete: You may request the deletion of personal information we have collected from you, subject to certain exceptions.
Right to Opt-Out of Sale: We do not sell personal information as defined under the CCPA. We also do not "share" personal information for cross-context behavioral advertising.
Right to Non-Discrimination: We will not discriminate against you for exercising any of your CCPA rights.

To exercise your rights, contact us at support@knowster.chat. We will verify your identity before processing your request. You may also designate an authorized agent to make a request on your behalf.

Categories of personal information collected in the preceding 12 months:

Identifiers (name, email, phone number, IP address)
Internet or electronic network activity (browser info, chat messages, analytics events)
Inferences drawn from the above (analytics and usage patterns)

10. Children's Privacy

The Service is not directed at children under the age of 13. We do not knowingly collect personal information from children under 13. If you are a parent or guardian and believe your child has provided us with personal information, please contact us at support@knowster.chat and we will promptly delete that information.

Customers must not embed the Knowster widget on websites directed at children under 13 without implementing appropriate safeguards in compliance with COPPA and applicable law.

11. Data Security

We implement reasonable technical and organizational measures to protect personal information, including encrypted data transmission (TLS/HTTPS), secure server infrastructure, and access controls. However, no method of transmission or storage is 100% secure, and we cannot guarantee absolute security.

12. Changes to This Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time. When we make material changes, we will notify Customers by email or through a notice on our website and update the "Last updated" date at the top of this page. Your continued use of the Service after any changes constitutes your acceptance of the updated policy.

13. Contact Us

If you have questions or concerns about this Privacy Policy or our data practices, please contact us:

Knowster
Email: support@knowster.chat
Website: knowster.chat