Privacy Policy

The short version

MacMD Viewer does not access, store, or transmit your files. Your Markdown files are read locally on your Mac and never leave your machine. The app can send minimal anonymous usage signals to help us improve the product (the Setapp version sends none, the Mac App Store version only after you turn them on). You can opt out at any time in Settings.

Anonymous usage analytics

MacMD Viewer uses TelemetryDeck to collect anonymous usage signals such as which features are used (e.g. Mermaid diagrams, code highlighting), whether license activation succeeds, and which distribution channel the app came from. This helps us understand what to improve. The Setapp version does not include TelemetryDeck and sends no signals.

What is NOT collected: file contents, file names, file paths, personal information, IP addresses, or any data that could identify you. TelemetryDeck aggregates all data server-side. No individual user profiles are created.

Consent: the version downloaded from macmdviewer.com asks during setup. The Mac App Store version sends nothing until you turn it on, during setup or in Settings → General.

Opt-out:you can disable telemetry at any time in the app's Settings → General → uncheck "Send anonymous usage data". When disabled, no signals are sent.

Equal protection by TelemetryDeck. TelemetryDeck GmbH, a German company, receives the signals. The installation identifier is hashed on your Mac before it is sent, TelemetryDeck does not store IP addresses, and its servers are in Germany and the Netherlands (TelemetryDeck privacy FAQ). Its data processing agreement states that the data it processes does not relate to any identified or identifiable person. TelemetryDeck therefore gives these signals the same or equal protection as this policy.

Retention and deletion.TelemetryDeck states that it has no fixed deletion schedule for stored signals and expects to delete them after 7 to 10 years, without guaranteeing it. Because signals carry no name, email, or file data, we cannot pick yours out from anyone else's. To ask for deletion anyway, or for deletion of anything else we hold about you (support emails, or your order record for a website purchase, except what the law requires us to keep), email support@macmdviewer.com. We will delete whatever can be matched to your request.

File access

The app reads Markdown files (.md) that you explicitly open. It uses macOS sandboxed file access. Files are read from disk, rendered in memory, and displayed. No file contents are stored, cached externally, or transmitted anywhere.

QuickLook extension

The QuickLook extension runs within macOS sandbox restrictions. It receives file data from the system, renders it, and displays the preview. No data is retained after the preview window closes.

This website

Everything above describes the Mac app. This section describes macmdviewer.com, which is separate and does collect a small amount of data about your visit.

Traffic measurement. We use Plausible, which we host ourselves on our own server. It records page views, referrer, country, and device type. It sets no cookie for measurement and does not track you across other websites.

Purchase attribution. We store a random identifier in a first-party cookie named mmd_cid, kept for 90 days. It carries no name, email, or IP address on its own, and lets us see which pages led to a purchase so we know what to write next. Campaign and referrer attribution is also kept in your browser. If you buy, those values may be recorded alongside your order. These features only run when analytics is allowed for your visit. Separately, the checkout page asks an optional “How did you hear about us?” question; if you answer it, your answer is stored with your order.

Product analytics. With analytics permission we use Google Analytics 4 to measure page paths and product events such as CTA clicks, checkout starts, and completed purchases. We send explicit page-view events without URL query strings, disable Google Signals and ad-personalization signals, and exclude admin pages. Stripe remains our source of truth for sales and amounts.

How pages are used. We use Microsoft Clarity to see where people click, how far they scroll, and where a page frustrates them. Clarity masks input values, numbers, and email addresses before anything is uploaded, and our admin pages are excluded from it entirely. It only loads when analytics is allowed. Clarity also reports when our pages are cited in Microsoft Copilot and Bing answers.

Advertising measurement. When marketing is allowed, Google Ads can record a purchase conversion. If you arrived from one of our Google ads, the ad click identifier is kept in your browser for up to 90 days; if you buy, it is recorded with your order and our server reports that purchase to Google Ads. Withdrawing marketing deletes it. The Meta pixel can load only on visits referred by one of our Meta ad campaigns and is subject to the same marketing choice. We do not sell data and we do not use data brokers.

Your choice. Visitors in the EEA, the UK, and Switzerland are asked before analytics or marketing tools load. Elsewhere, those categories start enabled and can be disabled at any time through “Privacy settings” in the footer. Rejecting is given the same prominence as accepting. The site works normally without optional storage or trackers.

Regional classification. Our server looks up the request country in a local MaxMind GeoLite2 database solely to decide whether to show the consent prompt. The IP address is not returned to the browser, sent to MaxMind, or stored by this classification endpoint. If the lookup is unavailable, optional trackers remain blocked and the prompt is shown.

Third-party services

The app uses TelemetryDeck for anonymous analytics (see above) and, in the version downloaded from macmdviewer.com, Sparkle for automatic update checks (it fetches the update feed from macmdviewer.com and sends no system profile). The Setapp and Mac App Store versions receive updates from Setapp and the App Store. The website uses the services listed above. If you purchase, Stripe processes the payment under their own privacy policy.

Children's privacy

The MacMD Viewer app collects no personal information from anyone, including children under 13. The website is aimed at people looking for Mac software and is not directed at children.

Changes to this policy

If this privacy policy changes, updates will be posted on this page with a revised date.

Contact

Questions about this policy? Reach out at support@macmdviewer.com.