Privacy Policy

Last updated September 4, 2026

This policy explains what Actually Free QR (https://www.actuallyfreeqr.com) collects, why, and who else is involved. It is written to be read rather than to be survived. If anything here is unclear, email puzzleemptym@gmail.com.

The short version

  • The QR codes you generate are created entirely in your browser. The text or URL you type is never sent to our servers and we never see it.
  • You do not need an account to use the generator.
  • We store data only if you sign in and deliberately create a tracked short link.
  • We show ads through Google AdSense, which sets its own cookies. That is the main piece of third-party tracking on this site.
  • We do not sell personal information.

What we collect

Nothing, for basic use

Generating a QR code, choosing colours, and downloading a PNG all happen locally in your browser. No account, no upload, no server round-trip for the code itself.

Account information, if you sign in

Sign-in is handled by Clerk, our authentication provider. If you create an account, Clerk processes your email address, any name or profile image you provide, and authentication session cookies. We receive a user identifier from Clerk and store it alongside the links you create. See Clerk’s privacy policy.

Tracked links and scan analytics, if you create them

If you press “Save & Track Analytics”, we store the destination URL, an optional label, your user identifier, and the creation time in our database.

When someone scans that tracked code, our redirect endpoint records the scan before forwarding them on. For each scan we log the time, the IP address, the browser user-agent string, the referring page if one is sent, and the country the request appears to come from. IP addresses and user-agent strings can constitute personal data under laws such as the GDPR; we use them only to produce the scan counts, device breakdown, and country breakdown shown on your own dashboard.

People scanning your code are not shown this policy at the moment of the scan. If you distribute tracked codes in a jurisdiction with notice requirements, telling your own audience that scans are counted is your responsibility, not ours.

Server logs

This site is hosted on Vercel, which keeps standard operational logs (IP address, request path, timestamp, user agent) for security and reliability. See Vercel’s privacy policy.

Advertising and cookies

This site is free because it carries advertising. We use Google AdSense to serve those ads.

  • Third-party vendors, including Google, use cookies to serve ads based on your prior visits to this and other websites.
  • Google’s use of advertising cookies enables it and its partners to serve ads to you based on your visit to this site and other sites on the internet.
  • You can opt out of personalised advertising by visiting Google Ads Settings.
  • You can opt out of third-party vendor cookies more broadly at aboutads.info/choices or the NAI opt-out page.

Full detail on how Google handles data from sites that use its services is in Google’s partner-sites policy.

Cookies we and our providers set

  • Authentication cookies set by Clerk, so you stay signed in. Strictly necessary if you use an account.
  • Advertising cookies set by Google and its partners, as described above.
  • Local browser storage used by the offline app cache (this site is installable as a progressive web app). This stays on your device.

Most browsers let you block or delete cookies in their settings. Blocking advertising cookies will not stop you using the generator.

How long we keep things

  • Locally generated QR codes: never stored, so nothing to keep.
  • Tracked links and their scan records: kept until you delete the link or ask us to delete your account.
  • Account data: held by Clerk for as long as your account exists.

Your rights

Depending on where you live, you may have the right to access, correct, export, or delete the personal data we hold about you, to object to certain processing, and — under the GDPR — to complain to your local supervisory authority. California residents have comparable rights under the CCPA/CPRA, including the right to know and the right to delete. We do not sell or share personal information as those terms are defined by the CCPA.

To exercise any of these, email puzzleemptym@gmail.com from the address on your account. We will respond within 30 days.

Children

This site is not directed at children under 13, and we do not knowingly collect personal information from them. If you believe a child has given us personal data, contact us and we will delete it.

Security

Traffic is served over HTTPS and account credentials are handled by Clerk rather than stored by us. No system is perfectly secure, and we cannot guarantee absolute security of data transmitted over the internet.

Changes to this policy

We will update this page if our practices change and revise the date at the top. Material changes will be noted on the homepage.

Contact

Questions, requests, or complaints: puzzleemptym@gmail.com.