Privacy
Effective 2026-10-10
PondTools is run by Sean Cook. This page says what the site records about you, which other companies see some of it, and how to get it deleted. We don't sell any of it.
What the site records
We record a lot about how the site is used, because that is how we find out what to fix. For each visit that includes your IP address and the rough location it points to, your browser, device, screen size, language and time zone, the pages you open and the page that sent you here, the buttons and links you click, the settings you change and the values you type in (never passwords), how long you stay, and any errors you hit.
We also keep the ponds you design, including copies of the whole design taken as you work, the photos you load to trace over, and what you type to the design assistant or to Imagine. All of this is stored on our own server.
Your account
You sign in with a Tools for Builders account, the same login used by every Tools for Builders tool. It holds your name, your email address, either a hashed password or your Google account ID if you use Google sign-in, and your credit balance and history. When you're signed in, the visits described above are linked to your account.
Other companies that see some of it
- Stripe handles payments. You type your card details into Stripe's page, so we never see your card number. We keep the record of what you bought.
- Resend sends our email: verification and password reset messages, and any proposal you choose to email to a customer.
- When you use the design assistant, Imagine or video, your prompt, your design and any photos involved go to the AI company doing the work. Depending on the feature that is Anthropic, OpenAI, Google (through OpenRouter), Replicate, fal or Stability AI. What they keep is up to their own terms.
- This site runs the TikTok pixel to measure our ads. It tells TikTok which pages you open, and when you create an account, start checkout or buy something (with the price). If you're signed in, it also sends your email address and account ID, scrambled with SHA-256 so TikTok gets a hash rather than the plain text.
- This site runs the Reddit pixel to measure our ads. It tells Reddit which pages you open, and when you create an account or buy something (with the price). Our server also tells Reddit about the sign-up or purchase, with your IP address, browser, Reddit's click and browser ids, and, if you're signed in, your email address and account ID scrambled with SHA-256.
- This site runs Google's ads tag (Google Ads) to measure our ads on Google. It tells Google which pages you open, and when you create an account, buy something (with the price) or send a Find a Pro request, with an order number for that event. We don't send Google your email address or account details.
- This site runs the Nextdoor pixel to measure our ads on Nextdoor. It tells Nextdoor which pages you open, and when you create an account, buy something (with the price) or send a Find a Pro request, with an order number for that event. We don't send Nextdoor your email address or account details.
- Address search sends what you type to OpenStreetMap's Nominatim service, and the satellite pictures come from Esri, so Esri can see which area you're looking at.
- The site runs on a rented server, so the hosting company and the networks in between carry your traffic.
Product links to other shops take you to their sites, and their own policies apply there.
How long we keep it
- Your account
- We keep your account until you delete it. Deleting it removes the account, your saved designs and proposals, your AI history and rendered videos, and the usage records made while you were signed in. It also cancels any subscription you have.
- Payments
- Stripe keeps its own record of each payment under its own policy, and deleting your account doesn't remove those records.
- Usage records
- Usage records don't expire on their own yet. Records from visits made while you were signed out, and the copies of designs taken during them, aren't tied to an account, so deleting an account doesn't remove them. Email us if you want them gone and we'll remove what we can find.
- Photos and AI images
- Images we make for you are kept with your account and deleted with it. The AI company that made an image may keep its own copy for as long as its terms allow.
- What other companies already have
- We can't delete what Stripe, TikTok or an AI company has already received. You can ask them directly, and if you email us we'll help.
Deleting your account
You can delete your account yourself from your account page. This page lists what deleting it removes. If anything here is unclear, or you want us to delete something for you, email us.
Contact
Sean Cook