Privacy & Cookies Policy
Effective Date: June 28, 2025
Version: 1.0
Key Highlights
We are deeply committed to protecting your privacy and handling your data responsibly. This policy clearly explains how we collect, use, store, and protect your personal data and the files you upload when you use our merging service.
Here’s what you should know upfront about how we handle your data:
- Data We Collect: We collect only what’s necessary to provide and improve our merging service, including your email, uploaded files, and usage details.
- Cookies: We use only essential cookies required for site security and functionality — no tracking or advertising cookies.
- File Handling: Uploaded files are deleted immediately after merging; if merging fails, files may be kept for up to 7 days for troubleshooting. Merged files are kept briefly to allow downloads.
- Your Rights: You have the right to access, correct, delete, or restrict your personal data and withdraw consent at any time.
- Security: We protect your data with encryption, strict access controls, and automated deletion policies.
- No Selling or Sharing: We never sell or share your personal data or files with third parties for marketing.
1. Cookies We Use
What this section means for you: We only use essential cookies that are absolutely necessary for our website to function securely and provide you with the services you request. We do not use any cookies for analytics, tracking, or advertising.
We only use essential cookies that are absolutely necessary for our website to function securely and provide you with the services you request. We do not use any cookies for analytics, tracking, or advertising.
| Cookie Name | Purpose | Expiry |
|---|---|---|
| `sessionid` | Maintains your login session, keeping you signed in as you navigate our site. | When your browser closes |
| `csrftoken` | A security cookie that helps protect against Cross-Site Request Forgery (CSRF) attacks, enhancing the security of your interactions with our site. | Up to 1 year or until your browser closes |
| `messages` | Used to display important one-time notifications or flash messages to you (e.g., "File uploaded successfully" or an error notification). | When your browser closes |
These cookies are fundamental to the secure and proper operation of our service and cannot be disabled without affecting its core functionality.
2. What Data We Collect and Why
What this section means for you: We temporarily collect specific data, like your email, uploaded files, and certain processing details, only to provide and improve our merging service.
When you use our file merging service, especially when you upload documents, we collect and temporarily store the following information:
| Data Collected | Purpose for Collection |
|---|---|
| Email Address / User ID | To create and manage your account, facilitate your login, and ensure only you can access and download your merged files securely. |
| Uploaded Files | The documents you provide to be processed and merged according to your instructions. These are central to performing the service you requested. |
| Merged File | The resulting document after our system successfully merges your uploaded files. This is the output we provide for you to download. |
| File Merge Count | The total number of files involved in a merge operation. Collected for internal usage statistics, service performance monitoring, and to understand overall platform activity. |
| Error Messages, Warnings | Any technical errors or non-critical issues encountered during the merging process. Collected to help us troubleshoot problems, provide better support if you encounter issues, and to inform you about potential impacts on your final merged file |
| Status Messages | Updates on the current state of your merging progress (e.g., "Processing," "Completed," "Failed"). Used to keep you informed about the operation's status in real-time. |
| Merged Files List and Order | A list of the files that were successfully merged and the specific order in which they were combined. This is shown to you upon completion to confirm the results. |
| Date Format & Sorting Mode | Selections you make for specific merging types (e.g., how to sort files for merging). This information is necessary for our system to perform the correct merging operation as per your request. |
| Upload and Processing Dates | Timestamps indicating when your files were uploaded and when their processing was completed. Used for internal statistical analysis, troubleshooting, and for managing automatic file deletion schedule. |
| Merge Success/Failure Status | Indicates whether a specific merging operation was successful or failed. Used by our website to enable correct UI behavior and for our internal statistics to track service reliability and identify areas for improvement. |
| Consent Record | A record demonstrating that you have provided your consent for our data processing activities, including the specific version of this policy you agreed to and the date/time of your consent. |
3. Data Retention & File Deletion Policy
What this section means for you: We have strict rules for how long we keep your files and data. Uploaded files are deleted immediately after merging; if merging fails, files may be kept for up to 7 days for troubleshooting. Merged files are only kept for a short time for you to download.
All data is automatically deleted according to our file retention policy
File Retention:
Uploaded Files:
- Deleted immediately after a successful merging operation.
- If merging is unsuccessful, they are retained for a maximum of 7 days from the upload date. This short retention period allows us to inspect the files for root cause analysis, helping us debug and improve our service.
Temporary Files:
- Any intermediate files generated during the merging process are deleted immediately at the end of the merging process.
Merged Files:
- Retained for up to 1 hour after processing completion. This allows you sufficient time to download your merged document.
Account & Metadata Retention:
Your user account (email address and user ID) and associated processing metadata (like file merge counts, error/warning messages, and timestamps) are retained for the duration of your active account. This data helps us improve the service and provide support. If you request account deletion, your personal data will be removed, subject to any legal obligations for retention.
All stored data is handled with stringent security measures and is never shared with any third parties for marketing, advertising, or other commercial purposes.
4. Legal Basis for Processing Your Data
What this section means for you: We process your data based on your consent, to fulfill our service contract with you, and for our legitimate operational interests, always respecting your rights.
We rely on the following legal bases to process your personal data in accordance with applicable data protection laws:
Your Consent:
We rely on your explicit consent for the processing of certain optional or analytical metadata associated with your use (such as for statistical analysis, ongoing service improvement, and detailed troubleshooting linked to your user account, where such processing is not strictly necessary for contract performance or our legitimate interests). You provide this consent when you accept our terms and conditions upon account creation or interact with our cookie banner and proceed to use our service. You have the right to withdraw your consent at any time.
Performance of a Contract:
We process data that is strictly necessary to fulfill the service you requested from us. This includes:
- Temporarily storing and processing your uploaded files to perform the merging operation as requested.
- Generating and providing the final merged file for you to download.
- Maintaining your login session.
- Using your user identity to ensure secure access to your merged files.
- Applying date formats and sorting modes across various features, including how to sort files for merging, to perform the merge correctly as per your request.
Our Legitimate Interests:
We may process certain data based on our legitimate interests, provided these do not override your fundamental rights and freedoms. These interests include:
- Ensuring the security and integrity of our website and services (e.g., through CSRF protection and abuse prevention).
- Monitoring the general performance and stability of our service to identify technical issues and improve functionality (using aggregated or anonymized data where possible).
- Preventing fraud and unauthorized access.
5. Your Rights
What this section means for you: You have important rights regarding your personal data, including accessing, correcting, or requesting deletion of your information.
Depending on your location and applicable data protection laws, you may have the following rights regarding your personal data:
- Right to Access: You can request a copy of the personal data we hold about you.
- Right to Rectification: You can ask us to correct any inaccurate or incomplete personal data.
- Right to Erasure ("Right to be Forgotten"): You can request that we delete your personal data, subject to certain legal exceptions.
- Right to Restrict Processing: You can ask us to limit how we use your data under specific circumstances.
- Right to Data Portability: You can request to receive your personal data in a structured, commonly used, and machine-readable format.
- Right to Object: You can object to our processing of your personal data under certain conditions.
- Right to Withdraw Consent: Where we rely on your consent for processing, you have the right to withdraw that consent at any time. This will not affect the lawfulness of processing based on consent before its withdrawal.
To exercise any of these rights, please contact us using the details provided below. We will respond to your request in accordance with applicable laws.
You also have the right to lodge a complaint with your local Data Protection Authority if you believe your rights have been infringed.
6. Data Security
What this section means for you: We use strong security measures like encryption and strict access controls to protect your data. We never sell or share your files with third parties for marketing.
We take the security of your data seriously. All file processing and data storage occur on secure servers with robust protections, including:
- Encrypted Connections: All data transferred between your browser and our servers is encrypted using HTTPS/TLS.
- Strict Access Controls: Access to your data on our servers is strictly limited to authorized personnel who require it for specific, legitimate tasks.
- Automated File Deletion Policies: As detailed in Section 4, we have automated systems to ensure files are deleted promptly and securely after processing.
Your uploaded content and any associated data are never sold to, or shared with, third parties except as strictly necessary for providing the service you've requested (e.g., hosting providers, who are bound by strict data processing agreements). Where we use third-party service providers (such as hosting providers) to operate our service, these providers act as data processors on our behalf and are legally bound by Data Processing Agreements (DPAs) to protect your data in accordance with this policy and applicable data protection laws.
7. Changes to This Policy
What this section means for you: We may update this policy, and we'll let you know when we do. Please check back periodically to stay informed.
We may update this Privacy and Cookie Policy from time to time to reflect changes in our practices or legal requirements. When we make significant changes, we will notify you by posting the new policy on this page and updating the "Effective Date" at the top. We encourage you to review this policy periodically to stay informed about how we're protecting your information.
8. Contact Us
What this section means for you: You can contact us via email or our feedback form if you have any questions about this policy or your data.
If you have any questions about this Privacy and Cookie Policy, our data handling practices, or if you wish to exercise your rights, please don't hesitate to reach out to us:
Email: support@coilhelper.com
Website: Feedback Form