This notice applies to the public website, the Scarlett Shelf Google edition and PickyPetal for Windows. thedigitalgrotto is our brand name.
1. Who this notice covers
This notice covers the thedigitalgrotto website, the Scarlett Shelf Google edition and PickyPetal for Windows, operated by Robert James Ohara, sole trader. Future products will have their own disclosures where their data use differs. Contact: support@thedigitalgrotto.com.
PickyPetal desktop app
PickyPetal processes files you select on your Windows computer. The Windows download includes local conversion tools, so core conversions work without an internet connection. This website does not receive your selected files or conversion results. The installer selects automatic start at Windows sign-in; you can change that choice during setup or later in Windows Startup apps.
The app stores its settings and local application logs on the device, under your Windows app-data folder. Error details in those logs can include local file names or paths; they are not sent to this website automatically. Explorer diagnostic logging is off by default in the current build. If you choose to email us a screenshot, log or file for support, the content you send is handled as support correspondence through Microsoft 365.
2. Information used by Scarlett Shelf
| Information | Purpose and storage |
|---|---|
| Google account email and app-file details | Identify the signed-in account, check ownership and sharing, and associate the correct private workbook and app-files folder. Account bindings also use Apps Script User Properties. |
| Reading records | Books, editions, progress, notes, ratings, characters, tags, purchases, goals, app-calendar records, collections, lists and settings are saved in the linked Google workbook. |
| Pictures and backups | Images uploaded through the current book-cover and character controls are stored with the reading records in your Google workbook. Requested ZIP archives are saved to the app’s private Google Drive folder. Downloaded data backups are saved where you choose. |
| App security and operation records | Optional password verifiers, session hashes and expiry information, failed-attempt counters and setup information use Apps Script User Properties. The workbook also keeps revision/timestamp information and a bounded set of request receipts to handle saves. |
| Support correspondence | Email content and attachments you choose to send are processed through the support mailbox and Microsoft 365. Do not send passwords, login codes or a full library unless you deliberately want to share it for support. |
Notes and tags can include personal or sensitive information. Enter only what you are comfortable storing in the services described here. The optional in-app password is not a replacement for your Google account’s security and sharing controls.
3. Google permissions
The Scarlett Shelf Google edition requests your Google account email, file-scoped Google Drive access (drive.file), and permission to connect to external services. File-scoped access covers files created by or authorised for the app; it is different from the broader Google Sheets permission. Scarlett Shelf uses this access for your app-created reading workbook, private app-files folder and requested backups. The current build does not request the broad permissions for all Google Drive files or all spreadsheets. Your account email identifies your workspace and helps prevent access to another account’s files. The external-service permission supports optional, user-requested literary-character discovery and details through Wikidata. Public catalogue searches also use direct browser connections, as described below.
The current build does not request Gmail, Contacts or Google Calendar access. We review permissions as features change and will disclose changes to data access before introducing them.
Google processes authorisation and hosts the app’s server functions, spreadsheet and Drive storage. Your Google password is entered with Google, not into this website.
4. Book and character lookups
When online metadata is enabled, Open Library and Wikidata may receive titles, author names, ISBNs, search text or public work/edition/entity identifiers to return book, author, series or character details. Cover requests send the relevant public cover identifier. Some requests are made by the app’s server; others go directly from your browser.
Direct browser requests also reveal normal connection information, such as your IP address and browser/request headers, to the provider. Metadata services have their own policies. These lookup functions are not designed to send your entire library, private notes or ratings to those services.
Online metadata can be disabled in Settings. Book details may be temporarily cached to avoid repeating lookups; short-lived caching is not a promise that providers erase their own logs on the same schedule.
5. Connected files and Kobo
A connected-device import reads supported files that you select to extract available book, reading and metadata records. Imported records are then saved with your library. It is not continuous background monitoring of your device. Book contents and metadata vary; the current feature does not guarantee chapter lists, cast lists or page counts for every book.
6. Hosting, fonts and other services
The website does not contain a newsletter form, payment form, advertising script or site analytics added by us. Its approved typefaces load from Google Fonts, which receives the request information needed to supply them. Website artwork is served with the site.
This public website is delivered through Sites on Cloudflare infrastructure. Hosting providers process connection, security and request information to deliver and protect the website. Visiting this website does not give it access to your Scarlett Shelf workbook.
The Scarlett Shelf app also loads public artwork, fonts, icons and supporting libraries from services including Google Fonts, Iconify, jsDelivr, Tailwind’s CDN and Supabase storage. Those providers receive normal request information. Hosting, Google and other providers may process information outside your country under their own service and privacy policies.
7. Keeping and removing information
The current build has no automatic timetable that deletes your complete account data. Reading records and images generally remain until you remove them. Signing out ends that app session; it does not revoke Google access or erase the workbook. Simply closing a browser tab does not necessarily end the session immediately.
Deleting a record clears its current saved values. It may not remove associated image files, Google version history, downloaded copies, backups or provider logs. App sessions expire after eight hours, but that does not delete your account bindings or reading records.
- Export anything you want to keep before removing your data.
- Remove unwanted records in the app. For a complete cleanup, identify the Scarlett Shelf workbook and app-files folder in your Drive and remove the relevant files there.
- Use Google Account connections to review or remove the app’s Google access. Revocation stops future authorised access; it does not itself delete stored files.
- Contact support for help with account bindings, app-stored information or a privacy request. A full self-service account-deletion feature is not currently provided.
Google’s trash, version history and recovery rules apply to Google-stored files. Copies you exported or shared are separate. Support correspondence is kept as needed to handle your request and related follow-up, security or legal obligations. You can ask us to review and delete information we hold; we will explain any information that must be retained. Retention by Google and other providers is governed by their own policies.
8. Your choices and requests
You can review the Google permission request, change or delete your app records, disable optional online metadata, export your data and revoke Google access. Contact support if you want help accessing or correcting information, making a privacy complaint or understanding a deletion request. Please identify the relevant account without sending a password or verification code.
JSON restore can replace saved records after a preview and safety-backup step. It does not guarantee recovery of missing pictures or transfer of private pictures between Google accounts. Keep important original images separately.
9. Who receives Google user data
Google user data includes your Google account email, details of the app-authorised files, and the reading records, images and settings that Scarlett Shelf reads from or writes to your Google workbook and app-created Drive files. It also includes information derived from those records, such as reading totals. We share, transfer or disclose this information only to the recipients and for the purposes described below, subject to the Limited Use restrictions.
- Google — app operation and storage. Google processes account identity, app-file details, reading records, images, settings and app security information through Google authorisation, Apps Script, Google Sheets and Google Drive to operate your private shelf, save changes and provide requested backups. The app runs under the authorising user's Google account; creating a shelf does not publish its workbook or grant other Scarlett Shelf users access to it.
- Internet Archive's Open Library and Wikimedia's Wikidata — optional metadata lookups. When you use online lookups, the relevant service receives search text and the book, author, edition, ISBN, cover or character identifiers needed to return the requested information. Those values may come from a record saved in your Google workbook. The app does not include your Google account email, Google access tokens, private notes, ratings or entire workbook in those metadata requests. Any personal information you type into a search field is part of the search text sent to the provider. Direct browser requests also disclose normal connection information, as explained in section 4.
- The Digital Grotto operator/support team and Microsoft 365 — support you request. If you email us or deliberately share a screenshot, export or file for support, we and Microsoft 365 receive the content and attachments you send, which may include Google user data. We use that information to address your request. Contacting support does not automatically transfer your workbook or grant the support team access to it. Human access to Google user data for support is limited to the specific information you affirmatively agree to share.
- People and services you choose — user-directed sharing. If you download an export and send or upload it elsewhere, or share an app file using Google's sharing controls, the recipients you select can receive the records included in that copy or file. Scarlett Shelf does not automatically share your library with other users or make it public.
- Competent authorities, courts and professional advisers — necessary legal or security disclosures. Relevant information may be disclosed where required by applicable law or necessary to address fraud, abuse or security incidents, only to the extent permitted by the Google API Services User Data Policy. Such disclosure is limited to information needed for that purpose.
Website and display services. OpenAI Sites and Cloudflare deliver this public website. Google Fonts, Iconify, jsDelivr, Tailwind's CDN, Supabase storage and any image host whose URL you choose may receive resource requests and normal connection information when supplying pages, fonts, icons, libraries or images. These services receive the resource URL and normal connection information needed to deliver the content; an image URL may come from a saved record and include identifiers. We do not send them your private Google workbook as part of those display requests or grant them Google account access. See section 6.
Restrictions apply to raw and derived data. We use Google user data only to provide or improve the disclosed user-facing features. We do not sell, rent or transfer raw, aggregated, anonymised or derived Google user data to advertisers or data brokers, use it for advertising or credit/lending decisions, or use it to develop, improve or train general-purpose AI or machine-learning models. We do not transfer that data to third-party AI services for such training. The same restrictions apply to anyone handling Google user data on our behalf.
Our handling of Google API data follows the Google API Services User Data Policy, including its Limited Use requirements. This statement is our commitment, not a claim that Google has completed verification. Transfers outside the purposes described here require an applicable basis under that policy and your prior consent where required.
Protecting Google user data
The app uses HTTPS, Google authorisation and account/workbook checks to help protect records. Its optional app-password gate uses stored verifiers rather than storing that password as plain text. Keep your Google account secure and review file-sharing settings; no online service can guarantee complete security.
10. Changes to this notice
We will update the effective date when this notice changes. Material changes to Google data use will be explained before they take effect, with renewed consent where required.