Privacy Policy

Information you provide:

• Lesson plan inputs (the activity idea you type, plus the role, age group, framework, and sections you select). You do not need to identify yourself to generate plans.
• Email address (if you subscribe to our newsletter or ask us to email you a copy of a plan).

Information collected automatically:

• Standard server logs. Our hosting provider (Vercel) records technical information like IP address, browser type, and request times for security and performance.
• Analytics data. We use Vercel Analytics and Umami to understand site traffic. See Section 5 for details.
• A per-browser identifier. The first time you generate a plan, we create a random ID (a UUID) in your browser's local storage. It is sent with each generation request so we can apply the free daily limit. It is randomly generated, not derived from you or your device, and we cannot use it to identify you.
• IP address for rate limiting. When you generate a plan, email yourself a plan, or subscribe, we store a hashed (scrambled) form of your IP address with a daily counter in our database (Supabase) to enforce usage limits and prevent abuse. We do not store the raw address, and these records are deleted after 3 days.
• Local storage on your device. Besides the random ID above, we store the email address you entered (so repeat sends are one click) and a local count of plans generated today, along with the date that count belongs to, and whether you've already answered our newsletter invitation, so we don't ask again. We also remember that you ticked the box agreeing to the Terms, with the date of the Terms you agreed to, so we only ask again when the Terms change, and that this browser has made a plan before. Those two never leave your browser, except that each plan request includes that Terms date and whether this browser has made a plan before (see Usage records below). This data stays in your browser until you clear it; clearing this site's data in your browser's settings removes all of it.

Usage records. When a plan is generated or emailed, or when you save it as a PDF or leave the plan page, we save a usage record in our database with the activity topic that was typed (up to the first 200 characters), the selected frameworks, age group, and role; for generated plans we also record how long generation took, the date of the Terms you agreed to, and whether this browser had made a plan before (first or returning). If a generation fails, we save the same details plus a short note about what went wrong (for example, that the reply was cut off), so we can find and fix the problem. We also keep an anonymous copy of each generated plan itself (see Section 7). The records made when you save a plan, email it, or leave the plan page point to that anonymous copy, so we can see which plans teachers keep. The first time you save, email, or leave a plan, we also note whether you changed the plan's layout or sections (and, on a phone, whether you opened Customize), whether you saved or emailed it, and roughly how long the plan was on your screen. Like the copy itself, none of this is tied to you. A newsletter signup saves only the fact that a signup happened. We do not store your email address, IP address, or browser identifier in these records. We use them to understand what teachers make with Planella and to improve it. Because the activity topic is free text, anything you type into it is stored as written, which is one more reason to keep children's identities out of your inputs (Section 2).

To protect children, please do not include personally identifiable information about a specific child or family in anything you type into Planella:

• A child's full name or photograph
• A child's date of birth, home address, or contact information
• IEP/IFSP, assessment, medical, or therapy details tied to a specific child
• Family members' names or contact information

If you are planning for a specific child, use a generic description instead (for example, "a 4-year-old working on fine motor skills"). Inputs are processed by our AI provider and partially kept in our usage records (Section 1). The best way to protect a child's privacy is to never include their identity in the first place.

• To generate the lesson plans you request
• To enforce free daily limits and protect the Service from abuse and bots
• To understand aggregate usage (which activities, frameworks, and age groups are most requested) and improve the Service
• To send you the newsletter or plan copies you asked for
• To respond to your questions or support requests
• To comply with legal obligations

We do not sell your personal information, and we do not run ads.

Your lesson plan inputs are sent to our AI provider, Anthropic, via the Claude API to generate each plan. Under Anthropic's commercial API terms in effect at the time of this policy, API inputs and outputs are not used to train Anthropic's models, and Anthropic may retain them for a limited period (currently up to about 30 days) for trust and safety purposes. You can review Anthropic's commercial terms at anthropic.com/legal/commercial-terms. If Anthropic's practices change materially, we will update this policy.

• Vercel Analytics and Speed Insights report aggregate page views, a small set of product events (for example, "a plan was generated," with the role and age group selected but never the text you typed), and page performance metrics. Vercel Analytics does not use cookies.
• Umami, run by Umami Software, Inc., counts page views and where visitors came from. Each page sends Umami its address and title, the page you came from, your screen size, and your browser's language; like any website request, Umami also sees your IP address and browser type. It also counts one product event, "plan made," which carries nothing about you or your plan. Umami sets no cookies, stores nothing in your browser, and does not count you when your browser's Do Not Track setting is on. Umami's practices are described in Umami's privacy policy.
• Cloudflare Turnstile is a bot check that runs when you generate a plan. It loads a script from Cloudflare, and our server sends the resulting token and your IP address to Cloudflare to verify you are human. Cloudflare's practices are described in Cloudflare's privacy policy.

We do not use advertising trackers or sell data to advertisers. What we keep in your browser's local storage is described in Section 1.

We use trusted third parties to operate Planella. Each handles only the data necessary for their function:

• Anthropic (Claude API): generates lesson plan content from your inputs (Section 4).
• Vercel: website hosting, server logs, and analytics.
• Supabase: application database (rate-limit counters and anonymous usage records).
• Cloudflare: Turnstile bot protection (Section 5).
• Umami: cookie-free visitor counts (Section 5).
• Resend: sends transactional email (the copy of your generated plan you ask for).
• beehiiv: sends our newsletter and stores your subscriber email address.
• Sentry: error monitoring. When something breaks on our servers, or one of our safety limits can't run, Sentry receives a report about our own code so we can fix it. We set these reports up to leave out what you type, your email address, and your IP address.

These providers have their own privacy policies and standard data protection commitments.

• Lesson plan inputs are sent to Anthropic at the moment of generation and may be retained by Anthropic for a limited period (Section 4). The activity topic (up to 200 characters) and your picker selections are also kept in our anonymous usage records (Section 1).
• Generated plans. We keep an anonymous copy of each plan Planella writes, along with the activity idea and the options that shaped it. These copies are not linked to you (no name, email, IP address, or browser identifier), and we use them to review quality and to answer a repeat of the same request instantly. If you are signed in as a member, each plan you generate is also saved to your own private library so you can reopen and reprint it later. Those saved plans are visible only to you, and you can delete any of them at any time. If you ask us to email a plan, the plan and your activity idea are passed to Resend to deliver the message, and Resend may retain the email briefly for deliverability purposes.
• Rate-limit records store IP addresses only in hashed form and are automatically deleted after 3 days.
• Newsletter email addresses are retained until you unsubscribe (every email includes an unsubscribe link).
• Local storage stays on your device until you clear it.

• Newsletter: sent through beehiiv only if you subscribe. Every issue includes an unsubscribe link, and unsubscribing is automatic.
• Plan delivery: if you ask for a copy of a plan, we send one email through Resend containing your activity idea and the generated plan. Emailing yourself a plan only sends that plan; it does not subscribe you to anything. Subscribing to the newsletter is a separate, optional choice.

You have the right to:

• Access the information we hold about you
• Correct inaccurate information
• Delete your information ("right to be forgotten")
• Unsubscribe from the newsletter using the link in any email
• Object to our processing of your information

To exercise any of these rights, email us at the address below. Note that our usage records (Section 1) store no email address, IP address, or browser identifier, so we generally cannot tell which records came from a specific person.

If you are a California resident, you have additional rights under the California Consumer Privacy Act, including the right to:

• Know what personal information we collect, use, and disclose
• Access the specific pieces of personal information we have about you
• Request deletion of your personal information, subject to exceptions
• Correct inaccurate personal information
• Opt out of any "sale" or "sharing" of personal information (we do not sell personal information or share it for cross-context behavioral advertising)
• Be free from discrimination for exercising your rights

To exercise these rights, email us at the address below. We will verify your request and respond within the time periods required by law.

Several other U.S. states (including Virginia, Colorado, Connecticut, and Utah) grant their residents similar privacy rights. If you live in one of those states, you may exercise your rights by emailing us at the address below.

Planella is operated from the United States and is intended for U.S. users. If you access the Service from outside the U.S., your data is transferred to and processed in the U.S. Planella is not designed to meet the requirements of the EU or UK GDPR; if you are an EU or UK resident, please use the Service with that limitation in mind.

Planella is intended for adults (educators, student teachers, and homeschool parents) who plan activities for young children. The Service is not directed to children, and we do not knowingly collect personal information from anyone under 13. Children should not use Planella directly. If you believe a child has provided us with information, please contact us so we can delete it.

If you teach in a U.S. program subject to the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) or a state student-privacy law, note that Planella is not designed to receive or store student educational records. Please do not submit them (Section 2). You are responsible for ensuring your use of Planella complies with the student privacy rules that apply to your program.

We use industry-standard security practices including HTTPS encryption and trusted infrastructure providers. No method of transmission over the internet is 100% secure, and we cannot guarantee absolute security.

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time. When we do, we will update the "Last updated" date at the top. Significant changes will be communicated via the newsletter or a notice on the Service.

Questions about this policy? Email us at hello@getplanella.com.