Stem Privacy Policy

Effective date: 29 July 2026

Stem is a browser extension developed by Botany Apps.

This Privacy Policy explains what information Stem accesses, how it uses that information, where the information is stored, and the controls available to users.

For questions about this policy, contact:

botanyapplications@gmail.com

1. Purpose of Stem

Stem turns browser tabs and tab groups into a visual workspace.

It allows users to organise, search, group, sleep, restore and explore browser tabs through Outline View, graph view and split view.

Stem accesses browser information only where necessary to provide these functions.

2. Information Stem accesses

Stem may access and process the following information from ordinary browser windows.

Tab information

• Page URLs

• Page titles

• Website domains

• Favicon references

• Tab order and position

• Whether a tab is open or sleeping

• Tab creation, navigation, movement, activation and closure events

• Relationships between tabs, including tabs opened from other tabs

• Last-accessed times

• Up to the last 20 navigation entries retained for each tracked tab

Browser-window and tab-group information

• Native Chromium tab-group titles

• Native tab-group colours

• Group membership

• Group order

• Whether native tab groups are collapsed or expanded

• The browser window containing a tab or group

• User-assigned local names for browser windows

User-created workspace information

• Workspace names

• Group and subgroup names

• Group colours

• Tags and tag colours

• Notes

• Pinned and sleeping states

• Graph connections

• Graph node positions

• Group territories

• Organic mesh and grid layout settings

• Appearance preferences

• Import and export information

• Other settings required to preserve the workspace

3. How Stem uses this information

Stem uses browser and workspace information to:

• Capture existing open tabs and native Chromium tab groups

• Display tabs in Outline View, graph view and split view

• Organise tabs into groups and nested subgroups

• Maintain a visible Unsorted area for loose tabs

• Search tabs by title, domain or tag

• Display relationships between tabs

• Create optional shared-domain and shared-tag connections

• Detect exact duplicate URLs

• Preserve tab order and group membership

• Move tabs and groups between browser windows

• Put tabs and groups to sleep

• Restore sleeping tabs and groups

• Preserve limited navigation trails

• Save graph positions and layout preferences

• Import and export workspaces at the user’s request

Shared-tag, shared-domain and parent-child relationships are calculated locally within the extension.

4. Information Stem does not read

Stem does not intentionally access or collect:

• The contents of webpages

• Text entered into webpages

• Passwords

• Form submissions

• Cookies

• Emails or private messages

• Payment-card information

• Complete browser-history records

• Precise location

• Advertising identifiers

• Incognito or private-browsing tabs

Stem does not index, summarise or analyse webpage content.

Browser-internal pages that extensions cannot access, including certain chrome://, brave://, edge://, about: and developer-tools pages, are excluded.

Local file:// pages are accessed only where the user has separately allowed the browser extension to access file URLs.

5. Local storage

Stem stores workspace information locally within the user’s browser profile.

This may include:

• Tab metadata

• Window and group structures

• Tags

• Notes

• Navigation trails

• Graph connections and positions

• Appearance settings

• Workspace preferences

• Import and restoration records

Stem may use browser extension storage and local browser databases such as IndexedDB.

The unlimitedStorage permission allows Stem to support large browser workspaces containing many tabs, nested groups, graph coordinates and locally retained navigation records without exceeding the browser’s standard extension-storage quota.

Stem does not store copies of webpage content or screenshots of visited pages.

6. Data transmission

The current version of Stem does not:

• Upload workspace data to Botany Apps

• Store workspace data on Botany Apps servers

• Synchronise workspace data between devices

• Require a Stem account

• Use analytics or telemetry

• Use advertising services

• Sell user information

• Share workspace information with data brokers or advertisers

Workspace processing occurs locally on the user’s device.

Stem may contain links to external support, privacy or product pages. Opening one of these links loads the selected website in the browser, but the website does not receive the user’s Stem workspace.

7. Imports and exports

Users may deliberately export Stem workspaces as JSON or Markdown files.

Exported files may contain tab URLs, titles, group names, tags, notes and other workspace information. These files are saved in a location selected by the user.

Once a file has been exported, the user is responsible for how it is stored, transferred or shared.

Imported workspace files are processed locally within Stem.

8. Remote code

Stem does not download or execute remotely hosted extension code.

The JavaScript, CSS, libraries and other executable components required by Stem are included within the installed extension package.

9. Retention and deletion

Stem retains local workspace information until the user:

• Deletes the relevant tab, group or workspace

• Removes the relevant navigation records

• Resets Stem’s local data

• Clears the extension’s browser storage

• Uninstalls the extension

Exported files must be deleted separately from the location where the user saved them.

Because Botany Apps does not remotely receive or store Stem workspace data, Botany Apps cannot remotely view, retrieve, modify or delete that local workspace data on the user’s behalf.

10. Security

Stem limits data exposure by storing workspace information locally and by avoiding accounts, analytics and remote workspace storage.

Users should protect their browser profile, computer account and exported workspace files from unauthorised access.

No browser extension or local storage system can guarantee absolute security.

11. Automated decision-making

Stem does not use workspace information for automated decision-making, advertising profiles, credit assessment or behavioural profiling.

Graph relationships, duplicate warnings and tab organisation features are provided solely to help the user manage their browser workspace.

12. Children’s privacy

Stem is a general productivity tool and is not specifically directed towards children under 13.

Botany Apps does not knowingly collect children’s personal information through Stem.

13. Chrome Web Store Limited Use disclosure

The use of information received from Google APIs will adhere to the Chrome Web Store User Data Policy, including the Limited Use requirements.

Stem uses browser information only where necessary to provide its prominently disclosed tab-management and visual-workspace functions.

Stem does not sell user data or use it for personalised advertising, lending, creditworthiness assessment or unrelated profiling.

14. Future features

If Stem later introduces optional accounts, cloud backup, paid synchronisation or other features that transmit workspace information away from the user’s device:

• those features will not be enabled silently;

• users will be informed before information is transmitted;

• any transmission will require a clear user action or opt-in;

• this Privacy Policy will be updated before the new processing begins.

Chrome requires extension data use to remain necessary for the extension’s disclosed single purpose and requires material changes in data handling to be disclosed to users.

15. Changes to this Privacy Policy

Botany Apps may update this Privacy Policy when Stem’s functionality or data-handling practices change.

The effective date at the top of this page will be revised when the policy is updated.

Material changes will be communicated before or when the updated practice takes effect.

16. Contact

For questions, concerns or requests relating to Stem and this Privacy Policy, contact:

Botany Apps
botanyapplications@gmail.com