Privacy

Last updated 2026-05-09

This is the short version: Yipshanks does not collect personal information, does not run analytics, does not have an ad network, and does not sell anything to anyone. Your rounds, stats, courses, and notes live on the device you opened the app on. The longer version is below.

What we collect

Nothing automatically. There are no analytics scripts, no crash reporters, no fingerprinting libraries, no cookies for tracking. Opening app.yipshanks.com in a browser does not create an account or send personal data anywhere.

Where your data lives

Yipshanks is a local-first web app. Rounds, courses, stats, settings, field notes, and any AI provider keys you configure are stored in your browser's IndexedDB on your device only. Clearing site data in your browser deletes them. We have no copy.

What leaves your device

Three things, only when you actively trigger them:

• Tournament packets. When you host or join a tournament, the app pushes signed packets containing the scores and player names you enter to a relay server. By default that relay is api.veydrin.org or api.ninthstar.org. The relay holds these packets for up to 30 days so other players can pull the leaderboard. Private tournaments are scoped by code and never appear on the public listing. Public tournaments are visible to anyone with the code.
• AI conversations, if you opt in. If you set up an AI provider key (Anthropic, OpenAI, or Google), the key is stored encrypted on your device and used directly from your browser to call that provider's API. Your prompts and the round context the app attaches to them are sent straight to the provider over HTTPS — they never pass through any Yipshanks or Ninth Star Foundation server. The provider sees your AI key the way they would see it from any other client app. Read the provider's own privacy policy for what they do with the prompts and responses.
• Weather and course lookups, if enabled. Optional features that send your current latitude/longitude (for weather) or a course name (for OpenStreetMap lookup) to the corresponding free service. No identity, no account.

Encryption

Field notes (private notes about playing partners) and AI provider keys are encrypted on your device with AES-256-GCM under a key that never leaves your browser's secure key store. Even an attacker with full access to your IndexedDB cannot read them without the device itself.

Wager records

If you choose to record a friendly wager on a round, the amount, currency, and outcome stay on your device. They are never published, never relayed, never visible on shared scorecards or public boards. Yipshanks does not facilitate, hold, or process any payment between players.

Children

Yipshanks is suitable for any age, but the wager-tracking feature is optional and intended for adult social use only. Don't enable it for minors.

Open source

The full source is published on Codeberg under AGPL-3.0. Read it. Audit it. Build it yourself if you'd rather.

Changes

If this policy ever changes, the date above changes with it. Substantive changes will be announced on the project page on Codeberg.

Contact

Questions go to admin@ninthstar.org.