Privacy Policy for WorkZone
Last updated: September 30, 2026
WorkZone is a new-tab replacement extension: search, quick links, and a customizable grid of productivity widgets (currency converter, speed test, weather, finance, RSS, quotes, GitHub activity, an optional AI sidebar, and more). This policy describes, accurately and completely, what data the extension touches and where it goes. It covers the extension as it actually behaves in code today, not a generic template.
The short version
- WorkZone does not operate its own servers and does not collect, sell, or transmit your data to us in any form, with one narrow, off-by-default exception described below (opt-in usage analytics). There is no "WorkZone backend."
- Your browsing history and bookmarks (used to power a couple of widgets) never leave your device.
- A handful of widgets talk directly to third-party APIs to do their job (exchange rates, weather, stock quotes, etc.), see the table below for exactly which ones, and what's sent.
- If you choose to connect an AI provider or GitHub, the API key you provide is stored only in your browser and sent only to that provider's own API, never to us or anyone else.
- If you turn on "Sync Across Devices," your preferences sync through Chrome's own built-in sync (the same mechanism Chrome uses for your bookmarks and settings), not a separate server we run.
- If you turn on "Help Improve Work Zone" in Settings (off by default), WorkZone sends two anonymous signals, that the extension was opened, and which widgets you turn on or off, to help understand what's actually used. See "Opt-in usage analytics" below for exactly what is and isn't included.
Data that stays entirely on your device
The storage, history, and bookmarks permissions are used as follows, and none of it is ever sent anywhere:
- History — the Browser History widget and the search bar's suggestion dropdown read your history via the browser's own history API to show recently or most-visited pages. This stays local; it's used only to render the widget and populate links you click yourself.
- Bookmarks — the search bar's suggestions and the optional "import bookmarks into a workspace" feature read your bookmarks locally to show or copy them within the extension. Not transmitted.
- Search — the search bar sends the text you type to Chrome's own chrome.search API, which opens a results page using whichever search engine you've set as your browser's default. WorkZone does not choose a search provider, does not see the results, and does not send your query anywhere itself.
- Widget layout, theme, wallpaper, quick links, notes, cached API responses, and similar preferences are stored locally in your browser (chrome.storage.local or localStorage) so the extension remembers your setup between sessions.
Third-party services WorkZone talks to
Some widgets need to contact an external API to function. Each only receives the minimum needed for that specific feature, never your browsing history, bookmarks, or identity:
| Feature | Service contacted | What's sent |
|---|---|---|
| Currency Converter | open.er-api.com | A 3-letter currency code |
| Speed Test | speed.cloudflare.com | Nothing personal, generic test traffic to measure your connection |
| Weather | Open-Meteo and BigDataCloud | The city name you type, or your device's GPS coordinates (only if you grant the browser's location permission) |
| Finance | Yahoo Finance | The stock ticker symbol you configured |
| RSS | rss2json.com | The feed URL you added |
| Daily Quotes | dummyjson.com | Nothing personal, just pagination |
| Word of the Day | dictionaryapi.dev | A word from a fixed built-in list, not user input |
| Quick link previews / favicons | Google, DuckDuckGo, and Microlink | The domain (or, for link previews, the full URL) of a quick link you saved |
| Country indicator | ipwho.is, flagcdn.com | Your IP address (used only to show your country/city in one small UI element), via a standard IP lookup, the same kind of thing almost any website does |
| Opt-in usage analytics | PostHog | Only if you turn this on yourself, see "Opt-in usage analytics" below |
If you connect your own API keys (optional features)
WorkZone has a few "bring your own key" features that are entirely off by default:
- AI Sidebar — if you enter an Anthropic or OpenAI API key, it's stored in your browser's local storage (unencrypted, same as most browser extensions handle this) and used only to send your messages directly from your browser to that provider's API when you use the sidebar. WorkZone never sees or relays this traffic. Conversations are not saved to disk, closing or reloading the tab clears the chat.
- GitHub widget — if you enter a GitHub personal access token, it's stored the same way (local, unencrypted) and sent only to GitHub's own API to show your activity. Never sent anywhere else.
- Unsplash wallpaper search — if you enter an Unsplash API key, it's stored the same way and used only to search Unsplash for wallpapers.
In all three cases: the key stays on your device, is never sent to WorkZone or any server other than the named provider, and you can remove it at any time from the relevant widget's settings, which deletes it immediately.
Sync across devices
If you turn on "Sync Across Devices" in Settings, a subset of your preferences (name, hero text, colors, theme, and widget visibility) is synced using Chrome's built-in chrome.storage.sync, the same infrastructure Chrome already uses to sync your bookmarks and settings across your signed-in devices. This is Google's sync service, not a server operated by WorkZone. Larger data (quick links, wallpapers, full workspace contents) is kept local-only and is not part of this sync.
Opt-in usage analytics
Settings has a "Help Improve Work Zone" toggle, off by default. If you turn it on, WorkZone sends exactly two kinds of anonymous events to PostHog (a third-party analytics service):
| Event | What's included |
|---|---|
| Extension opened | The version number of WorkZone you're running |
| Widget turned on/off | Which widget, and whether it was turned on or off |
Each event is tagged with a random identifier generated on your device (not derived from your name, account, IP address, or anything else identifying) so events can be counted without identifying you. Never included, under any circumstances: the links, notes, reminders, or workspace content you create; your browsing or search history; any API keys; or your location. Turning the toggle off at any time stops all future events immediately, nothing already sent can be tied back to you to delete, since nothing identifying was ever sent in the first place.
What WorkZone does not do
- No ad networks, no fingerprinting, and no analytics or tracking beyond the single opt-in toggle described above (off unless you turn it on yourself).
- No selling or sharing of your data with anyone.
- No account system, no WorkZone-operated servers of any kind.
Children's privacy
WorkZone is a general-purpose browser tool and is not directed at children. It does not knowingly collect data from children.
Changes to this policy
If WorkZone's data practices change (for example, a new widget that calls a new API), this page will be updated and the "Last updated" date above will change accordingly.
Contact
Questions about this policy: abdullahroshaan@gmail.com
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