Effective Date: 07/20/2026
Website: https://thespecmate.com
Contact: support@thespecmate.com

SpecMate is a browser extension and related website/backend service that helps users look up electronic and industrial part numbers, review supplier and distributor information, save parts to a BOM, manage search history, and export sourcing data.

This Privacy Policy explains what information SpecMate collects, how it is used, how it is protected, and what choices users have.

SpecMate collects only the information needed to provide, operate, secure, and improve the product's part lookup, BOM management, account, billing, pilot access, and support features.

When you create or use a SpecMate account, we may collect:

• Email address
• Account ID or authentication identifier
• Membership plan or pilot access status
• Search-limit usage and subscription status
• Authentication status, such as whether an email verification session is active

When you use SpecMate to look up a part number, we may process:

• The part number or text you intentionally select or submit
• Lookup timestamp
• Lookup result metadata
• Supplier, distributor, datasheet, stock, price, and product information returned for that lookup
• Whether the lookup succeeded, failed, was blocked, or reached a quota limit

SpecMate does not continuously monitor your browsing activity. Part lookup occurs when you intentionally trigger the extension, such as by highlighting a part number and using the SpecMate lookup action.

If you save parts to your BOM or use search history features, SpecMate may store:

• Saved part numbers
• Manufacturer names
• Supplier or distributor names
• Stock, pricing, datasheet, and description information
• Quantity, estimated cost, alerts, and export activity
• Search history and recent lookup activity

BOM data and search history are stored in the user's Chrome browser storage unless a future version clearly states otherwise.

If you purchase a paid plan, payment processing may be handled by a third-party payment provider such as Stripe. SpecMate does not store full credit card numbers. The payment provider may collect and process payment details according to its own privacy policy.

SpecMate may collect limited technical and usage analytics to operate, secure, troubleshoot, and improve the extension. These analytics may include:

• Extension version and distribution mode
• Browser or client type
• General usage events
• Lookup started, succeeded, failed, blocked, and cache-hit events
• Result-count buckets, such as zero results, one result, or two to three results
• Stock availability buckets, such as no stock, low stock, or higher stock
• Membership or pilot tier
• Feature usage events, such as saved parts, BOM refreshes, exports, distributor-result clicks, and pilot access requests
• API usage counts
• Error logs
• Performance and reliability data, such as lookup latency
• A pseudonymous user identifier generated with a server-side hash

SpecMate usage analytics are designed not to collect:

• Raw part numbers
• Raw selected text or search terms
• Webpage URLs or browsing history
• Purchase URLs
• Datasheet URLs
• User email addresses in KPI analytics events
• Payment card information

SpecMate uses collected information to:

• Provide part lookup results
• Display stock, supplier, distributor, pricing, datasheet, and product information
• Save and manage BOMs
• Track monthly search limits and membership access
• Support pilot users and paid users
• Enable exports and saved search history
• Send account verification or pilot access emails when applicable
• Improve product reliability, performance, and user experience
• Measure feature usefulness and plan product improvements
• Prevent misuse, abuse, or unauthorized access
• Respond to support requests

SpecMate does not sell personal information.

SpecMate does not use Chrome extension data or usage analytics for unrelated advertising or personalized advertising.

SpecMate uses Chrome extension permissions only to provide its user-facing functionality.

These permissions may allow SpecMate to:

• Add a right-click/context-menu lookup option
• Read the part number or selected text that the user intentionally submits for lookup
• Display lookup results in an extension overlay or popup
• Communicate securely with SpecMate backend services
• Save user preferences, BOM data, search history, and account-related settings

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

Google's policy limits extension data use to providing or improving the extension's single purpose, and limits transfer of user data except when necessary to provide or improve the extension, comply with law, maintain security, or complete a business transaction.

SpecMate does not use Chrome extension data for unrelated advertising, does not sell Chrome extension user data, and does not allow humans to read user data except where necessary for support, security, legal compliance, or service operation.

SpecMate may use third-party services to operate the product, including:

• Cloud hosting providers
• Parts data/API providers
• Supplier or distributor websites
• Payment processors
• Email delivery providers
• Analytics, logging, or error-monitoring tools

SpecMate may send a part number or related lookup request to parts-data providers in order to return supplier, distributor, pricing, stock, datasheet, or product information.

SpecMate may use Google Cloud services to host backend APIs and store operational logs, including limited usage analytics when enabled.

SpecMate may use Resend or a similar email provider to send verification, account, support, or pilot access emails.

When you click a supplier, distributor, datasheet, or purchase link, you may be taken to a third-party website. SpecMate is not responsible for the privacy practices of those third-party websites.

SpecMate may share limited information only when necessary to:

• Provide part lookup and BOM functionality
• Process payments
• Authenticate users
• Send account, verification, support, or pilot access emails
• Host and secure the service
• Analyze product performance and errors
• Comply with legal obligations
• Prevent fraud, abuse, or security threats
• Complete a merger, acquisition, financing, partnership, or sale of assets

SpecMate does not sell personal information to advertisers or data brokers.

SpecMate uses reasonable technical and organizational safeguards to protect user information. This may include secure transmission, access controls, authentication, and cloud infrastructure security practices.

Some SpecMate data is stored locally in Chrome browser storage, including saved BOM data, local search history, account cache data, and local KPI counters. Users can remove local extension data by using extension controls where available, clearing Chrome extension storage, or uninstalling the extension.

Fleet KPI events, when enabled, may be stored in Google Cloud logs. Access is limited to the owner/operator of SpecMate and authorized infrastructure administrators.

No system can be guaranteed 100% secure, but SpecMate is designed to limit data collection and protect user information appropriately.

SpecMate retains user information only as long as reasonably necessary to provide the service, support users, maintain business records, comply with legal obligations, prevent abuse, and improve product functionality.

Local BOM, search history, and local KPI data remain in the user's browser storage until deleted by the user, cleared by browser controls, reset by SpecMate controls, or removed by uninstalling the extension.

Cloud logs and backend records are retained according to SpecMate's operational needs and the retention settings of its service providers.

Users may request deletion of their account or stored data by contacting:

support@thespecmate.com

Users may:

• Stop using or uninstall the extension at any time
• Delete saved BOM items within the product
• Clear local browser/extension data through Chrome
• Request account deletion
• Request access to or correction of account information
• Contact support with privacy questions

To request deletion or access, email:

support@thespecmate.com

SpecMate is not intended for children under 13. SpecMate does not knowingly collect personal information from children under 13.

SpecMate may update this Privacy Policy from time to time. If changes are made, the updated policy will be posted at:

https://thespecmate.com/privacy

The “Effective Date” will be updated when the policy changes.

For questions about this Privacy Policy or SpecMate's data practices, contact:

support@thespecmate.com