GradeNeeded
Privacy Policy
Privacy information for GradeNeeded, covering calculator use, planner cloud data, AI features, push notifications, email communications, social features, and third-party services.
Public tools and browser-saved planner data
You can use GradeNeeded's public calculators without creating an account. Calculator inputs are used to show results in your browser and are not stored on GradeNeeded servers. When you are signed out, planner information such as classes, assignments, grades, notes, due dates, and statuses is saved locally in your browser storage on that device only.
Email capture forms
On calculator pages and the Guides hub, visitors may optionally submit their email address to receive a one-time welcome email or be notified when new guides are published. If you submit an email, it is stored in GradeNeeded's database (Supabase) as an email lead, and a one-time confirmation email is sent through Resend. This email address is never sold or shared with third parties. You will not receive further marketing emails unless you create an account and opt in to marketing communications. If you have previously opted out of GradeNeeded emails, submitting your email through these forms will not result in any email being sent.
Google Sign-In and Google user data
If you choose to create or access a GradeNeeded account using Google Sign-In, GradeNeeded may access basic Google account information provided through the sign-in process, including your Google account email address, name, profile image if available, Google account identifier, and authentication/session information needed to sign you in. GradeNeeded uses this Google user data only to authenticate you, create and manage your GradeNeeded account, maintain your login session, display basic account/profile information, and connect your account to saved GradeNeeded data such as planner items, classes, assignments, study sets, settings, subscription status, and other account-linked app features. GradeNeeded does not access your Google Drive, Gmail, Google Calendar, Google Classroom, contacts, files, or other Google account content unless a separate feature clearly requests that permission and you authorize it. Google Sign-In data may be processed by Clerk, our authentication provider, and may be stored with account-linked records in Supabase as needed to operate your account and provide the app. GradeNeeded does not sell Google user data and does not use Google user data for advertising, credit decisions, or any unrelated purpose. GradeNeeded's use and transfer of information received from Google APIs adheres to the Google API Services User Data Policy, including the Limited Use requirements. You may request deletion of account-linked Google user data by contacting support@gradeneeded.com. Account and authentication data may also be managed through the account tools provided by Clerk.
Accounts
GradeNeeded uses Clerk to provide account creation, sign-in, session management, and related authentication services. If you create or use an account, Clerk may process information needed for authentication, such as your email address, login method, account identifiers, and session information. GradeNeeded does not store your password.
Age and minors
GradeNeeded is intended for users aged 13 and older. GradeNeeded does not knowingly collect personal information from children under the age of 13. If GradeNeeded learns that a user under 13 has created an account, that account and its associated data will be deleted as promptly as reasonably possible. Users between the ages of 13 and 17 may use GradeNeeded with the awareness of a parent or guardian. Parents or guardians of minor users are encouraged to review GradeNeeded's privacy practices and the profile information their child chooses to make publicly visible. If you believe a child under 13 has created a GradeNeeded account, please contact support@gradeneeded.com. GradeNeeded does not direct advertising to users it knows to be under 13, and does not knowingly share information about users under 13 with advertising partners. Users known to be under 18 are not subject to personalized advertising on GradeNeeded.
High school student privacy
GradeNeeded applies additional protections for users who identify as high school students. High school students' school name is not shown to the general public — it is visible only to accepted friends and to the student themselves. Public viewers of a high school student's profile see only their chosen first name, username, avatar, earned achievements, and momentum statistics. Grades, planner details, notes, class schedules, and assignment information are never publicly visible for any user. High school students and their parents are strongly encouraged to: (1) choose a username that does not include their real last name, birth year, or other identifying details; (2) not include their last name, home address, phone number, or other personally identifying information in their profile, feed posts, or Geno AI messages; (3) use a display name (first name) that does not fully identify them to strangers. GradeNeeded cannot prevent a user from voluntarily sharing identifying information in feed posts or messages, and is not responsible for information the user chooses to share beyond what is described above. Parents are encouraged to review what their child shares on the platform and to contact support@gradeneeded.com with any concerns.
Canvas LMS integration
GradeNeeded offers an optional Canvas LMS integration (Settings → Integrations) that allows students to connect their Canvas account using a Canvas personal access token. When connected, GradeNeeded reads your Canvas course list and assignment data to auto-import items into your planner. GradeNeeded never writes data back to Canvas and does not access Canvas messages, grades, submission content, or any other Canvas data beyond course and assignment metadata needed for planner import. Your Canvas access token is stored server-side only and is never returned to the client or exposed in API responses. You can disconnect the Canvas integration and delete the stored token at any time from Settings → Integrations. GradeNeeded is not affiliated with or endorsed by Instructure or Canvas LMS.
Community study sets
GradeNeeded includes a community study set library at /study/community. When you publish a study set to the community, its title, subject, and card content become publicly visible to all GradeNeeded users. Other users may copy a published deck to their own library. You can unpublish a community study set at any time from your study library — removing it from public view. GradeNeeded does not guarantee immediate removal from all caches. Community content must comply with the Acceptable Use Policy. GradeNeeded may remove community study sets that violate content policies.
Cloud data for signed-in users
For signed-in users, GradeNeeded stores important product data in Supabase, including planner information such as classes, assignments, due dates, statuses, grades, and notes; study sets and progress; community study set publications; profile data including first name, school, education level, degree type, and field of study; settings; semester schedules; degree progress records; achievement and streak data; friend connections and social activity; notification records; and browser push notification subscription data (push endpoint URL, encryption keys). GradeNeeded also stores an HMAC-signed calendar feed token for each user, used to generate a private iCal subscription URL that exposes only due dates — no grades, notes, or personal information. This cloud storage allows your data to be available across devices and sessions.
Push notifications
GradeNeeded supports optional browser push notifications. If you enable push notifications in Settings, your browser generates a push subscription — a unique endpoint URL and encryption keys provided by your browser vendor (such as Google or Mozilla). GradeNeeded stores this subscription data in Supabase to deliver due-date reminder push notifications. Push notifications are sent only for assignments due tomorrow, matching the same schedule as the email reminder feature. You can revoke push notification access at any time by disabling the toggle in Settings or by updating your browser's notification permissions. Expired or revoked subscriptions are automatically removed from GradeNeeded's database.
Social and community features
GradeNeeded includes optional social features including a public profile, a student feed for sharing academic wins, and friend connections. For users at the college, graduate, and doctoral level, the public profile displays first name, username, school, education level, degree type or field of study (if provided), avatar, and earned achievements. For high school students, the school name is not shown to the public or to non-friends — only accepted friends can see a high school student's school. Class schedule and workload details are only shared with accepted friends, subject to privacy settings. Feed posts you create are visible to other users based on your privacy settings. You can control what is shared through your profile and community settings at any time. GradeNeeded stores social profile data, feed activity, friend connections, and notification records in Supabase. You may edit your public profile information or delete feed posts at any time from your profile settings. Removing information from your profile removes it from public view, though it may remain in GradeNeeded's systems for a brief period before being fully purged.
Payments and subscriptions
GradeNeeded offers optional paid subscriptions (Premium and Ultra) processed through Stripe. When you subscribe, Stripe processes your payment information directly. GradeNeeded stores your subscription status, tier, Stripe customer identifier, and related subscription metadata in Supabase to manage your account entitlements. GradeNeeded does not store full payment card details.
Advertising
GradeNeeded may display advertisements on public pages through Google AdSense. Ads are not shown to Premium or Ultra subscribers. GradeNeeded does not display personalized advertising to users it knows to be under 18. Google AdSense uses cookies to serve ads based on your prior visits to GradeNeeded and other websites only if advertising consent is enabled. Under some privacy laws, this type of advertising activity may be considered sharing personal information for cross-context behavioral advertising. You can opt out by declining cookies, using the Your Privacy Choices page, enabling a supported Global Privacy Control signal, visiting Google's Ad Settings, or using the Google Analytics Opt-out Browser Add-on. The AdSense script and ad slots are loaded only after optional cookies are accepted, ads are enabled, and you are on the free tier.
Data retention
GradeNeeded retains account and cloud data for as long as your account is active. If you request deletion of your account or specific data, GradeNeeded will process the request within a reasonable time — generally within 30 days — subject to any legal obligations that require longer retention. AI usage event records (used to enforce daily message limits) are retained for up to 90 days. Email lead records (from calculator opt-in forms) are retained until you request deletion or unsubscribe. Anonymized or aggregated analytics data that cannot be used to identify you may be retained indefinitely for product improvement.
Security
GradeNeeded uses reasonable technical and organizational measures to protect data stored in Supabase, including row-level security policies, HTTPS for all data in transit, and access controls that limit database access to authorized services. Authentication is managed by Clerk, which applies its own security standards to account and session data. No method of transmission or storage is 100% secure, and GradeNeeded cannot guarantee the absolute security of your data. In the event of a data breach that affects your personal information, GradeNeeded will notify affected users as required by applicable law.
Third-party services
GradeNeeded uses third-party services to operate, including Clerk for authentication, Supabase for cloud data storage, Stripe for payment processing, Vercel for hosting, Google Analytics and PostHog for analytics when consent is enabled, Crisp for support chat when configured and optional cookies are accepted, Google AdSense for advertising when consent is enabled, Resend for transactional emails, Google Gemini or OpenAI models for Geno AI features, and browser push infrastructure (Google FCM, Mozilla Push Service, or equivalent) for push notification delivery. These services may process data as needed to provide their functions. Each service operates under its own privacy policy. GradeNeeded is not responsible for the privacy practices of third-party services.
Email communications
GradeNeeded may send transactional emails to your account email address for events such as account creation, subscription changes, payment issues, and product announcements. GradeNeeded also sends optional daily reminder emails listing assignments due the next day — you can toggle these on or off in Settings under Email Preferences. If you submitted your email through a calculator page or the Guides hub before signing up, you received a one-time welcome email at the time of submission; no further emails are sent unless you create an account. These emails are sent through Resend using your verified domain. You can opt out of non-essential broadcast emails using the unsubscribe link in any email, or by contacting support@gradeneeded.com. Transactional emails (billing, security) cannot be unsubscribed from as they are required for account management.
Contact information
If you submit a contact form, GradeNeeded may collect the name, email address, and message content you provide. This information is used to respond to your message and is not sold or shared with third parties.
Cookies and local storage
GradeNeeded uses cookies and browser storage for essential functions and, with your consent, for analytics, advertising, and optional support chat. Authentication cookies set by Clerk are required for account sign-in and session management. GradeNeeded implements Google Consent Mode v2 — analytics data collection is denied by default and only enabled after you explicitly accept via the consent banner on your first visit. GradeNeeded also registers a service worker in your browser to support push notifications and faster page loads — this service worker does not collect personal data. When accepted, Google Analytics 4 associates your visit activity with a device identifier. Advertising cookies from Google AdSense may be set on public pages for free-tier users when ads are active. Your consent choice is stored in your browser. See the Cookie Policy for full details.
Analytics
GradeNeeded uses Google Analytics 4 (GA4) to understand site usage and improve the product. GradeNeeded implements Google Consent Mode v2, which sets analytics data collection to denied by default. Analytics data is only collected and associated with your device after you explicitly accept analytics cookies through the consent banner. When accepted, GA4 collects and associates with a device identifier: pages visited, time on site, general geographic region (country/city level, derived from IP), device type, and referral source. GradeNeeded does not send personally identifiable information such as your name, email, or account ID to Google Analytics. Analytics data is used solely to improve the product and is not sold.
California privacy rights (CCPA)
If you are a California resident, you may have rights under the CCPA/CPRA, including the right to know/access the categories and specific pieces of personal information GradeNeeded has collected about you, the right to request deletion, the right to correct inaccurate personal information, the right to opt out of sale or sharing of personal information, the right to limit use or disclosure of sensitive personal information where applicable, and the right not to be discriminated against for exercising privacy rights. GradeNeeded does not sell personal information for money. GradeNeeded treats advertising and analytics identifiers as opt-in only; you can decline cookies, use the Your Privacy Choices page, or send a supported Global Privacy Control signal to opt out of sale/sharing where applicable. To exercise California privacy rights, contact support@gradeneeded.com or use in-product deletion controls in Settings. GradeNeeded may need to verify your request and may honor requests submitted by an authorized agent when legally required.
Other U.S. state privacy rights
Residents of other U.S. states may have similar privacy rights depending on where they live, including rights to access, correct, delete, obtain a portable copy of personal information, opt out of targeted advertising or certain profiling, and appeal a denied privacy request. GradeNeeded will honor applicable state privacy requests when legally required and will use support@gradeneeded.com as the primary request channel unless an in-product control is available.
International users and data transfers
GradeNeeded is operated from the United States. If you access GradeNeeded from outside the United States, your data may be transferred to, stored, and processed in the United States or other countries where GradeNeeded's service providers operate. By using GradeNeeded, you understand that you are asking GradeNeeded to provide a US-operated service and that your information may be transferred to the United States, where privacy laws may differ from those in your country. Where GDPR or similar laws apply, GradeNeeded relies on appropriate lawful bases for processing, such as providing the service you requested, consent for optional analytics/advertising cookies, legitimate interests in security and service improvement, and compliance with legal obligations. International users may contact support@gradeneeded.com to request access, correction, deletion, objection, restriction, portability, or withdrawal of consent where those rights apply. If you do not want your data processed in the United States, do not create an account or submit personal information.
Sensitive information
Do not submit sensitive personal information, official student records, private school portal credentials, passwords, student ID numbers, medical information, financial information, Social Security numbers, or confidential information through the site, planner notes, waitlist form, contact form, Geno AI messages, feed posts, or email. GradeNeeded is meant for ordinary schoolwork planning and academic organization. GradeNeeded data is not protected by FERPA. Do not enter information into GradeNeeded that you believe is protected by FERPA or any other educational records privacy law.
What high school students should never share
High school students should not include the following in their username, profile, feed posts, or Geno AI messages: full legal name (last name), home address or neighborhood, phone number, personal email address, social media handles that link to their real identity, specific daily schedule or routine, school ID numbers, or any other information that could be used to identify or locate them in the physical world. GradeNeeded's automatic privacy protections (such as hiding school names from public profiles) are technical safeguards, but they are not a substitute for good personal online safety practices. Students should treat their GradeNeeded profile as a public-facing academic identity and share only what they are comfortable with any internet user seeing. If you are a parent or guardian and have concerns about what your child has shared, contact support@gradeneeded.com and we will work with you to address it.
Data choices and deletion requests
You can delete browser-saved planner data by clearing your browser storage or manually removing planner items. You can delete feed posts, study sets, uploads, and social content from within the app. Push notification subscriptions can be removed in Settings or through your browser's notification settings. Signed-in users can delete their full account and associated cloud data from Settings, or request deletion by contacting support@gradeneeded.com. Account and authentication data may also be managed through the account tools provided by Clerk. GradeNeeded will process verified full deletion requests within 30 days unless a shorter period is required by law, subject to limited retention for security, fraud prevention, billing, legal compliance, backups, or records that are already anonymized or aggregated.
AI features and Geno
GradeNeeded uses Geno, an AI-powered study assistant. When you use Geno, your messages and relevant context (such as school and education level) are sent to an AI provider (Google Gemini or OpenAI) to generate responses. GradeNeeded records AI usage events (task type, tier, model, date, token estimates) in Supabase to enforce usage limits and to calculate streak-based bonus message allocations. Free users who maintain study streaks earn bonus daily Geno messages (up to +20/day at a 30-day streak) — streak data is stored in Supabase. Message content is not permanently stored by GradeNeeded. GradeNeeded does not use your Geno conversation content to train AI models. AI providers (Google, OpenAI) may have their own data retention and processing policies — GradeNeeded sends only the minimum context needed to generate a response. See each provider's privacy policy for details on how they handle API request data. Do not send sensitive personal information, passwords, private school records, student ID numbers, or confidential data through Geno.
Uploaded documents and files
Premium and Ultra subscribers may upload PDFs and PowerPoint files to GradeNeeded for AI-assisted study features. Uploaded files are sent to an AI provider (Google Gemini or OpenAI) for processing and are stored in Supabase-backed cloud storage associated with your account. Uploaded files are retained for as long as your account is active or until you delete them from the app. GradeNeeded does not use your uploaded file content to train AI models. Do not upload files containing passwords, student ID numbers, Social Security numbers, official school records protected by FERPA, personally identifying information about third parties, copyrighted textbooks you do not have the right to process, or other content you are not authorized to share. You can delete uploaded files at any time from the study uploads section of the app. File content is not publicly visible and is accessible only to your account and the AI processing pipeline.
Automated decisions and profiling
GradeNeeded does not use AI, analytics, or advertising systems to make legal, credit, employment, admissions, housing, insurance, financial aid, or similarly significant decisions about users. Geno responses, forecasts, recommendations, reminders, and progress views are informational planning outputs only and should be checked against official school sources.
Policy updates
This privacy policy may be updated as GradeNeeded adds or changes features. Significant changes will be reflected in this document. Continued use of GradeNeeded after a policy update constitutes acceptance of the updated policy. Last updated: May 25, 2026.