The short version
FlowShot has no servers, no accounts and no analytics. Everything it records is stored in your own browser on your own device. The extension does not transmit your guides, screenshots, browsing activity or any personal information to us or to anyone else.
Because we never receive your data, we cannot read it, sell it, share it, or lose it. The rest of this policy describes what the extension does locally, so you can make informed decisions about what you capture and who you share your guides with.
What FlowShot stores on your device
FlowShot keeps the following in Chrome's extension storage on the computer where it is installed:
- Guides — the title, description, step order, step instructions and details you write or that FlowShot generates while recording.
- Screenshots — the images captured for each step, together with any highlight, arrow, blur or text annotations you add. The original, unblurred screenshot is kept so you can undo a blur.
- Trash — guides and steps you move to Trash, until you empty it or remove them individually.
- Preferences — small settings such as your last-used sort order or view.
You can see how much space FlowShot is using in the library sidebar ("on device"). Uninstalling the extension removes this storage; Chrome may also clear it if you clear site data for extensions.
If you choose to save a guide as a file (Standalone HTML, Print/PDF or a .flowshot.json backup), that file is written to the folder you pick. It is an ordinary file under your control and is not tracked by FlowShot beyond remembering where you saved it so it can offer "Show in folder" and "Save new copy".
What FlowShot does not do
- It does not create or require an account.
- It does not upload guides, screenshots or step data anywhere.
- It does not send usage analytics, crash reports or telemetry.
- It does not include third-party tracking, advertising or analytics code.
- It does not read your browsing history, bookmarks, cookies or passwords.
- It does not record tabs other than the one you started a capture in.
- It does not keep recording after you press Pause, Finish capture or Discard.
The extension makes no network requests of its own. The only remote resources involved are the Chrome Web Store, which delivers the extension and its updates, and any fonts loaded by the guide you export if you open it online.
What gets recorded
Recording only begins when you press Start capture and only covers the tab shown in the side panel. While recording, FlowShot captures:
- a screenshot of the visible part of the tab each time you click or finish typing in a field;
- the position and label of the element you interacted with, so it can draw a highlight and write a step such as "Click 'New project'";
- the page title and address, which appear in the guide's metadata.
Sensitive fields
Typing into password fields and payment-card fields is never captured. FlowShot records that a step happened at that point, but not the value you typed.
What you see is what is captured
A screenshot contains whatever was on the screen at that moment — including names, email addresses, figures or messages that happen to be visible. FlowShot reminds you to review screenshots before you share, and the annotation workspace includes a Blur tool for hiding anything you would rather not pass on. Exported HTML and PDF files contain only the blurred version; a .flowshot.json backup contains the unblurred originals so you can keep editing.
Browser permissions
Chrome asks you to grant the following permissions when you install FlowShot. Here is why each one is needed:
| Permission | Why FlowShot needs it |
|---|---|
| activeTab | To capture screenshots of, and detect clicks in, the tab you chose to record — and only while a capture is running. |
| sidePanel | To show the capture controls in Chrome's side panel. |
| scripting | To insert the small script that notices clicks and typing in the recorded tab so each action becomes a step. |
| storage / unlimitedStorage | To keep your guides and screenshots on your device. Screenshots are large, so the default quota is not enough for a library of guides. |
| downloads | To save exported HTML, PDF and backup files to a folder you choose. |
The exact list is shown on FlowShot's Chrome Web Store listing and in chrome://extensions. If a future version needs a new permission, Chrome will ask you before the update is applied and this page will be updated to explain it.
Exported files
Once you export a guide, the resulting file is yours. Anyone you send it to can open it without FlowShot and can see everything in it, including screenshots. Please check a guide in Preview before sharing and treat .flowshot.json backups as originals, since they include unblurred images.
Chrome Web Store
FlowShot is distributed through the Chrome Web Store. Google may collect information about installs, updates and ratings under its own terms and privacy policy; we receive only aggregate, non-identifying statistics from the Web Store developer dashboard.
Changes to this policy
If we change how FlowShot handles data, we will update this page, change the "Last updated" date above and note the change in the changelog. Because the extension does not contact our servers, we cannot notify you inside the extension — the changelog is the place to look.