Privacy Policy

Last updated: May 18, 2026

HSK Manga (“the Service”, “we”, “us”) is a small, independently run educational tool that rewrites manhua and webtoon dialogue into simpler Chinese for language learners. This page explains what information the Service handles and why. We have tried to keep both the Service and this policy minimal: there is no signup, using the free trial is anonymous, and we never collect a password. The only personal detail involved is an email address — and only when you buy credits.

Information we handle

Anonymous browser ID. On your first visit we store a random identifier (a UUID) in a cookie called browser_id. It is not linked to your name or any account — it exists only to count how many free trial chapters you have used.

IP address. Your IP address is used to enforce rate limits (how many chapters can be submitted in a given time window) and as a secondary check on free-trial usage, to limit abuse. IP-linked counts are stored on our server.

Chapter URLs you submit. When you submit a webtoon URL, we fetch the chapter images at that URL and process them. The URL and the resulting reader are stored on our server so the chapter can be re-opened and briefly cached.

Payment information. Purchases are processed entirely by Stripe. We never receive or store your card number. After your first purchase, Stripe issues a customer identifier, which we store in a cookie (stripe_customer_id) and use to track your credit balance. Stripe's handling of your payment data is governed by Stripe's own privacy policy.

Email address (buyers only). When you buy credits, Stripe Checkout collects an email address. We store that email and link it to your credit balance so you can recover your credits later if you clear your cookies or switch devices. We do not store an email for visitors who only use the free trial, and we never store a password — restoring credits uses a one-time code emailed to you. See “Syncing your credits” below.

Server logs. Like most websites, our server keeps basic technical logs (timestamps, error messages, and similar) for debugging and reliability.

Information we do not collect

• No names, phone numbers, or passwords. An email address is stored only if you buy credits, as described above; there is never a password — credit recovery uses a one-time emailed code.
• No signup, and no email or login for free-trial use — the free trial is fully anonymous.
• No advertising or cross-site tracking. We do not use analytics or advertising cookies, and we do not sell or share data with advertisers.

Cookies

The Service uses only a small number of strictly functional cookies:

• browser_id — anonymous free-trial counter.
• stripe_customer_id — links your browser to your purchased credit balance.
• Cloudflare, which protects the Service from bots and abuse, may set its own cookies.

Your theme preference and other local settings (saved flashcards, recent chapters) are kept in your browser's local storage and are never sent to us. Clearing your cookies will reset free-trial tracking and disconnect your browser from any purchased credits — see “Your choices” below.

Third parties

To operate, the Service shares limited data with:

• Stripe — payment processing.
• Cloudflare — bot protection and content delivery.
• Google (Gemini) and Fireworks AI — the text extracted from the chapter images you submit is sent to these AI providers to be translated and simplified. Only the extracted dialogue text is sent.
• Resend — our email provider. When you sync your credits, your email address and a one-time verification code are sent through Resend to deliver that code.

We do not share your data with anyone for advertising or marketing.

Data retention

• Processed chapters and their readers are kept temporarily and may be deleted at any time as server space is reclaimed.
• Free-trial counts, purchased-credit balances, and the email linked to a paid balance are kept for as long as the Service operates, so your credits stay available and recoverable.
• Server logs are kept only as long as they are useful for debugging.

Your choices

• You can clear your cookies at any time through your browser. Clearing stripe_customer_id unlinks this browser from your purchased credits, but the credits themselves are never deleted — you can sync them to any device at any time (see below).
• For free-trial use we hold nothing that identifies you, so there is usually nothing to link to a specific person. If you have bought credits and want the email tied to your balance removed, email us — note that this disables credit recovery for that balance.

Syncing your credits

If you buy credits and later clear your cookies or switch to a different device, you can sync your balance to that device by entering the email you used at checkout. We send a one-time 6-digit code to that email; entering it links that browser to your credits. There is no password. Your credits are never lost — syncing simply connects a browser to a balance that already exists on our server.

Younger learners

HSK Manga is an educational tool, and learners of all ages are welcome to use it. It is a general-audience service and is not specifically directed at children under 13. Free use of the Service is anonymous — it collects only an anonymous ID and an IP address, used to prevent abuse, and never a name or password. We encourage a parent or guardian to be involved in a younger child's use of the internet. The only step that involves an email address is buying credits, which a parent or guardian should make or approve.

Changes to this policy

We may update this policy as the Service changes. The “last updated” date above will always reflect the current version.

Contact

Questions about privacy: [email protected]