Quick summary — what you actually need to know

If you only use the calculators, PDF tools, image tools, QR generator (text/URL input), or any browser-based tool — nothing leaves your device. Full stop.

How the tools actually handle your data

Understanding this section helps you decide what's safe to run through which tool. The distinction between browser-based tools and server-side tools is real and meaningful — especially if you're processing sensitive documents.

Browser-based tools — your data stays on your device

The following tools do all their processing using JavaScript and WebAssembly running directly in your browser tab. When you upload a file, it's read into your browser's memory. The processing happens on your own device. The result is generated locally and offered to you as a download. At no point is your file sent over the internet to any server.

• All PDF tools — merge, split, compress, convert, OCR, rotate, add watermark
• All image tools — resize, compress, convert, crop
• QR Code Generator (text and URL input modes) and QR Scanner
• File Converter
• Age Calculator, Interest Calculator, Time Calculator, Unit Converter and all other calculators

Closing or refreshing the tab clears everything. There's nothing stored anywhere because nothing was ever sent anywhere.

URL Shortener — server storage is how it works

When you create a short link, the original URL and its generated short code are stored in our database. This isn't optional — it's how redirects work. When someone clicks the short link, their browser asks our server where to redirect them, and the server looks up the answer. Without storing that mapping, the redirect can't happen.

• The URL you submit is stored on our servers alongside its short code
• We don't associate your URL with any account, email address, or IP address
• Short links may be retained indefinitely to keep them functional
• If you want a link removed, email us at contact@21k.tools
• Don't shorten URLs that contain private or sensitive information in the URL string itself

QR Code Generator — file upload mode

The QR code generator has a mode that lets you generate a QR code linking directly to a file (a PDF, image, etc.). For that to work, the file needs to be publicly accessible via a URL — which means it needs to be hosted somewhere. We use Cloudinary, a third-party cloud media platform, for this.

• Uploaded files are stored on Cloudinary's servers and become publicly accessible via the generated URL
• Anyone with the QR code or its URL can access the file — that's the point of this feature
• We don't link the upload to any personal identity
• Don't upload files containing sensitive, private, or confidential information through this feature
• Cloudinary's own privacy practices apply to stored files: cloudinary.com/privacy

Analytics — how we understand site usage without tracking individuals

We use Google Analytics to understand which tools are being used, how people navigate the site, and where things might be confusing. This helps prioritise what to improve and what to build next.

Google Analytics collects anonymised and aggregated data: which pages were visited, roughly where in the world visitors are (country/city level, not precise location), what type of browser and device was used, and how long was spent on each page. IP anonymisation is enabled, so full IP addresses are not stored by Google Analytics. This data is never tied to a personal identity.

If you want to opt out of Google Analytics tracking entirely, the Google Analytics Opt-out Browser Add-on works across all sites. Google processes analytics data under its own Privacy Policy.

Cookies

We use two types of cookies. Essential cookies handle basic session functionality — they're deleted when you close your browser and are not used for tracking. Google Analytics sets cookies (_ga, _gid) for the anonymised tracking described above. We have no advertising cookies, social media tracking cookies, or any other third-party cookies beyond these.

What we don't do — being explicit about it

These aren't just legal disclaimers. They describe actual choices made in how this site is built.

• We don't collect your name, email address, or any personal identifier for tool usage
• We don't track or log IP addresses for user profiling
• We don't use tracking pixels, fingerprinting, or behavioural profiling
• We don't sell data to anyone
• We don't share data with third parties for advertising purposes
• We don't require account creation or login for any tool
• We don't store the files you process through browser-based tools — they never reach our servers

Your rights and how to exercise them

For the browser-based tools — the majority of the site — we hold no data linked to you, so there's nothing to access, correct, or delete. For the two server-side features:

• URL Shortener: If you know your short link and want it removed, email us and we'll delete it
• QR Code file upload: Files are on Cloudinary — contact us and we'll request deletion
• Contact queries: Email correspondence can be deleted on request at any time

For any privacy-related request, contact us at contact@21k.tools or through the Help Center. We take these seriously and respond promptly.

If you contact us

If you email us at contact@21k.tools or use the Help Center form, we'll receive and store your message to respond to you. That's the only purpose it's used for — it's not shared with anyone else.

Advertising — currently none, future plans

There are no ads on 21K Tools right now. The site is completely ad-free. We may add Google AdSense in the future to help keep everything free. If that happens, this policy will be updated clearly before any ads go live — you'll see the change here with an updated date.

Children's privacy

21K Tools is not directed at children under 13. We don't knowingly collect information from children. If you believe a child has submitted personal information to us, contact us at contact@21k.tools and we'll address it promptly.

Changes to this policy

If something material changes about how data is handled — like if we add advertising, or introduce a new feature that involves server-side processing — we'll update this page and change the "Last Updated" date at the top. For significant changes, we'll also post a notice on the site.

Questions

If something in this policy is unclear, or if you have a question that isn't answered here, email us at contact@21k.tools. We respond to everything.

We built 21K Tools because we were frustrated by tracking-heavy, ad-stuffed online tools. This policy reflects how the site actually works — not how we wish it worked.

Last Updated: March 19, 2026