Privacy Policy

Effective date: October 20, 2026 · Chrome extension version 0.3.0

Purpose and local processing

URL Loupe highlights non-ASCII and visually similar hostname characters. The extension processes the current tab URL when you open its toolbar popup, URLs you type or paste into the popup or the “host” omnibox mode, and the destination of a webpage link when you hover or focus it. Processing takes place locally in your browser. Hostname extraction may temporarily handle a full URL in memory, including any credentials, path or query you supplied; those components are not included in the hostname result. Omnibox review pages receive only the extracted hostname.

Data collection, storage and sharing

The extension does not transmit browsing URLs, link destinations, page contents, credentials or inspection results to the developer or any third party. It has no account, analytics, advertising, tracking or extension data storage. It does not scan or store browsing history, read form fields, or collect page text. It listens for link hover and focus events rather than crawling all links. Temporary inspection state is replaced when another URL is checked or the extension context closes. There is no server-side extension dataset to retain or delete.

Permissions and code

“activeTab” allows reading the active page URL after you click the extension icon. Content scripts on HTTP(S) pages inspect hovered or focused link destinations and display a local overlay. The “host” keyword enables opt-in address-bar inspection. The extension does not replace links, intercept clicks, block navigation or visit an inspected URL. All JavaScript, Punycode code and Unicode mappings are bundled in the extension; no remotely hosted code is loaded.

External links and website hosting

Opening the privacy policy, support page or source repository is an ordinary browser navigation you initiate. Those websites and their hosting providers may process normal request metadata, such as IP address, time, requested page and browser information. The website at loupe.zhaidewei.com is hosted on Cloudflare. These visits are separate from the extension’s local URL inspections. If you voluntarily open a GitHub issue, the information you submit is handled by GitHub and may be public; do not include sensitive information.

Limited Use and changes

URL Loupe’s use of information received from Google APIs adheres to the Chrome Web Store User Data Policy, including the Limited Use requirements. Data accessed through Chrome APIs is used solely to provide the hostname inspection feature. Future changes to data practices will be reflected in this policy and the relevant store disclosures.

Contact

Maintainer: Dewei Zhai. Questions or requests: URL Loupe GitHub Issues. The extension’s local-only processing does not establish whether a website is safe.