Privacy Policy
Effective date: 31 May 2026. Last updated: 31 May 2026.
BeginThings ("we", "us", "our") operates beginthings.com and the products listed on it. This policy explains what we collect, how we use it, your rights, and how to contact us. Because BeginThings offers five distinct categories of products, the data we handle differs by category. The table below shows the scope honestly so you know what to expect before you start.
1. The 5 product categories and what each one collects
| Category | Examples | What is collected |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Free Tools | QR Creator, Invoice Generator, UPI QR, the /free-tools/ catalog | Nothing personal. Anonymous Google Analytics 4 page-view counts only if you accept analytics cookies. No login, no signup, no email collection. |
| 2. Free + Optional Google Sign-In | Workspace 3D, future collaborative tools | If you choose to sign in: your Google profile (name, email, profile picture) returned by Google Identity Services. Workspace content stays in your browser's localStorage unless a future server-sync feature is opted into. |
| 3. Free Trial then Paid | FormulaMapper, future premium utilities | An anonymous machine fingerprint that powers the 15-day offline trial clock. No personal data leaves your device during the trial. If you purchase a license key, only the order email captured by the payment processor is shared with us. |
| 4. Paid Digital Products | Templates, toolkits, workbooks, guides on /shop.html | Order details from the payment processor (Razorpay or PayPal): email, transaction ID, amount, country of issuance. We never see your card or bank information. |
| 5. Paid Services | Audits, conversion sprints, custom dev | The contact details and project information you provide directly via email or the lead-capture form. Used only to deliver the engagement. |
2. Information you provide directly
- Email address, if you subscribe to our newsletter, fill out a lead-capture form, or contact us at sourav@beginthings.com.
- Google account profile (name, email, profile picture) if you sign in to Workspace 3D or any future Cat 2 product. Provided by Google after you authenticate. We do not request additional Google scopes such as Drive, Calendar, or Gmail.
- Order details from your payment processor if you purchase any Cat 3, 4, or 5 product.
- Project details if you engage a Cat 5 service. Treated as confidential between you and BeginThings.
3. Information collected automatically
- Google Analytics 4 (measurement ID G-7PBJMQL1LZ): page views, referrer, approximate location (city level), device type, browser, anonymized IP. Disabled by default until you accept the cookie banner.
- Standard server logs from our host (Hostinger): request URLs, timestamps, IP address, user agent. Retained for hosting and security purposes.
- Google AdSense (publisher ca-pub-8427756296560869), where enabled, may set advertising cookies after you consent. See Google's ads policy.
4. Information that stays only on your device
- Workspace 3D stores your created 3D spaces, sticky notes, sketches, and uploaded files entirely in your browser's localStorage. We do not transmit, copy, or back up this data. Clearing browser data will erase it. You can export work as a .3dwb file at any time.
- Free tools (PDF utilities, image converters, calculators, etc.) run entirely in your browser. Files you process never leave your device.
- FormulaMapper trial state lives in your Excel registry and a local file under your AppData folder. Nothing is transmitted during the trial.
5. How we use information
- To operate and improve beginthings.com and the products listed on it.
- To send emails you have requested, including newsletter updates and order confirmations.
- To respond to messages you send to sourav@beginthings.com.
- To analyze aggregate traffic patterns via Google Analytics.
- To show advertising where AdSense is enabled and you have consented.
- To fulfill purchases and provide customer support.
- To deliver Cat 5 services you have specifically engaged us for.
6. Third-party services we use
- Google Analytics 4 for traffic analytics. Google Privacy Policy.
- Google Identity Services for optional sign-in on Cat 2 products. Only basic profile scopes are requested.
- Google AdSense for display advertising on selected pages.
- Hostinger for web hosting.
- Razorpay for payment processing on Cat 3, 4, 5 purchases (UPI, cards, netbanking, wallets).
- PayPal for international card processing on Cat 3, 4, 5 purchases.
- Web3Forms as a lead-capture relay for the contact and audit-request forms. Does not place cookies on you.
- Cloudflare, cdnjs, Google Fonts, Bootstrap CDN for public asset delivery. May receive your IP as part of normal HTTP requests.
7. Cookies
We use three cookie categories: essential (theme preference, consent state), analytics (Google Analytics), advertising (Google AdSense). Analytics and advertising are disabled by default until you accept the cookie banner. Full breakdown on the Cookie Policy page.
8. Your rights
If you are in the EU, EEA, UK, India, California, or other regions with data-protection laws, you have the right to:
- Access the personal data we hold about you.
- Correct inaccurate data.
- Request deletion of your data.
- Object to or restrict certain processing.
- Withdraw consent for analytics or advertising at any time.
- Lodge a complaint with your local data-protection authority.
To exercise any of these rights email sourav@beginthings.com. We respond within 30 days.
India residents (DPDPA, 2023)
You additionally have the right to nominate another person to exercise rights on your behalf, grievance redressal within 30 days, and consent withdrawal at any time without affecting prior processing. Send DPDPA requests to sourav@beginthings.com with the subject line "DPDPA request".
California residents (CCPA / CPRA)
You have the right to know, delete, correct, limit use of, and opt out of any "sale" or "sharing" of your personal information for cross-context behavioral advertising. We do not sell personal information traditionally. When you accept cookies and we run paid campaigns, the Meta Pixel or Google Ads cookies may qualify as "sharing" under CPRA. Opt out by declining cookies, enabling Global Privacy Control (we honor it), or emailing sourav@beginthings.com with subject "CCPA opt-out". See the Cookie Policy.
9. Data retention
- Newsletter emails: until you unsubscribe or request deletion.
- Google Analytics data: per Google defaults (currently 14 months for user-level data).
- Server logs: 30 days, then aggregated or deleted.
- Cat 2 account profile: kept while your Google sign-in is active. Revoke at myaccount.google.com to disconnect.
- Cat 3/4/5 order records: retained per Indian accounting law (7 financial years) for tax and audit purposes.
- Workspace 3D data: stays on your device until you clear it.
10. Children
BeginThings is not directed at children under 13. We do not knowingly collect personal information from children under 13. If we learn we have, we will delete it promptly.
11. International transfers
Our analytics provider (Google) processes data in the United States. PayPal processes international payments outside India. By using the site you consent to these transfers. Standard Contractual Clauses apply where required.
12. Changes to this policy
We may update this policy. The "Last updated" date at the top reflects the latest revision. Material changes will be highlighted on the homepage.
13. Contact
Questions? Email sourav@beginthings.com. Operator: Sourav Mahapatra, India.
Related policies: Terms and Conditions, Cookie Policy, Disclaimer, Refund Policy, Data and Account Policy.