HostChefs Toolbar Checker – Privacy Policy

Last updated: 2025-11-XX

This Privacy Policy explains how the HostChefs Toolbar Checker Chrome extension (“the Extension”) handles data. The Extension is developed and operated by HostChefs (“we”, “us”).

1. Purpose of the Extension

The Extension provides a simple visual indicator to show whether the currently visited website is hosted on HostChefs infrastructure:

• Green icon – the domain is verified as hosted by HostChefs
• Red icon – the domain is not hosted by HostChefs
• Gray icon – no check has been performed or the site is unreachable / not applicable

The Extension is primarily intended for internal and partner use to assist with support and infrastructure management. It does not inject content, modify pages, or display ads.

2. Data We Access

To provide its functionality, the Extension needs limited technical access to:

• The URL of the active tab, in order to extract the domain name (e.g. example.gr).
• Basic tab lifecycle events (tab updated / activated), to update the toolbar icon when you navigate.
• Local extension storage, to cache verification results and reduce network requests.

The Extension does not read or store page content, form data, credentials, cookies, or any user-generated content.

3. Data Sent to HostChefs Servers

The Extension communicates only with HostChefs-controlled endpoints over HTTPS.

3.1 Hosting Verification

When a website successfully loads, the Extension may send the following information to our verification API:

• The domain name (e.g. example.gr)
• A temporary verification token (randomly generated per check)

This is used solely to:

• Check whether the domain is hosted on HostChefs servers
• Perform a technical verification via our infrastructure

We do not associate these checks with any personal identifiers, user accounts, or browsing history profiles.

3.2 .gr Domain Logging

For certain country-code domains (e.g. .gr, .com.gr, .net.gr, .org.gr, .edu.gr, .gov.gr), the Extension may send the root domain (for example sub.example.gr → example.gr) once to our API for inclusion in an internal domain list.

• Only the domain name is stored (no full URLs, no paths, no query strings).
• No user IDs, IP addresses from the extension, or other personal data are attached.
• This list is used exclusively for internal infrastructure and directory purposes.

4. Local Caching and Retention

The Extension uses Chrome’s storage.local only to:

• Cache hosting verification results per domain for up to 7 days.
• Cache which .gr domains have already been logged, also for up to 7 days, to avoid duplicate submissions.

After this period, entries are automatically cleared by the Extension logic.

5. No Tracking, No Ads, No Sale of Data

• We do not use the Extension for advertising or marketing.
• We do not sell, rent, or trade any data with third parties.
• We do not build user profiles or track browsing behavior across sites.

6. Permissions Justification

The Extension uses the following Chrome permissions strictly for functional reasons:

• activeTab – to read the current tab URL and extract its domain for verification.
• tabs – to detect when tabs are updated or activated and refresh the toolbar icon.
• storage – to store cached verification results and logged domains locally.
• host permissions – to query our own API endpoints and to perform lightweight reachability checks of the visited domain (e.g. favicon / robots).

The Extension does not execute arbitrary remote code. All logic is bundled in the extension; communication with our servers is limited to API calls required for hosting verification and domain logging.

7. Security

• All API calls are made over HTTPS.
• All backend endpoints are operated and controlled by HostChefs.
• Access is protected by internal API keys and rate limiting.

8. Third Parties

The Extension does not integrate third-party analytics, tracking scripts, or advertisement services. Data is processed only on HostChefs infrastructure.

9. Your Choices

• You can disable or remove the Extension at any time from your browser’s extensions page.
• Removal of the Extension stops all related processing and new requests.

10. Contact

If you have any questions about this Privacy Policy or the Extension, please contact us at:
[email protected]

By using the HostChefs Toolbar Checker, you acknowledge that its limited technical processing is necessary to provide the hosting status functionality described above and that it complies with the Chrome Web Store Developer Program Policies.