Privacy Policy
Local-first processing
ProtPeek packages all executable code, including Mol*, with the extension. Article scanning, identifier parsing, local-file reading, molecular processing, rendering, selections, colours, and structure export run on the user's device. ProtPeek never uploads local structure files or downloads executable code at runtime.
Article access
ProtPeek locally inspects a bounded snapshot of the active HTTP(S) document's visible text, links, metadata, page URL, and JSON-LD to detect contextual structure references. Only compact detection results return to the extension background; the page snapshot is not sent to ProtPeek, RCSB, AlphaFold, or another server.
Automatic refresh across newly opened or navigated tabs requires access to HTTP and HTTPS pages. While the panel is open, ProtPeek rescans the active tab after tab changes, completed navigation, in-page route changes, or debounced article-content changes. A small panel control can request an immediate manual refresh. A page monitor sends only a changed signal, not DOM content, and closing the panel removes the listener that turns those signals into rescans. Browser-internal and other restricted pages cannot be scanned.
Remote structure requests
Loading a remote identifier necessarily sends that identifier to the official structure provider selected by the request. Requests omit extension-supplied credentials.
| Host | When contacted | Data sent |
|---|---|---|
| models.rcsb.org | Explicit PDB load | PDB identifier in a BinaryCIF request path |
| files.rcsb.org | BinaryCIF fallback | PDB identifier in an mmCIF request path |
| alphafold.ebi.ac.uk | Explicit UniProt or AlphaFold load | Accession and official structure-file request |
Providers and network intermediaries may receive standard request data such as the IP address, request time, user agent, and transport headers under their own policies. ProtPeek does not receive a copy.
Local files and downloads
CIF, mmCIF, BinaryCIF, and PDB files chosen or dropped by the user are read and rendered locally. The download control creates a local PDBx/mmCIF file from the currently visible molecular structure; this does not send the structure to a server.
Storage and retention
ProtPeek uses browser-managed session storage only to coordinate compact page detections, the source tab identifier, an identifier selected for loading, or a scan error between its background and side-panel documents. Context-menu load values are removed after consumption, and scan values are overwritten as the active context changes.
Structures, local-file contents, selections, and viewer state remain in memory and are discarded when replaced or when the panel document is destroyed. ProtPeek adds no application database. The browser's normal HTTP cache may retain provider responses.
Permissions
- activeTab: click-triggered page-access fallback.
- scripting: injection of the bounded scanner and local page-change monitor.
- contextMenus: explicit “View in ProtPeek” selection workflow.
- storage: session-scoped background/panel coordination.
- sidePanel: Chromium's native side-panel surface.
- HTTP(S) page access: automatic active-tab rescans while the panel is open.
- Exact provider hosts: download user-requested structure data.
The manifest declares http://*/* and
https://*/* explicitly; this is broad page access required
for automatic new-tab refresh. ProtPeek does not request browsing
history, cookies, identity, downloads, geolocation, camera, or
microphone.
Sharing, sale, and user control
ProtPeek does not sell, rent, profile, or use data for advertising. The only disclosure initiated by the extension is the provider request required to retrieve a remote structure explicitly requested by the user. Users can avoid remote requests by loading only local files, and can cancel a load, replace a structure, close the panel, disable the extension, or uninstall it at any time.
This website
This policy page contains no scripts, analytics, cookies, forms, or remote assets. It is hosted by GitHub Pages; GitHub may process standard web-server request data independently under GitHub's own policies.
Changes and contact
This policy will be updated if ProtPeek's permissions, providers, storage, or data practices change. Privacy questions can be opened in GitHub Issues. The repository contains the versioned policy, complete source, permission configuration, and transparency notes.