TextScalpel privacy policy
Effective date: 2026-09-24. This page mirrors the in-app Privacy page (the app shows Chinese or English based on your system language).
1. Overview
TextScalpel is an offline-first desktop tool: search & replace, snapshot rollback and presets all run on your machine. Your file contents never leave this machine by default — no uploads, no analytics, no ads profiling.
2. What is stored locally
Everything lives in the data directory (usually AppData/TextScalpel; or data/
next to the executable when portable.flag is present):
settings.json: UI language, theme, encoding/newline preferences;presets/: rule pipelines you saved;snapshots/: pre-replace file snapshots (content-addressed, deduplicated), keeps the last N runs (adjustable in Settings);reports/: per-file change list CSVs;logs/: rolling runtime logs (kept 7 days);license.bin/onboarding.bin/clock.bin: license and trial state, all encrypted and bound to this machine.
3. Network happens only in three cases
Besides the following, the app does not call home:
- Licensing: start trial, activate, deactivate, online verify — sends the license key, device fingerprint hash and device name to issue and check licenses;
- Update check: sends only the current version and platform to notify about new releases;
- Buy & support: opens the website in your system browser, same as visiting it yourself.
4. Device fingerprint
To bind licenses and issue trials, the app hashes the machine id with SHA-256 as the device fingerprint. The raw machine id never leaves this machine; only the hash appears on the server and in logs. The device name is only used to tell devices apart.
5. Logs and redaction
Keys shaped like IND-… are replaced with IND-*** before hitting logs, and
redacted once more on export. Crash reports (if any) likewise contain no plaintext keys; the fingerprint
hash may appear in logs (it is already a hash).
6. Deletion and uninstall
Deleting the data directory removes all local data (snapshots, presets, license cache). Before switching machines, use “Deactivate” in Settings to free the seat; if the old machine is gone, contact support to unbind it. Deleting local files resets the displayed trial state, but the server-side trial start is unique per device and grants no extra trial period.
7. Contact & support
If you have questions about this policy, reach us via the support entry. We only use information you provide to respond.