Privacy Policy — Tradie Assistant

Who we are

We’re Tradie Assistant (“we”, “us”), a tool that helps tradies quote, communicate, and find technical answers fast. We handle personal information under the Australian Privacy Act 1988 (Cth) and the Australian Privacy Principles (APPs).

Quick summary

We collect basic account info (like email), app usage, and content you choose to process (e.g., quotes or files you upload for AI features).
Core providers: authentication/database on Supabase; billing via Stripe; AI features via OpenAI APIs.
OpenAI’s API data is not used to train models by default; API logs are typically retained about 30 days for abuse/safety, then removed.
For “Smart Assistant”, files you attach can be indexed in a vector store so the Assistant can find relevant passages. They persist until deleted or until an expiry policy applies.
You can request access/correction and ask us to delete your data where legally permitted.

The information we collect

Account details: email and basic profile to create and manage your account.
Usage & diagnostics: pages visited, basic device info, timestamps and events to keep things working and improve the product.
Content you provide: job details, materials, proposals, emails/replies, social captions, and (optionally) files you upload for “Smart Assistant”.
Billing: handled by Stripe (we don’t store full card details).

How we use your information

Run the service: sign in, security, performance and support.
AI features you request: we send prompts and, if you attach them, files to OpenAI’s API to generate answers.
Improve the product: aggregate analytics (not your private content) help us spot bugs and prioritise features.
Payments: subscription purchase and management via Stripe.

Where data is stored

App backend: Supabase Auth and Postgres store account and app data.
Payments: Stripe processes subscriptions and customer billing.
AI processing: OpenAI APIs process the prompts/files you choose to send for AI features.

These providers may operate in multiple countries. By using our AI features and subscriptions you consent to international transfers as needed to provide the service.

AI specifics: OpenAI APIs, retention, and training

When you use AI features, the inputs you send (prompts, fields, and any files you choose to upload) are processed by OpenAI’s API on our behalf. OpenAI states that API/business inputs and outputs are not used to train models by default, and API logs are generally retained about 30 days for abuse/safety before removal (unless legally required to retain longer). If you require a stricter posture (e.g., zero-data-retention endpoints), contact us so we can discuss options supported by OpenAI.

“Smart Assistant” and file search (vector stores)

If you use “Smart Assistant” to query manuals, guides or standards, the documents you attach can be uploaded and indexed in a retrieval index (a “vector store”) so the Assistant can find relevant passages quickly and cite pages where possible.

What we keep: references/metadata so your library works across sessions.
What OpenAI keeps: a copy of the file and its indexed chunks for retrieval until deletion or expiry applies. Depending on how the vector store is created, the default may be “no expiry” or a limited lifetime (e.g., some thread-attached stores default to about 7 days after last activity). We may configure an expires_after policy for inactivity-based cleanup where appropriate.
Deleting files: removing a file from your library removes our reference; we also request deletion from the vector store. (Note: file deletion and index lifecycle are separate.)

Retention

Account & app data: kept while you have an account and for a reasonable period after closure (e.g., tax, fraud prevention, dispute resolution).
OpenAI API logs: typically removed after ~30 days by OpenAI.
Vector stores: persist until deleted; in some flows we may set expiry (e.g., after inactivity) to manage storage and privacy.

Security

We take reasonable steps to protect personal information against unauthorised access, modification, disclosure or loss, consistent with the Australian Privacy Principles. This includes access controls, least-privilege practices, and encryption in transit where supported.

Your choices & rights

Access and correction: request access to the personal information we hold about you and ask us to correct it.
Deletion: ask us to delete your account and associated data where legally permitted.
AI documents: remove files from your library to stop further use; we’ll also request deletion from the vector store.
Marketing: we don’t sell personal data. If we send product updates, you can opt out.

Data breaches

If a breach is likely to result in serious harm, we’ll assess and notify affected users and the Office of the Australian Information Commissioner under the Notifiable Data Breaches scheme.

Children

Our service is designed for working adults in the trades and isn’t directed to children under 16.

Changes to this policy

We may update this policy from time to time. We’ll post the latest version here and update the date above.

Contact

Questions or requests? Email support@tradieassistant.app or use our contact page. We’ll respond as promptly as we can.