Where Your Data Actually Lives
People who track domains, client hosting and paid tools are, reasonably, careful about where that list is kept. It says what you own, what you pay and who you work for. This post describes exactly where YoTrackr keeps your data, how it moves between your devices, what is and is not encrypted, and how to get it out. We have tried to be precise rather than reassuring.
The Short Version
- Your items, wishlist and settings are saved to your YoTrackr account on our servers, on every plan, including Free. Your account is the main copy.
- Your browser keeps a working copy, so the app is fast and forgiving of a shaky connection.
- On the Pro and Team plans you can also back up to your own Google Drive or Dropbox.
- Nothing is end-to-end encrypted today. Backup files are plain JSON. We say this up front because some products imply otherwise.
The Three Places Data Can Be
1. Your YoTrackr account (always)
Shortly after you change something, the app sends your list to your account, and it checks regularly whether another device changed something and downloads that. The list of items stored for you is tied to your account only, and the server holds only as many items as your plan allows. Sign in on a new browser or phone and your items, wishlist and settings (theme, saved views, custom sectors and columns) are there. The badge at the top of the app says Cloud.
The same-item-on-two-devices case is worth knowing: when two devices change the same item, the change made last wins. If you edit the same subscription on two devices while one is offline, one of those edits is lost when they meet. It is a simple rule that keeps things predictable, and the practical advice is to let one device finish syncing before you edit on another. Deletions are remembered, so a deleted item does not reappear.
2. Your browser (a working copy)
Every change is written to the browser first, then sent to your account. That is what keeps the app quick and lets it carry on for a short time with no connection. If the server cannot be reached for a while, the app tells you that your latest changes are not reaching your account yet; they stay in the browser and are sent by themselves when the connection is back. Clearing the site data for YoTrackr only removes this working copy: sign in again and your list comes back from your account.
3. Your own cloud storage (with Drive and Dropbox backup)
With Drive and Dropbox backup, the backup goes from your browser straight to your Google Drive or Dropbox, through an app you register yourself. We never receive the file. The backup is a plain JSON file named with the date, it is created when you press a button, and it is not automatic. That makes it a good safety net against a mistake, such as a bad import. Our step-by-step guide to setting up Google Drive and Dropbox backup covers the setup.
What Is and Is Not Encrypted
Traffic between your browser and our servers uses HTTPS, so it is encrypted in transit. Your password is stored only as a one-way hash. Your list, however, is not end-to-end encrypted: we could technically read the items stored in your account, and we do not open them except to fix a problem you ask us to look at. Backup files in your own Drive or Dropbox are ordinary JSON files, readable by anyone who can open that folder, so protect that account with a strong password and two-step sign-in.
End-to-end encrypted sync, where the key stays with you and we hold only scrambled data, is on our roadmap. It is a significant piece of work with real trade-offs, such as what happens if you lose the key, and it is not built yet. Until it ships, please do not put anything in YoTrackr that you would not want stored on a server.
What We Know About Your Devices
For each device you sign in on we keep a name (you choose it, or it is filled in for you, such as "Chrome on Windows"), its browser and operating system, and the IP address of its first and latest sign-in. You see this list in Settings, under Account, where you can rename or remove a device. When a device you have not used before signs in, we email you, so you can spot a sign-in that was not you. Your plan sets a device allowance (Free 1, Starter 5, Pro 10, Team 25). It is a soft limit: going over it shows a notice and a device list, and never blocks a sign-in.
What Is Set Up Per Device
A few things belong to the device itself: the connection to Google Drive or Dropbox, and files attached to items. On a new device, set those up again. Your items, wishlist, settings and plan come from your account.
Getting Your Data Out, and Deleting It
- Download a backup of your items from Settings, in Data. It is a JSON file you can restore from.
- Download your account data, a copy of everything we store for your account: your profile, items, licenses, support tickets and notification settings.
- Export to CSV, PDF or Excel from the top bar, on plans that include export.
- Delete your account yourself in Settings. It removes the items stored in your account, your devices, your tickets, your notification settings and the records of emails we sent you. A license you bought is kept as a purchase record but is no longer tied to you.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do you sell or share my list? No. We do not sell your data or share it with advertisers.
What happens if my plan ends? Items within the Free limits always stay. You can view, edit and delete everything, but you cannot add beyond the Free limits, and export, reminder emails and backup to your own cloud stop until you have a plan that includes them. For what happens to items above the Free limits, see what each plan includes, and trial rules.
Is the sync real time? Close to it. Changes are sent to your account shortly after you make them, and other devices pick them up the next time they check.
Can I use YoTrackr without ever creating an account? No. You sign in to use the web app, and your data is saved to that account on every plan.
Does the Free plan keep my data on your servers too? Yes. The plans differ in limits and features, not in whether your list is saved to your account. Free has a one-device allowance, which is a soft limit that shows a notice and does not block sign-in.