PerchPrivacy policy
Your kids' information stays with you.
The short version
- It stays on your computer. Perch reads your kids' homework from Canvas and keeps it in your own browser. Perch has no server that collects it, so we never receive it.
- No passwords. Perch uses the Canvas login you already have. We never ask for, see or store your password.
- Read-only. Perch can't submit work, change grades or send messages in Canvas.
- No ads, no tracking, never sold. The extension has no analytics or tracking, there's no advertising, and we never sell or share your family's information. This website only counts visits, without cookies.
- Easy to erase. Remove Perch from Chrome and everything it saved is deleted.
1. Who we are
Perch is a homework planner for parents and guardians. It's an independent product made by a parent, and it isn't affiliated with Instructure, the company behind Canvas. In this policy, "Perch," "we" and "us" mean the team that makes Perch, and "you" means the parent or guardian using it.
Questions? Email hello@perchplanner.com and a real person will answer.
2. What Perch reads
When you open Perch, it asks your school's Canvas for the information you can already see as a parent (observer). It does this from inside your own browser, using your existing Canvas login, the same way Canvas's own pages do.
Perch reads:
- Your Canvas profile: your name, so Perch can greet you.
- The students linked to your account: their names.
- Their current classes: class names.
- Assignments, quizzes and tests: titles, due dates, point values and links back to Canvas.
- Submission status: whether each assignment was turned in, its score, and whether Canvas marked it missing, late or excused.
Perch only talks to the Canvas address you use (for example, yourschool.instructure.com). It doesn't read messages, discussions, files, or anything outside what's listed above.
3. What's saved, and where
Everything Perch saves is kept in Chrome's storage on your own computer. Nothing is uploaded to Perch.
| What | Why |
|---|---|
| Your school's Canvas address | So Perch knows where to look next time. |
| The latest homework snapshot (the information in section 2) | So Perch opens instantly and still shows something if Canvas is slow. |
| Your checkmarks, homework you moved to another night, and tasks you added | So your plans are still there tomorrow. |
| Your view settings (for example, which kid you were looking at) | So Perch opens the way you left it. |
If you use Chrome on more than one computer, each one keeps its own copy. Perch doesn't sync between devices.
4. What we don't do
- We don't collect, upload or store your family's Canvas information on any server.
- We don't ask for, see or store your Canvas password or any other password.
- We don't change anything in Canvas.
- We don't use analytics, tracking pixels or advertising in the extension. This website uses cookie-free visit counting (see section 7) and no advertising.
- We don't sell, rent or share your information, and we don't use it for advertising, credit decisions or anything unrelated to helping you see your kids' homework.
"Do Not Track" and Global Privacy Control
Some browsers can send a "Do Not Track" or Global Privacy Control signal. Perch and this website don't track you, so there's nothing to turn off. We treat everyone as if that signal were on.
Perch's use of information it receives follows the Chrome Web Store User Data Policy, including its Limited Use requirements.
5. Chrome permissions, in plain English
| Permission | What it's for |
|---|---|
Read data on *.instructure.com | Lets Perch ask your school's Canvas for homework, using your existing login. |
| Your school's own web address (only if you choose it) | Some schools use their own address for Canvas, like canvas.yourdistrict.org. Perch asks your permission for that one address before using it. |
| Scripting | Runs Perch's read-only Canvas requests inside your Canvas tab, so they use your login without Perch ever handling it. |
| Storage | Saves the items in section 3 on your computer. |
6. Other services involved
- Canvas (Instructure) and your school. Perch reads from the Canvas account your school provides. Your school and Instructure's own privacy policies cover what Canvas collects.
- Google Fonts. This website loads its typefaces from Google Fonts, so Google can see your browser's IP address and basic browser details when you visit. The Perch extension includes its own fonts and doesn't contact Google. See Google's font privacy FAQ.
- Netlify hosts this website. Like most web hosts, it keeps standard server logs (such as IP address, browser type and pages requested) for security and reliability.
- Microsoft 365 runs our email at hello@perchplanner.com.
- Umami counts visits to this website, without cookies (website only, not the extension).
- Google Forms and Google Sheets collect and store beta signups.
7. This website and email
perchplanner.com doesn't use cookies, advertising or sign-in.
Visit counting
To understand how many people visit and how they found us, this website uses Umami, a privacy-friendly analytics service. It records the page you viewed, the site or link that sent you here, your browser and device type, and your country. It doesn't use cookies, doesn't collect your name or email, doesn't store your IP address, and can't follow you to other websites. The Perch extension doesn't use Umami or any other analytics.
Beta signup form
To join the beta, you fill out a short Google Form. It asks for your first name, email, your school or district, how you log in to Canvas, and what device you usually use to check homework. We ask you not to include your kids' names. Your answers are stored in our Google account (Google Forms and Google Sheets), and Google handles them under its privacy policy.
We use your answers only to decide when to invite you, send your invite and setup help, and check in a few times during the beta. We don't share them, sell them or add you to any other list.
When you email us, we receive your email address, your name if you include it, and whatever you write. We use it only to reply, run the beta and let you know about Perch.
Ask us anytime and we'll delete your signup answers and emails and remove you from the beta list.
8. Children and schools
Perch is made for parents and guardians, not for children. It isn't designed for students to use, and we don't knowingly collect personal information from children.
Perch shows a parent the school information that parent can already see in Canvas. Because that information stays on the parent's own computer, it never reaches us. Perch doesn't change what your school shares with you or how. If you'd like to stop Perch from seeing a student, remove Perch from Chrome, or unlink that student from your Canvas observer account.
If you think a child has sent us personal information (for example, by email), contact us and we'll delete it.
9. Your choices
- Erase everything: go to
chrome://extensions, find Perch and click Remove. Chrome deletes everything Perch saved on that computer. - Remove a school address you added: on Perch's card in
chrome://extensions, click Details → Site access. - Delete your signup and emails with us: write to hello@perchplanner.com.
10. Changes and contact
Some future features, like a nightly summary by text or email, would need information to leave your computer. If we build them, we'll update this policy first, explain exactly what's shared, and ask you to turn the feature on. It won't happen automatically.
If Perch changes hands
If Perch is ever sold, merged or transferred, any information we hold (today, that's only beta signups and emails you've sent us) would go to the new owner only if they keep the promises in this policy. If they want to change them, they'd have to tell you first.
When this policy changes, we'll update the date at the top. For big changes, we'll also tell beta families by email.
Questions or concerns: hello@perchplanner.com.