Privacy Policy

1. Introduction

Cerul (“we,” “us,” or “our”) operates the cerul.ai website and the Cerul API (collectively, the “Service”). This Privacy Policy explains how we collect, use, disclose, and safeguard your information when you use our Service.

2. Information We Collect

Account Information

When you create an account, we collect your email address and, if you sign in through a third-party provider (GitHub or Google), your name and profile picture as provided by that service. We do not store your third-party passwords.

API Usage Data

We log API requests including query text, timestamps, response metadata, and credit consumption. We use this data to operate the Service, enforce rate limits, and improve search quality. We do not sell this data to third parties.

Payment Information

Payment processing is handled by Stripe. We do not store your credit card numbers or bank account details. We receive only a transaction identifier and billing status from Stripe.

Automatically Collected Data

When you visit cerul.ai, we may collect standard web analytics data such as IP address (anonymized), browser type, operating system, referring URL, and pages visited. We use this data in aggregate to understand how the Service is used.

3. How We Use Your Information

• Provide, maintain, and improve the Service
• Authenticate your identity and manage your account
• Process payments and track credit usage
• Enforce our Terms of Service, rate limits, and usage policies
• Send transactional emails (account confirmations, billing receipts, security alerts)
• Respond to support requests

We do not use your data for advertising. We do not sell or rent your personal information to third parties.

4. Data Sharing

We may share your information with:

• Service providers that help us operate the Service (Stripe for payments, Cloudflare for hosting, Vercel for the website). These providers process data on our behalf and are contractually obligated to protect it.
• Law enforcement or legal process if required by applicable law, regulation, or valid legal process.

5. Data Retention

We retain your account information for as long as your account is active. API query logs are retained for up to 90 days for operational purposes and then deleted or anonymized. You may request deletion of your account and associated data at any time by contacting us at support@cerul.ai.

6. Security

We implement industry-standard security measures to protect your data. API keys are stored as irreversible SHA-256 hashes. All data in transit is encrypted via TLS. However, no method of transmission over the Internet is 100% secure, and we cannot guarantee absolute security.

7. Cookies

We use session cookies to keep you signed in to the dashboard. We do not use third-party tracking cookies or advertising cookies.

8. Your Rights

Depending on your jurisdiction, you may have the right to access, correct, or delete your personal data, or to object to or restrict certain processing. To exercise these rights, contact us at support@cerul.ai.

9. Children

The Service is not directed to individuals under 16. We do not knowingly collect personal information from children.

10. Changes to This Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time. We will notify you of material changes by posting the updated policy on this page with a revised effective date.

11. Contact

If you have questions about this Privacy Policy, contact us at support@cerul.ai.