Privacy Policy

ESTHER Course Eval Helper  ·  Last updated: March 21, 2026

Overview

ESTHER Course Eval Helper is a free, open-source Chrome extension that helps Rice University students browse course and instructor evaluations on the ESTHER portal. This policy explains what data the extension handles and how.

Data we collect

None. The extension does not collect, transmit, or share any personal data.

Data stored locally on your device

The extension uses chrome.storage.local — storage that lives entirely on your own device and is never sent anywhere — to save:

• UI state — panel position, collapsed/expanded state, and active tab.
• Search cache — results from previous searches (term lists, course lists, instructor presence by term) so repeated searches are instant. This cache contains only the same publicly visible information already shown on the ESTHER website. It expires automatically after 7–30 days.

This data never leaves your browser. It is not sent to any server, third party, or the extension developer.

Permissions

The extension requests only the storage permission (for the local cache described above). It has no access to browsing history, cookies, or any page outside of esther.rice.edu.

Third parties

The extension does not use any third-party services, analytics, or advertising SDKs.

Changes

If this policy ever changes, the updated version will be posted at this URL with a new date.

Contact

Questions? Open an issue on the project's GitHub repository or contact the developer directly.