Legal

Privacy Policy

Effective: May 23, 2026. We collect as little as possible and retain it briefly. Here is the full picture.

1. Who we are

YTCut ("we", "us", "our") operates the website ytcut.org, a free online YouTube video cutter. This Privacy Policy explains what information we collect when you use the service, how we use it, and what rights you have over it.

If you have questions about this policy, contact us at [email protected].

2. What we collect

2.1 Server logs

When you visit ytcut.org, our server automatically records a standard log entry. This includes:

This is the same information recorded by every web server in the world. We do not add to it or enrich it.

2.2 YouTube URLs you submit

When you submit a YouTube URL for processing, that URL is recorded in our application logs along with your IP address and a timestamp. This is necessary to operate the service (we have to know what to fetch) and for rate limiting (one download per day on the free tier).

2.3 Premium account data

If you subscribe to Premium, you provide an email address during sign-up. That email is stored in our database and used only to authenticate your account and send transactional emails (receipts, cancellation confirmations). We do not send marketing email unless you explicitly opt in.

Payment processing is handled entirely by Stripe. We never see or store your card number, CVV, or billing address. What we receive from Stripe is a customer ID and subscription status.

2.4 Contact form submissions

If you use the contact form or email us directly, we keep your message and email address to respond to you and maintain a record of the exchange. We do not add you to any mailing list as a result of contacting us.

3. What we do not collect

To be specific about what is not happening:

4. How we use the data we collect

Operating the service. Server logs and submitted URLs let us route requests, process downloads, and serve responses.

Rate limiting. We track download counts by IP address to enforce the free tier limit of one download per day. This data is not linked to any persistent user profile.

Diagnosing errors. When something breaks, logs are the only way to figure out what happened. We look at logs when investigating a reported bug or an unexpected failure.

Security. Logs help us identify and block abusive traffic patterns, such as automated scrapers or bulk download attempts that violate our terms.

Aggregate statistics. We may count total downloads or visits as aggregate numbers (not tied to individuals) to understand how the service is being used. These numbers are not sold or shared.

5. Data retention

Server logs: Retained for 14 days, then automatically deleted.

Application logs (submitted URLs, rate limit records): Retained for 14 days, then deleted.

Cached clip files: Processed video and audio clips are stored in our cache for up to 7 days. After 7 days they are deleted automatically. We do not archive downloaded content.

Premium account data (email, Stripe customer ID): Retained for as long as your account is active, plus 30 days after cancellation to allow for reactivation. You can request deletion at any time by emailing [email protected].

Contact messages: Retained indefinitely so we can reference past correspondence. You can request deletion by emailing us.

6. Third-party services

6.1 Cloudflare

Our website is served through Cloudflare's CDN and proxy network. Cloudflare sees your IP address and request data before it reaches our server. Cloudflare has its own privacy policy at cloudflare.com/privacypolicy. We use Cloudflare for performance and DDoS protection, not for advertising.

6.2 Stripe

If you subscribe to Premium, payments are processed by Stripe, Inc. Stripe's privacy policy is at stripe.com/privacy. Stripe may store your card details, billing address, and transaction history according to their policy. We receive only what is necessary to confirm your subscription status.

6.3 Google Fonts

We load the Outfit typeface from Google Fonts. This causes your browser to make a request to Google's servers, which may include your IP address. Google's privacy policy applies to that request. If you prefer, you can block requests to fonts.googleapis.com using a browser extension.

6.4 YouTube / Google

When you submit a YouTube URL, our server fetches that video from YouTube's infrastructure on your behalf. Your IP address is not sent to YouTube during this process (our server's IP is). YouTube's own data collection applies to your direct use of YouTube.com, not to our server-side fetching.

7. Cookies

We use cookies only where necessary for the service to function. See our Cookie Policy for details.

In brief: free users receive no persistent cookies. Premium users receive a session authentication cookie that expires when you log out or after 30 days of inactivity. We do not use tracking cookies, advertising cookies, or analytics cookies.

8. Your rights

8.1 Right to access

You can ask us what data we hold about you. For free users, that is limited to what appears in our server logs, which are deleted after 14 days. For Premium users, it includes your email address and Stripe customer ID.

8.2 Right to deletion

You can ask us to delete your data. For free users, server logs delete automatically within 14 days. For Premium users, canceling your subscription and emailing [email protected] will trigger deletion of your account data within 30 days.

8.3 GDPR (EU/EEA users)

If you are in the European Union or European Economic Area, you have rights under the General Data Protection Regulation including the right to access, rectification, erasure, restriction of processing, data portability, and the right to object. To exercise any of these rights, contact [email protected]. We will respond within 30 days.

Our lawful basis for processing server logs is legitimate interest (operating a functional web service). Our lawful basis for processing Premium account data is performance of a contract.

8.4 CCPA (California users)

If you are a California resident, you have rights under the California Consumer Privacy Act including the right to know what personal information we collect, the right to delete it, and the right to opt out of sale. We do not sell personal information. To exercise your rights, contact [email protected].

9. Children's privacy

YTCut is not directed at children under the age of 13. We do not knowingly collect personal information from anyone under 13. If you believe a child under 13 has provided us with personal information, contact us at [email protected] and we will delete it promptly.

10. Data security

We use HTTPS for all connections. Our servers are not publicly accessible except through Cloudflare's proxy. Access to server infrastructure is restricted to authorized team members. We do not store payment card data.

No security measure is perfect. We cannot guarantee that our systems will never be breached, and this policy does not create a warranty of security. If a breach occurs that affects your personal data, we will notify affected users as required by applicable law.

11. International data transfers

Our servers are located in the European Union (Hetzner data centers in Germany). If you are accessing the service from outside the EU, your data travels to EU servers. If you are an EU resident using the service, your data stays in the EU except where third-party processors (Stripe, Cloudflare) operate globally.

12. Changes to this policy

When we update this policy, the updated version will be posted at ytcut.org/privacy.html with a new effective date at the top. We will not email you about routine changes. For material changes that affect Premium account holders, we will send an email to the address on file.

13. Contact

Privacy questions and data requests go to [email protected]. General questions go to [email protected]. We respond within 48 hours for general inquiries and within 30 days for formal data rights requests.