Wayfarer is a personal start page and browser extension for bookmarks, news articles, and search. Here is the plain-English version of how it handles your information.

The short version: no ads, no analytics, no selling your data. Your stuff stays on your device unless you choose a service to connect.

Wayfarer stores your bookmarks, Read Later items, categories, snapshots, search choices, and appearance settings in browser or extension storage. Backups are created locally and downloaded only when you ask.

For weather, Wayfarer asks for location permission first. If you allow it, your coordinates are sent to Open-Meteo for a forecast and the result is cached locally.
Connected services are optional

Wayfarer works without an account. If you choose cloud sync, your selected bookmarks and optional settings sync directly with the Supabase or Firebase project you connect. The one-time connection flow uses a short-lived Wayfarer session to complete the provider’s approval; it does not keep your provider access token after the flow ends.

If you use optional OpenID Connect sign-in, your provider handles authentication. Wayfarer keeps only the signed-in subject and session expiry in local storage. Searches go to the search provider you select, and icons load from the Selfh.st icon CDN.
What the extension can access

The extension uses tab URLs and titles to save the current page, spot bookmarks that are already open, and switch to an open tab. When you add a page to Read Later, it may save a small screenshot and track reading progress on that page. It does not collect page text or your browsing history.
Your choices

You can decline location, skip sign-in and sync, disconnect a cloud project, export or clear local data, or remove the extension whenever you like. Disconnecting removes Wayfarer’s local connection details; delete synced content from your own Supabase or Firebase project if you want to remove the remote copy.

If Wayfarer’s data practices change, we will update this page and its effective date.