Privacy Policy

mdtools.app is a free PDF and document conversion service operated from Amsterdam, the Netherlands. We built it to be as private as possible — you should be able to convert a document without handing over personal data. This policy explains exactly what we collect, how files are handled, and what rights you have under the GDPR.

What we collect

We collect as little as possible. When you use mdtools.app, the following data may be processed:

• Uploaded files. Files you upload are transmitted over HTTPS and temporarily stored on our processing servers solely to perform the conversion you requested. They are not read for any other purpose.
• Anonymous usage data. We use Vercel Analytics to understand which tools are used and how the service performs. This data is aggregated and anonymised — no individual users are tracked.
• Server logs. Standard web server logs (IP address, browser type, pages requested, timestamps) are retained for up to 30 days for security and debugging purposes.

We do not collect your name, email address, or any account information for basic use of the service. No user profiles are created.

How files are processed

When you upload a file, it is sent to our conversion backend hosted in the EU. The file is processed in memory and the resulting Markdown is returned to your browser. A temporary copy may be written to disk during processing to handle large files reliably.

Your documents are never used to train machine learning models, never shared with third parties, and never read by our team unless you explicitly contact us for support and share the file yourself.

File deletion

Uploaded files and any temporary conversion artifacts are deleted automatically within 15 minutes of upload. This is enforced at the infrastructure level — a scheduled cleanup process runs continuously and removes all files beyond the retention window regardless of whether the conversion completed successfully.

There is no permanent file storage. We do not back up your documents, and once the deletion window passes, the files cannot be recovered from our side.

Analytics

We use Vercel Analyticsto measure page views and understand which tools are popular. Vercel Analytics is privacy-first: it does not use cookies, does not fingerprint individual users, and does not track you across sites. The data we receive is aggregate counts — for example, “the PDF to Markdown converter was used 1,200 times this week” — with no personally identifiable information attached.

We do not use Google Analytics, Meta Pixel, or any other behavioural tracking tools.

Cookies

mdtools.app uses only functional cookies necessary to operate the service. We do not set advertising cookies, tracking cookies, or third-party cookies.

The only cookies present are session-level technical cookies set by our hosting infrastructure (Vercel) to route requests correctly. These expire when you close your browser and contain no personal data.

Your rights under the GDPR

As a user based in the EU or EEA, you have the following rights under the General Data Protection Regulation:

• Right of access. You can ask what personal data we hold about you.
• Right to erasure. You can ask us to delete any personal data we hold. Because we collect so little and delete files within 15 minutes, there is usually nothing to erase, but we will confirm this on request.
• Right to object. You can object to any processing of your data. Given the minimal data we collect, this is most relevant to server logs.
• Right to lodge a complaint. You can file a complaint with the Dutch Data Protection Authority (Autoriteit Persoonsgegevens) at autoriteitpersoonsgegevens.nl.

The legal basis for processing uploaded files is contract performance — you upload a file so that we can convert it. The legal basis for server logs is our legitimate interest in operating a secure and reliable service.

Contact

For any privacy-related questions or data requests, contact us at:

We will respond to privacy requests within 30 days as required by the GDPR.