Privacy policy

Last updated 28 October 2026.

Sproutling is a browser extension with a small pixel pet of the same name. This page explains what it looks at, what it keeps, and what it never does. In short: it reads a little from your Buffer account, keeps it on your device, and doesn't send it anywhere else.

What it reads from Buffer

After you connect, the extension asks Buffer for read-only access (account:read, posts:read and ideas:read, plus offline_access so you stay signed in). Every 15 minutes it asks for your name, email address and organisation ID, the services of your connected channels and their posting goals, and the times and status of your recent posts and ideas. It uses these to work out how Sproutling is feeling.

It never creates, edits or deletes anything in your Buffer account.

What it keeps, and where

Everything is stored in your browser's extension storage, on your device. That includes your sign-in tokens, the account details above, the numbers behind Sproutling's mood, where you've placed the pet on each site, and your nap and nudge settings. Nothing is synced to a server of ours, because we don't run one.

Your tokens are used only by the extension's background worker. Websites you visit can't read them, and neither can the pet.

The pages on this site

Buffer only accepts sign-in and refresh requests from a web address it knows, so two small pages on this site take part. The sign-in page receives a one-time code from Buffer, trades it for tokens and hands them to the extension. The refresh page does the same when your session needs renewing, inside a hidden frame the extension opens. The tokens pass through those pages in your browser's memory and are not stored or logged by us.

The one-time sign-in code does appear in the address of that page as you arrive. It can't be used without a secret that never leaves your extension. This site is plain static pages. We add no analytics, advertising or tracking scripts.

Visiting other sites

Sproutling only appears on the Buffer app and on sites you allow. For each connected channel, the popup offers a button, and the browser asks you to approve that site before the pet appears there. You can take the permission back at any time.

On those sites the extension shows the pet and measures how far you've scrolled, so it knows when to say a kind word. It does not record or send the content of the page, what you type, or what you click. The scroll distance is held in memory and thrown away.

What it never does

• It doesn't sell, share or transfer your data to anyone.
• It doesn't use your data for advertising, profiling or anything beyond running the pet.
• It doesn't load or run remote code.
• It makes network requests only to Buffer (auth.buffer.com and api.buffer.com) and to the two pages on this site.

Deleting your data

Choose Disconnect in the popup to remove your tokens, account details and the pet's stored state. Removing the extension deletes everything it saved in your browser. You can also revoke its access from your Buffer account settings.

Who's behind it

Sproutling is an independent project, built on Buffer's public API for the Buffer Commit contest. It is not an official Buffer product. The code is open source on GitHub, so you can check any of the above for yourself.

Questions or concerns? Open an issue on GitHub and I'll reply there. If this policy changes, the date at the top will change with it.