Who we are
RoboDB (“RoboDB,” “we,” “us”) is a native macOS application for managing MySQL and PostgreSQL databases. This policy explains what information the app handles, where it goes, and the choices you have. It applies to the RoboDB app and the pages on robodbapp.com.
What we don’t collect
We want to be clear about this up front, because it’s the most important part:
- No account. RoboDB doesn’t ask you to sign up, log in, or give us an email address to use the app.
- No database credentials. Hostnames, ports, usernames, passwords, and SSH private keys are stored only on your device in the macOS Keychain. They are never transmitted to RoboDB.
- No database contents — with one exception you trigger yourself. The rows, tables and query results you work with travel directly between your Mac and your database server. We don’t proxy, log or store them. The single exception is the optional AI assistant — see “The AI assistant” below for exactly what it sends and when.
- No analytics or tracking SDKs. RoboDB doesn’t embed advertising or behavioural-analytics frameworks, and we don’t build a profile of you.
How your connections work
When you connect to a database, RoboDB talks directly from your Mac to your server. If you use an SSH tunnel or bastion host, that SSH connection is also established directly between your device and your server — there is no RoboDB server in the middle. Credentials needed for these connections are read from the Keychain at the moment of connecting and are not copied anywhere else.
If you turn on iCloud Keychain sync for your saved connections (off by default), Apple syncs those encrypted Keychain items across your own devices using your iCloud account. That sync is between you and Apple; the data remains end-to-end encrypted and is not visible to RoboDB.
The AI assistant (optional)
RoboDB includes optional AI features — schema-aware chat, slow-query and deadlock triage, configuration tuning advice, and help resolving data-transfer conflicts. These features only run when you choose to use them.
When you do, RoboDB sends a limited, purpose-built request to our AI service at api.robodbapp.com, which relays it to Anthropic (the makers of Claude) for processing. A request may include:
- Your question or instruction,
- A summary of the relevant database schema (table and column names, types, indexes),
- The SQL or error message you asked for help with, and
- Non-identifying context about the current screen and engine type, and
- only when you use “Resolve with AI” after a failed transfer: the rows your target database rejected, including the statement that failed. Diagnosing precisely why a row was refused is the entire purpose of that feature, so those values are part of the request. This is the one case where your table data is sent, and it happens only when you click that button.
Before a request is sent, RoboDB masks values that match common email, national-ID, payment-card and phone-number patterns. We never send your passwords or SSH keys. AI requests are used to generate a response and to meter your credit balance; they are not used to advertise to you and are not sold to anyone. Anthropic processes the request under its own commercial terms and does not use it to train its models. If you would rather nothing at all left your Mac, simply don’t use the assistant — every other feature in RoboDB works without it.
Purchases and credits
Features and AI credits are sold as in-app purchases through the Apple App Store. Apple handles the payment entirely — RoboDB never sees your card number or billing details. To unlock what you bought, the app sends Apple’s signed transaction receipt (a JWS token) to api.robodbapp.com, where we verify it and update your credit balance. This receipt identifies the purchase, not you.
If you bought the earlier RoboDB Classic app through Paddle, that purchase was processed by Paddle as merchant of record. For help migrating a Classic licence, use the in-app support form (Help & Support) and include your Paddle receipt.
Support requests
When you send us a message through the in-app Help & Support form, we receive what you write — your subject, description, the email address you provide for a reply, and an optional screenshot you attach — plus basic diagnostic details you can preview before sending (app version, macOS version, database engine, connection type, and the current screen). Host names and SSH usernames in those diagnostics are masked on your device before the message is sent. We use this only to answer your request.
Third parties we rely on
| Service | Purpose | What it receives |
|---|---|---|
| Anthropic (Claude) | Powers the optional AI assistant | Your AI request as described above — never credentials or table data |
| Apple App Store | Processes all in-app purchases | Your payment details (handled entirely by Apple) |
| Apple iCloud Keychain | Optional sync of saved connections across your devices | Encrypted Keychain items, only if you enable it |
| Paddle | Legacy — RoboDB Classic purchases only | Payment details for the original Classic app |
We do not sell, rent, or share your personal data with any other third parties.
Data retention
Because your connections and data live on your device, you control their lifetime — delete a connection or uninstall the app and it’s gone. On our side, AI requests are processed transiently and support messages are kept only as long as needed to resolve your issue.
Your choices
- Use RoboDB entirely offline of our services — the AI features are optional and everything else works without contacting us.
- Leave iCloud Keychain sync off (the default) to keep saved connections on a single device.
- Manage or delete saved connections and their Keychain entries at any time from within the app.
Children
RoboDB is a professional database tool and is not directed at children under 13, and we don’t knowingly collect information from them.
Changes to this policy
If we make material changes, we’ll update this page and revise the “last updated” date above. Continued use of RoboDB after a change means you accept the revised policy.
Contact
Questions about privacy? Reach us through Help & Support inside the app, or email support@robodbapp.com.