Your Data Stays Yours

Nova's privacy-first approach respects why you chose Obsidian

🔒 Local AI options • 🔑 Your API keys only • 📊 Zero analytics • 🔓 Complete transparency

Why We're Different

The quick version: Nova is built for people who chose Obsidian for privacy and control

🏠 Local AI First

Your documents can stay completely on your computer using Ollama or LM Studio.

  • No internet required after setup
  • Perfect for sensitive work
  • AI models run on your hardware
  • Zero data transmission to any server

🔑 Your API Keys, Your Control

Cloud providers use YOUR keys — not ours. Nova stores conversations in your Obsidian vault and syncs them like any other note. We never see or store your data.

  • Nova never sees your content
  • Direct connection to AI providers
  • You control usage and billing
  • Can revoke access anytime

📊 Zero Analytics

Nova collects absolutely no data about your usage, content, or behavior.

  • No tracking pixels or scripts
  • No usage metrics collection
  • No "telemetry" or diagnostics
  • Offline license validation

🔓 Complete Transparency

Nova is fully open source under AGPL-3.0 license.

  • Every line of code is inspectable
  • Community audited for security
  • No hidden functionality
  • Build from source yourself

The Bottom Line

Nova is designed for people who chose Obsidian specifically for data ownership and privacy. We respect that choice completely.

Your notes are yours. Your conversations are yours. Your data never leaves your control.

Technical Implementation

How Nova's privacy features work under the hood

🏠 Local AI Architecture

When using local AI providers like Ollama:

  • Nova connects to localhost endpoints only
  • All processing happens on your machine
  • No network traffic leaves your device
  • Models run in isolated containers

This is the most private option - equivalent to using a completely offline AI assistant.

☁️ Cloud Provider Communication

When using cloud AI providers:

  • Direct HTTPS connections to provider APIs
  • Your API key authenticates requests
  • Nova acts as a transparent client
  • No proxy servers or middleman services

Identical to using the provider's official API directly - Nova just provides the Obsidian integration.

💾 Conversation Storage & Sync

How Nova handles conversation history:

  • Conversations sync seamlessly across your devices through your chosen Obsidian sync method
  • Automatic 7-day cleanup prevents storage bloat
  • Zero Nova servers - stays within your trusted Obsidian ecosystem

Context is preserved for better AI responses while maintaining privacy through your existing Obsidian sync setup.

🔍 Open Source Verification

How you can verify Nova's privacy claims:

  • Review all source code on GitHub
  • Build Nova from source yourself
  • Audit network traffic with dev tools
  • Check for any unexpected connections

Don't just trust our privacy policy - verify it yourself through the open source code.

Complete Privacy Policy

The detailed legal version (written in human language)

Data Collection

Nova collects zero personal data. We do not collect, store, or transmit any information about you, your usage patterns, your documents, or your AI conversations. This includes:

  • No analytics or usage tracking
  • No error reporting or crash logs
  • No IP address logging
  • No device fingerprinting
  • No conversation content
  • No document metadata

Local Storage

Nova stores configuration settings locally within your Obsidian vault. This includes:

  • AI provider selection and endpoint URLs
  • API keys (encrypted)
  • User preferences and settings
  • Conversation history (per-document, local only)

Conversation Sync: Nova stores conversations in your Obsidian vault and syncs them seamlessly across your devices through your chosen Obsidian sync method (iCloud, Obsidian Sync, etc.) - just like your notes. All data is automatically cleaned up according to Nova's retention policies (7 days for conversation history).

Third-Party Integrations

When you use cloud AI providers, Nova connects directly to their APIs using your personal API keys:

  • Anthropic (Claude): Your content is sent directly to Anthropic's API
  • OpenAI (GPT): Your content is sent directly to OpenAI's API
  • Google (Gemini): Your content is sent directly to Google's API
  • Local AI (Ollama/LM Studio): Content stays on your device

Nova acts as a direct client to these services. We do not intercept, store, or process any data sent to these providers. Each provider has their own privacy policy governing how they handle your data.

API Key Security

API keys are stored securely:

  • Keys are encrypted at rest
  • Keys are never transmitted to Nova's servers
  • Keys are used only for direct API connections
  • You can revoke or change keys at any time

License Validation

Nova Supernova supporter licenses are validated completely offline:

  • No "phone home" license servers
  • No internet connection required for validation
  • License status stored locally
  • No tracking of license usage

Data Retention

Since Nova collects no data, there is no data retention policy needed. For local data:

  • Conversation history: Automatically deleted after 7 days
  • Settings: Persist until manually changed or plugin removed
  • API keys: Stored until you remove them
  • All data removed when plugin is uninstalled

Your Rights

Since Nova collects no personal data, most data protection rights are not applicable. However:

  • You can delete all local Nova data by uninstalling the plugin
  • You control all API keys and can revoke them anytime
  • You can inspect all Nova functionality via the open source code

Changes to This Policy

If we ever need to change this privacy policy, we will:

  • Update this page with clear change notifications
  • Announce changes in the Nova community
  • Maintain our commitment to zero data collection
  • Ensure any changes align with Nova's privacy-first philosophy

Contact

Questions about privacy? Reach out through GitHub issues or the Nova community channels. We're happy to clarify any aspect of Nova's privacy practices.

Privacy Questions?

We're happy to clarify any aspect of Nova's privacy practices

🔍 View Source Code

Review Nova's complete source code to verify all privacy claims.

View on GitHub

⚡ Install Nova

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Install Guide

📚 See Examples

Explore real workflows showcasing Nova's privacy features.

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