Privacy Policy

Last updated: August 2026.

HoudiniMD is an independent, unofficial mirror of SideFX's Houdini documentation. It is run by one person, John C. This page tells you what data HoudiniMD collects, why, and what it does not collect.

What we collect, and why

We keep server logs to run the site and to see which pages are useful. Each page view records:

  • The page path you viewed, and whether the request succeeded.
  • A short code (a hash) made from your IP address and browser type, and a second short code made from your IP address alone. Both are mixed with a secret key that only we hold, so the code cannot be turned back into your IP address. These codes let us count unique visits and drop our own test traffic. Your IP address itself is never written down.
  • Whether the visitor looks like a person, a search-engine crawler, or an AI agent.
  • Your country and city. Cloudflare, our host, provides this from your connection.
  • Which browser referring page sent you here (the site only, never the page path).

If you use search, we also record the text you typed, where you searched from, the page it took you to, and how many results came back. We only record a search after you submit it. We never record what you type as you type it.

This data helps us fix broken pages, see which docs need work, and understand real usage. It is the same kind of basic traffic log most web servers keep. Under the GDPR, our lawful basis is legitimate interest: we need basic traffic figures to keep the site working and useful.

The app release list

HoudiniMD closes on 1 January 2027. If you give us your email address to hear about the desktop app that replaces it, we store:

  • The address you typed, in readable form. We need it readable to send you the mail.
  • The date you gave it.
  • The page you were on when you gave it, so we know which parts of the docs matter to the people waiting.
  • Your country, from your connection.

We send one email, when the app is released. We do not send anything else, we do not sell the list, and we do not pass it to anyone. Under the GDPR, our lawful basis is your consent, given when you submit the form. Ask us to remove your address at any time and we will.

What we do not collect

  • No cookies.
  • No accounts, no sign-in, no passwords.
  • No third-party analytics or advertising scripts.
  • No cross-site tracking.
  • We never store your IP address, in any readable form.

What we store on your device

HoudiniMD stores two small things in your browser, on your device only. Neither is sent to us:

  • Search history for ranking. When you open a search result, your browser remembers the search term and the page you picked, using localStorage. This makes your next search better. It never leaves your browser.

  • An offline page cache. Your browser caches recently viewed doc pages using a service worker, so repeat visits load faster. This is a copy of the page content, not personal data.

  • Whether you closed the closing notice. If you dismiss the banner about the site closing, your browser remembers that so it stays closed. It never leaves your browser.

You can clear all three at any time by clearing your browser's site data for HoudiniMD.

How long we keep it

We keep server logs for 90 days. After that, they are deleted automatically.

We keep the app release list until the release mail is sent, and then we delete it.

Who we share it with

Nobody. We do not sell or share this data with any third party, and we run no advertising. Our host is Cloudflare, which stores and serves the site and its logs on our behalf.

Your rights

You can ask us what data we hold linked to you, and ask us to delete it. In practice, our logs only hold hashed codes and page paths, not your name or email, so we may not be able to find a specific record. Contact us with any request or question.

Contact

HoudiniMD is built by John C. hi@jchd.me