Terms of Service

Effective date: January 14, 2026 For users transitioning from prior terms, these terms are effective January 29, 2026.

Contact: contact@beaverapp.ai

Who we are. Beaver is an AI-assisted research tool that integrates with reference managers and document editors (such as Zotero and Microsoft Word). Features include semantic search, a reading assistant, chat with your library, and automated processing. Depending on your plan, your data may be processed locally on your device or synced to our servers for enhanced features. We are not affiliated with Zotero, Microsoft, or any other third-party platform.

By installing or using Beaver, you agree to these Terms. If you don't agree, please don't use the Service.

1) What the Service does

We sync your library data (metadata and files like PDFs) from connected sources such as Zotero to our servers; process those files (e.g., text extraction, embeddings); provide search; and route your prompts/queries to AI models you select. Some features are beta/experimental and may change or break.

2) Your content & your responsibility

Ownership. You keep all rights to your library, PDFs, notes, and metadata ("User Content").

License to operate. You grant us a limited license to host, copy, and process User Content solely to provide and secure the Service for you (e.g., create indexes/embeddings, generate outputs you request, and provide support). Any product‑improvement use of Chat Data occurs only if you opt in as described in Section 4; we do not use your Files for product improvement.

You must have rights. You are solely responsible for ensuring you're legally allowed to sync, copy, process, and index each document in the libraries you sync with Beaver including copyrighted, licensed, paywalled, or embargoed PDFs. If licenses or institutional permissions are required, you must obtain them. We do not review your materials for legal compliance.

Representations. You represent and warrant that you have all rights and permissions necessary to upload, sync, copy, and process your User Content with Beaver (including content under paywalled, licensed, or embargoed access) and that your use complies with applicable licenses, institutional policies, and laws.

Acceptable use. You will not: (a) infringe or misappropriate IP or privacy rights; (b) use credentials, subscriptions, or institutional access in ways that violate their terms (including bulk downloading/scraping of paywalled content); (c) attempt to bypass technical controls or rate limits; (d) upload malware or interfere with the Service; or (e) process personal data you're not authorized to process.

Indemnity. You'll defend and hold us harmless from claims related to your User Content or your use of Beaver (including copyright/license claims).

Eligibility. You must be at least 13 years old (or the minimum age of digital consent in your country) to use Beaver.

3) AI models, embeddings & providers (including BYOK)

Model selection. Beaver uses third‑party APIs for embeddings and AI responses. You can choose a model/provider for AI responses from available options. Model availability may change.

Provider terms. When we send your prompts/queries and the necessary context to a provider, that provider's terms and data‑use rules also apply.

Our chat credits. When you use Beaver's included AI credits, we configure providers not to use your data for model training where such settings are available.

Bring‑Your‑Own‑Key (BYOK). You may supply your own provider API key. We do not store your key server‑side and we do not log it; it is transmitted with each request for routing to the provider you chose. You are responsible for charges, rate limits, and data‑use rules of that provider. Providers may retain prompts or logs per their policies when you use BYOK. Review and configure your provider's data‑use and retention settings; we can't control them.

Outputs. As between you and us, you own your AI outputs to the extent permitted by law and third‑party terms. Outputs may be non‑unique and can contain errors; do not rely on them without independent verification.

4) Quality improvement, evaluation, and training

Our commitment. We never use your files and attachments ("Files") for model training, quality improvement, or evaluations. For AI Data (prompts, queries, and AI-generated outputs from both interactive and automated features), we only use this data for improvement purposes if you explicitly consent through your account settings.

What may be used (with your consent only). If you enable data sharing in your account settings, we may use your AI Data for purposes such as model training, feature evaluation, quality measurement, research, and the overall improvement of Beaver. AI Data includes your prompts, AI responses, and any document excerpts or page images that were retrieved during an interaction—whether from a chat conversation or an automated feature. It may also include metadata associated with library items—such as authors, titles, abstracts, and other bibliographic information. However, we do not use your original PDF files or full library attachments for training—only the specific content processed by AI features. You can change your data sharing preference at any time in your account settings.

30‑day window & de‑identification. AI Data used for product improvement remains linked to your account for up to 30 days to support operations, safety reviews, and user deletion requests. After that, we store the data separately and remove direct identifiers (e.g., account ID/email) and use automated systems to identify and remove or replace personal information within the content itself before using it for product improvement. We do not consider references to published research, academic authors, or scholarly works to be personal information requiring removal. We cannot guarantee that all personal information will be detected and removed through this automated process.

Providers & BYOK reminder. When using Beaver-funded credits, we configure supported providers not to train on your data where such settings are available. When using your own API key (BYOK), your provider's terms and data practices apply and are outside our control. We do not store your API key; it is transmitted securely with each request.

AI usage logs and history. Even if you do not share AI Data for improvement, we retain: (a) minimal request-related metadata (timestamps, model ID, token count, estimated request cost) for operational integrity, billing verification, cost estimation, dispute resolution, and regulatory compliance; and (b) your interaction history (chat and automated feature outputs) so you can view and restore past threads. This history is visible only to you and is not used by us for product improvement. You can delete your interaction history at any time in your account settings.

5) Fair use and service limits

Fair use. We may apply caps or throttling to keep the Service stable for everyone.

Changes. Features, models, pricing, and plan limits may change. We'll give notice for material changes.

No general file hosting or backup. Beaver indexes and processes files solely to provide app features; it is not a general file‑hosting or backup service. We may throttle, restrict, or remove usage that undermines service stability or violates these Terms.

Storage management To keep the Service fast and affordable, we may periodically remove our stored copies of your attachment files. This does not change or delete your original files in connected sources (such as Zotero). If you later access those items again, we may re‑upload them on demand. This can cause a short delay while files are restored. The Service is not a backup or general file‑hosting service—please keep your own copies.

6) Plans, Credits, and Usage Measurement

Some Beaver features are measured using Credits. Credits come in two types:

Page Credits – used to process document pages for full-text search (e.g., extract text/structure, generate embeddings).

Chat Credits – used for chat/model operations and related tool calls.

A Tool Call is a discrete operation where a large language model (LLM) invokes an external function or capability to fulfill a request. Tools calls are triggered automatically by the system. They include operations such as searches, or any other external service that the LLM calls upon to complete a task. Each individual invocation of a tool by the LLM counts as one tool call, regardless of whether it was initiated directly by you or automatically by the system to process your request.

Your current balances are shown in your account dashboard. If you run out of a required Credit type, we may pause the relevant features until Credits are available again.

Charging boundary (no double‑charging): Work done to process pages for search consumes Page Credits (not Chat Credits). Work done to fulfill a chat Request consumes Chat Credits as described below.

Page Credits (one‑time)

Grant & scope. Page Credits are a one‑time allocation tied to your account and are consumed when we successfully process a page for search from your documents.

What counts as a "page." For PDFs and similar formats, a page is a document page. For other formats, we may use a reasonable page equivalent.

Failures are reimbursed. If processing fails on our side (no usable index is produced), we reimburse the Page Credits for the affected pages. If a failure isn't automatically recognized, contact us within 30 days and we'll investigate and credit any confirmed errors.

No rollover/renewal. Page Credits do not renew or extend on a schedule; they persist for the life of your account and are forfeited upon account deletion.

Minimums & rounding. When a calculation results in a fraction, we round up to the nearest 0.1 Credit (and may apply a minimum debit per request or Tool Call as shown in the app).

Not cash; not transferable. Page Credits have no cash value and aren't transferable between accounts unless we agree in writing.

Chat Credits

How debits work. Chat usage is measured in Chat Credits and is debited per Request and per Tool Call, using one (1) Chat Credit per Request and one (1) Chat Credit per Tool Call as the baseline. The amount debited also depends on the model used: each model has a model factor that we multiply with the total number of Requests and Tool Calls for that interaction. The current model factors are shown in the app's model selector.

Model factor. Some Plans limit you to certain models; other Plans let you choose. Where you can choose, we apply the model factor. Otherwise, the model factor does not apply.

Changes to model factor. We may update model factors at any time. These updates will be reflected in the model selector within the app. Any increase in model factors for paid plans will be communicated in advance with at least a 14 days notice. Changes in model factor for free plans do not require such notice.

Failures & retries. We don’t debit Chat Credits for clear provider‑side failures before any usable output is produced. If a Request produces output (even partial) or if you re‑run/retry a Request, associated Credits may be debited. We may correct erroneous debits.

Stopping model output. Using the Stop button interrupts display on the client side, but processing may continue on the server or provider side. Any output generated up to the time processing actually stops may still be debited.

BYOK. If you use your own provider/API key, the provider's pricing and data‑use terms apply and are your responsibility. We don't debit Chat Credits for the model call or tool calls generated by requests made with your own API key, including for tool calls processed on our server. We reserve the right to impose limits on tool calls in the future.

Not cash; not transferable. Chat Credits have no cash value, are non‑refundable except as required by law, and aren't transferable between accounts unless we agree in writing.

Included Credits, Overage, and Pausing

Included monthly Credits. Some Plans include a monthly allocation of Chat Credits. Unless stated otherwise, unused included Chat Credits don't roll over.

Overage or pause. If you use up included Chat Credits, we may pause usage until renewal or purchase of more Credits. You will be able to continue using the service with your own API key (BYOK).

Promotional Credits. Promotional or bonus Credits may have different terms or expirations and no cash value; we'll note these where offered.

Billing, Disputes, and Corrections

Except where the law requires otherwise, fees and purchased Credits are non‑refundable. If you believe we mis‑measured usage or mis‑debited Credits, contact us within 30 days of the charge; we'll investigate and credit your account for any confirmed errors.

7) Privacy & data handling (summary)

See our Privacy Policy for details. High level:

Where data lives. We primarily process and store data in the United States (e.g., Google Cloud Run/Functions in us-central, Supabase).

Sub‑processors. We use reputable vendors such as Google Cloud, Supabase, Voyage AI, Modal, turbopuffer, Logfire, and E2B. Sub‑processors may change; we'll update our list and provide notice of material changes when required.

Logging & monitoring. We record system logs (including user IDs, request metadata, performance metrics, and error messages) that are processed by our subprocessors (Logfire and Google Cloud Platform) and retained for up to 90 days before deletion. We also maintain operational sync logs and AI usage logs in our primary database for service integrity, billing verification, and dispute resolution.

Security. We apply reasonable safeguards, including encryption in transit and at rest, and access controls. However, no system is perfectly secure.

Deletion. You can request deletion of your account. Account deletion is scheduled within 10 days of your request. You'll receive an email notification when the deletion is complete. You can continue using Beaver until the deletion is processed, though you'll be signed out when your current authentication token expires. Active data is deleted within this timeframe; backups and logs are removed on a rolling schedule.

EU/UK/EEA. For personal data you provide, you are typically the data controller and we act as data processor. For account and operational data, we may act as an independent controller. International data transfers rely on appropriate safeguards (e.g., SCCs). A simple DPA is available on request.

Legitimate interests (Art. 6(1)(f)): service reliability, security/anti‑abuse, analytics, and system monitoring.

8) Non‑affiliation

Beaver is not an official service of Zotero, Microsoft, or any other third-party platform. These third parties bear no responsibility or liability for Beaver.

9) Copyright complaints

If you believe material processed through Beaver infringes your rights, email contact@beaverapp.ai with: (a) your contact information; (b) identification of the work claimed infringed; (c) identification of the infringing material; and (d) a statement, under penalty of perjury, of your good‑faith belief and your authority. We may remove or restrict access to allegedly infringing material and may terminate repeat infringers. If we remove material, we may notify the user, who may submit a counter‑notice. As we grow, we may register a formal DMCA agent if required.

10) Disclaimers

The Service is provided "as is" and "as available." We disclaim all warranties (including merchantability, fitness for a particular purpose, and non‑infringement). We don't promise uninterrupted or error‑free operation, or the accuracy of AI outputs.

11) Limitation of liability

To the fullest extent permitted by law, our total liability for anything related to Beaver is limited to the greater of US $100 or the amount you paid us in the past 3 months. We are not liable for any indirect, incidental, special, or consequential damages (such as lost profits, lost data, or business interruption). Some jurisdictions do not allow these limitations, so your statutory rights may still apply.

12) Account security

You're responsible for maintaining the confidentiality of your credentials and for activity under your account. Notify us promptly of any suspected unauthorized use or security incident.

13) Termination

You can stop using Beaver at any time. We may suspend or end access if you violate these Terms, threaten service stability/security, or as required by law. Sections that should survive (ownership, licenses, disclaimers, limits) will continue to apply.

Tier adjustments for inactivity. If you are on a non-paying tier that includes cloud storage or processing features (such as the free Beta tier) and there is no service activity (such as chat messages or automated processing) for 90 days, we may migrate your account to a more limited tier and delete stored file copies and derived data (such as embeddings, processed text, and thumbnails). Before making this change, we will send notice to the email on file and give you at least 14 days to sign in and use the service to retain your current tier. Your account remains active—only the tier and associated server-side data changes. Your original files in connected sources are unaffected. This does not apply to paid subscription accounts in good standing.

Free account inactivity and deletion. We want to keep inactive, unused data from piling up. If you're on a free account and there is no service activity for 90 days, we may (i) deactivate the account or remove stored file copies and derived data, and later (ii) delete the account and remaining data. Before deleting an account, we'll send notice to the email on file and give you at least 14 days to sign in and use the service to keep it active. If your email bounces or you don't respond, we may proceed with deletion. This doesn't affect any paid subscription accounts in good standing. We may retain minimal records needed for security, fraud prevention, or legal obligations (e.g., billing records) as described in our Privacy Policy.

14) Governing law

These Terms are governed by the laws of Massachusetts, USA, excluding conflict‑of‑law rules. Mandatory consumer rights in your home country still apply.

Export controls. You must comply with U.S. and applicable international export and sanctions laws. You may not use the Service if you are subject to sanctions or in a prohibited jurisdiction.

15) Miscellaneous

These Terms are the entire agreement between you and us regarding the Service. If any provision is unenforceable, the remainder remains in effect. Our failure to enforce isn't a waiver. You may not assign these Terms without our consent; we may assign to an affiliate or in connection with a merger or sale. Neither party is liable for delays due to events beyond its reasonable control.

Changes to these Terms. We may update these Terms. Material changes will be notified via email or in‑app notice at least 15 days before they take effect (or sooner for legal/security reasons). Continuing to use the Service after the effective date means you accept the changes.

16) Contact

Questions, requests (including deletion/export): contact@beaverapp.ai