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NesiciCoding edited this page May 15, 2026 · 3 revisions

Data & Privacy

How data is stored

Rubric Maker stores all data locally in the browser's localStorage. Nothing is transmitted to any external server. There is no telemetry, no analytics, no user accounts, and no cookies (except the language preference).

The only network requests at runtime are:

  • Common Standards Project API — only if you use the standards picker feature and have an API key configured.
  • Microsoft Graph API — only if you connect a Microsoft 365 account in Settings.

Both are opt-in and triggered explicitly by the user.

What is stored

Data category Description Contains PII?
Rubrics Rubric definitions (criteria, levels, scoring mode) No
Students Student names, email addresses, class assignments Yes
Graded rubrics Scores and feedback per student per rubric Yes (linked to student)
Comment bank Reusable feedback snippets No
Attachments Uploaded student work (PDF, DOCX, images) stored as base64 Potentially
Essay submissions Student essay text submitted via share code Yes
Peer reviews Peer scores and comments Yes
Self-assessments Student self-scores Yes
Speaking sessions Session notes and scores for oral assessments Yes
Settings Language, theme, and other preferences No
CEFR descriptors Locally cached CEFR level reference data No
Standards favourites Saved standard codes and titles No
Backup timestamp Date of the last exported backup No

localStorage limits

Browsers impose a limit of roughly 5–10 MB per origin on localStorage. Attachments stored as base64-encoded strings are the biggest consumers. A single 1 MB PDF becomes approximately 1.3 MB after base64 encoding.

The app displays a warning when storage is running low. If you hit the limit:

  1. Export a backup from Settings → Data Management.
  2. Remove attachments from old or completed grading sessions.

Backup and restore

Regular backups are strongly recommended, especially on shared or managed devices where browser storage can be cleared by IT policy, browser updates, or a cache wipe.

Export a backup:

  1. Go to Settings → Data Management.
  2. Click Export backup.
  3. A rubricmaker-backup-<date>.json file is downloaded to your device.

Restore from backup:

  1. Go to Settings → Data Management.
  2. Click Import backup and select the JSON file.
  3. All existing data is replaced with the backup contents.

The JSON file is human-readable and can be opened in any text editor.

Transferring data between devices

Rubric Maker has no sync mechanism. To move data from one device to another:

  1. Export a backup on the source device.
  2. Open Rubric Maker on the target device.
  3. Import the backup file.

GDPR considerations

Because student data (names, emails, submitted work) is stored in localStorage, the device running the application is the data processor. Relevant points for schools subject to GDPR:

  • Data never leaves the device unless the operator exports a backup.
  • Ensure the device is secured (password-protected, full-disk encryption).
  • At the end of an assessment cycle, use the backup export and then clear the browser's site data to remove student records.
  • Attachments (student work) may contain sensitive information — treat exported backup files with the same care as physical student records.

For the full data inventory and GDPR article references, see PRIVACY.md in the repository.

Clearing all data

To remove all application data from the browser:

  1. Open the browser's developer tools (F12).
  2. Go to Application → Storage → localStorage.
  3. Select the Rubric Maker origin and click Clear.

Or use the browser's Clear site data option under Site settings. This is irreversible — export a backup first if you want to keep the data.

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