Privacy policy
Last updated 2026-10-29
TerraPuzzle is free and has no ads or accounts. We don't use cookies, third-party analytics or advertising trackers, we don't store IP addresses, and we don't sell personal information.
TerraPuzzle is operated by Capital Coders Inc. (“we”, “us”), which also runs TerraPrinter. This policy covers terrapuzzle.com and its subdomains. Questions and requests: privacy@capitalcoders.ca.
Puzzles are made in your browser
The 3D puzzle is built on your own device. The files you download (STL, 3MF and the rest) are not uploaded to us. When you press Play it now, the puzzle is handed to the playground inside your browser and stays on your device. A puzzle only reaches our server when you share it or play the daily puzzle (below).
What we collect
- Visit statistics: the page you open, the site that referred you and any campaign tags in the link, your browser's time zone (from which we infer your country; we don't look up your IP address), device type, browser and operating system (worked out from your browser's user-agent, which isn't stored), and how long the page was in use. These are tied to a random ID kept in your browser's local storage (
tpz_vid), not to your name or email. - Usage events: when you make, download, share, open, start or solve a puzzle, a small event with that random ID, the kind of event and a number such as the piece count or the file type. We use these to see which features are used and what to improve.
- Shared puzzles: when you press Create link, your browser uploads the puzzle: its shape, the area it shows (place name and coordinates), its settings, the name you give it and a small picture. We keep it so the link works. Anyone with the link can play it and see where it is. If you leave Show it in the public gallery on, and the puzzle has a name, it is listed in the gallery with its picture, name, place, play count and best time.
- The daily puzzle: the first visitor each day uploads that day's puzzle, which holds only the chosen place and settings.
- Leaderboard scores: when you save a score, the initials you type (up to three letters), your time, score, mode, hints used and which puzzle it was. These are public on the puzzle's leaderboard and in the gallery.
- Reports about a shared puzzle: the reason you give.
- A one-way code of your IP address: with shared puzzles, scores and reports, and to count requests for rate limits, we store a salted one-way hash of your IP address, never the address itself. We use it to stop spam, count one report per person and enforce bans. Rate-limit counts are deleted after about two hours.
- Server logs: like most websites, our hosting provider records each request (IP address, page, time, browser) in standard web server logs.
Browser storage
We don't set cookies. These are kept in your browser:
| Name | Purpose |
|---|---|
tpz_vid, tpz_vs | Random visitor ID and the current visit, for the visit statistics above. |
tpz_initials | The initials you last typed for the leaderboard, so you don't have to type them again. |
tpz_mode, tpz_ghost, tpz_lb, tpz_music, tpz_sfx | Playground settings: game mode, ghost image, leaderboard panel, music and sound effects. Never sent to us. |
terrapuzzle (IndexedDB) | The puzzle you last sent from the generator to the playground. Never sent to us. |
tpz_pb:… | Your best times per puzzle, shown in the playground. Never sent to us. |
Clearing your browser's site data removes all of these and gives you a new random ID.
Services your browser connects to
To draw the map and build puzzles, your browser loads data straight from these providers, which therefore see your IP address and the map area you're viewing:
- Map imagery: Esri World Imagery and OpenStreetMap, and OpenPlanetaryMap for the Moon and Mars.
- Place search: Photon by komoot (photon.komoot.io), which receives what you type in the search box.
- Elevation and planet data: TerraPrinter's elevation server (run by us) and Mapzen Terrain Tiles on Amazon Web Services. Roads, buildings and water are fetched by our own server from TerraPrinter, so no third party sees your IP address for them.
- Code libraries and icons from unpkg.com and jsDelivr, and page fonts from Google Fonts.
Each provider handles data under its own privacy policy.
How we use it
- To run TerraPuzzle: share links, the gallery, the daily puzzle and the leaderboards.
- To understand how the site is used, in aggregate, and decide what to improve.
- To keep the service working and safe: rate limits, spotting abuse and moderating shared puzzles.
- To answer you when you contact us.
We don't sell or rent personal information, use it for advertising, or share it with anyone except the hosting providers that run the site for us, or when the law requires it.
How long we keep it
- Visit statistics and usage events: about 13 months, then deleted. Email us your
tpz_vidID and we'll delete the records tied to it sooner. - Shared puzzles and their pictures: kept so the links keep working. Email us the link to have it removed.
- Leaderboard scores: kept with their puzzle. Email us to have a score removed.
- Reports: as long as needed to handle them and keep a record of moderation decisions.
- Rate-limit counts: about two hours.
Your choices and rights
You can use TerraPuzzle without sharing anything: puzzles you only download or play stay on your device. You can email privacy@capitalcoders.ca to ask for a copy of the information we hold about you, to correct it, or to delete it. Depending on where you live you may have further rights under laws such as Canada's PIPEDA, the EU and UK GDPR, or California's CCPA, including the right to complain to your data protection authority. We'll answer requests within 30 days.
Where data is stored
Our servers are run by a hosting provider and the third-party services above operate worldwide, so your information may be processed outside your country. We protect it with HTTPS and access limited to the people who run TerraPuzzle.
Children
TerraPuzzle doesn't ask for names, emails or accounts, and we don't knowingly collect children's personal information. Leaderboards only show initials. If you think a child has shared something personal, email us and we'll remove it.
Commercial licenses
TerraPuzzle doesn't sell anything itself. Commercial licenses are bought on terraprinter.com and covered by the TerraPrinter privacy policy.
Changes
If we change this policy we'll post the new version here and update the date at the top.
Contact
Capital Coders Inc. — privacy@capitalcoders.ca