Who we are and what we keep
CoverKestrel is a small online business that checks certificates of insurance for HOAs, property managers, and contractors. For any privacy question or request, email coverkestrelcoi@gmail.com.
The short version: we do not keep your certificate. Here is what happens when you run a check.
Your PDF is read in memory on our server and then discarded. It is never written to disk or file storage, and no link to it is created.
Nothing from the check is saved in our database. You do not sign in, so the check is not tied to an account.
To read the certificate, its text (or an image of any page that has no text) is sent to OpenAI. OpenAI does not use it to train its models, and may hold it for up to 30 days to watch for abuse before deleting it.
We save something only if you ask us to. If you request a renewal reminder, we save your email address, the vendor and company names you type, the earliest expiration date on the certificate, and whether you want tips. Email coverkestrelcoi@gmail.com and we will delete it.
Information submitted to the COI Checker
The public COI Checker accepts one PDF file up to 10 MB at a time. When you submit a file, the service receives its filename, declared PDF media type, and contents. It does not ask you to sign in, create an account, or look up a customer record. The server extracts selectable PDF text and renders pages without selectable text as images. That text and those page images are sent to our AI provider (OpenAI) to extract selected carrier, policy type, limit, and expiration details. The result is returned to your browser for display; the app does not save the extracted result in its database.
The extraction can omit or misread information and is only a reading aid. It does not evaluate coverage, confirm that insurance is active, or provide a contract-compliance result. CoverKestrel does not save the submitted PDF to file storage and does not create a public link to it. The file is held in memory only for the duration of the check and then discarded.
Payments
Founding Member payments are processed by Stripe. Card details are entered on Stripe’s checkout page and go directly to Stripe; CoverKestrel never receives or stores your card number. We keep your email address, the company or HOA name you enter at checkout, and the status of your subscription so we can provide the service.
Storage, retention, and deletion
CoverKestrel does not keep uploaded PDFs or the results of a check.
OpenAI reads the certificate for us through its API. Under OpenAI's API terms, it does not use that content to train its models, and it may keep it for up to 30 days for abuse monitoring before deleting it.
If you request a renewal reminder, we save your email address, the vendor name and company name you type (both optional), the earliest expiration date read from that certificate, and whether you want tips. Nothing else from the certificate is saved. We keep this until you ask us to delete it. Every reminder email has a link to stop reminders for that certificate, and you can email coverkestrelcoi@gmail.com to have your information deleted.
We use a few service providers to run CoverKestrel: Render hosts the site and its database, OpenAI reads certificates, and Resend sends reminder emails. We do not sell your information or share it for advertising.
Cookies, analytics, and server logs
The site does not use advertising or tracking cookies, and we do not run third-party analytics. If you switch between the light and dark theme, your browser remembers that choice on your device.
To see which pages are useful, our own server counts page views. For each view it keeps only the page, the day, and the website you came from (for example, a search engine). It does not store your IP address or set a cookie, and the counts are never shared or sold.
Like most websites, our host keeps standard server logs, such as IP address, browser type, and the pages requested, for a short time to keep the site running and secure.
Your choices and requests
You can ask us what information we hold about you, ask us to correct it, or ask us to delete it. Email coverkestrelcoi@gmail.com from the address you used with us, and we will reply within 30 days.
If you opted in to tips, reply to any of our emails to stop them.
Where this policy applies
CoverKestrel is based in Virginia, and this site is meant for people and businesses in the United States. It is not directed at children under 13, and we do not knowingly collect information from them.
If we change this policy, we will post the new version on this page and update the date at the top.