File Handling Policy

This File Handling Policy explains FormatOS's general approach to the files users upload, select, or otherwise provide to the service. It covers:

• Uploaded files and file metadata
• Source and output file formats
• Temporary processing and conversion workflow
• Download links and converted outputs
• Temporary storage and file retention
• File deletion after processing
• Failed conversions and unsupported files
• File backup responsibility
• Sensitive file warnings
• Security limitations
• Malware and abuse prevention
• Copyright and legal use responsibility
• Conversion quality and output limitations
• File metadata handling
• Third-party infrastructure
• Advertising and file handling

This policy should be read together with the other legal pages published on FormatOS, including the Privacy Policy, Terms & Conditions, Disclaimer, and Cookie Policy. Those pages cover areas not addressed here, including personal data, cookies, analytics, advertising technologies, and service terms.

When you use FormatOS, the general conversion workflow operates as follows: you select a source file, choose a supported output format, and your browser processes the file on your device to prepare the output for download. Once the converted file is ready, you download and review it.

Every current public FormatOS tool works this way — entirely in your browser:

• Conversions run locally in your browser, using browser APIs, JavaScript processing, or device-level capabilities. Your file is processed on your device and is not uploaded to FormatOS servers to be converted.
• Because conversion happens on your device, your files are not transmitted to or stored on FormatOS infrastructure as part of a conversion.
• If a future tool ever required temporary server-side or third-party processing to support a specific format, that tool's own page would clearly disclose it before you upload anything.

How a specific conversion behaves may depend on the file type, output format, file size, and your browser's capabilities. Supported formats and conversion methods may vary over time as the service evolves. Some conversions may fail, produce imperfect results, or not be supported for certain format combinations or file structures.

When you select a file in FormatOS, that file is read and processed in your browser, on your device, for the sole purpose of providing the conversion you requested. With the current public tools, your file is processed locally and is handled only to:

• Complete the specific file conversion you requested
• Generate the converted output for you to download
• Show conversion status, errors, or previews within the tool

FormatOS does not claim ownership over your files. You retain all rights you already hold in them. Using a tool does not transfer ownership of any file to FormatOS, and because conversions run in your browser, your files are not uploaded to FormatOS servers to be converted.

You remain responsible at all times for the content of files you process. FormatOS does not review, verify, endorse, or approve the files you handle with the service.

With the current public tools, files are processed in your browser, in temporary memory on your own device, only for as long as it takes to complete the conversion you requested. This in-browser handling is what makes it possible to:

• Generate the converted output file
• Prepare the converted file for download from your device
• Handle multi-step or format-specific conversion workflows
• Show conversion progress, previews, and error messages

In-browser processing does not mean FormatOS claims ownership of your files. Your files stay on your device and are not used for purposes unrelated to performing the conversion you requested.

Because the work happens on your device, FormatOS holds no server-side copy of your files to retain or delete. The temporary in-browser copy is released when you close or reload the tab. If a future tool ever required temporary server-side processing, that tool's own page would disclose how long any temporary file is kept before you upload.

With the current public tools, your files and converted outputs are never sent to FormatOS servers, so there is nothing on FormatOS infrastructure to delete. The temporary in-browser copy is released when you close or reload the tool, and the converted output lives only on your own device.

Separately from your files, the website's hosting and analytics providers may record limited technical information about visits — as is standard for any website — for purposes including security, debugging, analytics, abuse prevention, and reliability. This is not derived from the contents of your files and may include:

• Pages and tools visited
• Timestamps of activity
• IP address and general location
• Browser and device information
• Referring website or source
• Usage patterns and request frequency

FormatOS should not be treated as a file storage service, cloud archive, document repository, or backup system. Because converted output exists only on your device, you should save it promptly and keep your own backup copies of both original and converted files.

After a successful conversion, the converted file is generated in your browser and offered to you as a download. Because it is produced on your device rather than hosted on a server, the output is only available within that tool session — it is released when you close or reload the tab, so you need to save it before then.

FormatOS does not retain converted files for you. You are responsible for:

• Saving the converted file before you close or reload the tool
• Storing the converted file on your own device or secure storage
• Reviewing the converted output to verify it is correct and complete
• Keeping the original file until you have confirmed the converted output meets your needs
• Securely storing converted files that contain sensitive information

FormatOS is not responsible for unsaved converted outputs, or any loss resulting from a failure to save a converted file before the tool session ends.

You should always keep a backup copy of your original file before uploading it to FormatOS. This is a fundamental precaution that applies to any online service, and it is especially important when working with files that cannot be easily recreated.

FormatOS is a file conversion utility. It is not a cloud storage service, backup system, document archive, or permanent file hosting platform. Files uploaded to FormatOS, and the converted outputs generated by the service, may be removed, become unavailable, expire, be overwritten, or become inaccessible — for technical, security, operational, or policy reasons — with or without prior notice.

FormatOS is not responsible for lost, deleted, corrupted, expired, unavailable, damaged, overwritten, or otherwise unrecoverable files or conversion outputs, regardless of the circumstances.

Current FormatOS tools process files in your browser, on your device, so your files are not uploaded to FormatOS servers. Even so, you should still take normal precautions with highly sensitive, confidential, regulated, or private files and use a secure, trusted device. Examples of file types that may warrant extra caution include — but are not limited to:

• Government-issued identity documents
• Passwords or authentication credentials
• Bank statements and financial records
• Tax documents and returns
• Medical records and health information
• Legal documents and contracts
• Confidential business files
• Trade secrets or proprietary information
• Private or personal photographs
• Client or customer records
• Employment records
• Academic records and transcripts
• Documents involving minors
• Regulated or legally restricted data
• Insurance or policy documents
• Personal communications

If a file involves legal, regulatory, medical, financial, business, compliance, or professional obligations, you should consult a qualified professional before relying on any converted output. FormatOS does not provide professional advice, and the service is not designed or certified for the processing of regulated or legally sensitive data.

FormatOS may reject, block, limit, fail to process, or return an error for files that are:

• Not supported by the current conversion engine
• Exceeding the file size limit
• Corrupted or structurally damaged
• Password-protected or encrypted
• Technically incompatible with the chosen output format
• Suspicious or potentially harmful
• Likely to contain malware or malicious code
• Involved in rights infringement or abusive activity
• Uploaded in violation of site policies or terms
• Excessively resource-intensive to process
• Submitted at a frequency that triggers rate limits
• Not compatible with the current conversion method

Rejection or failure does not necessarily mean a file is unsafe or harmful. It may simply mean the file format is currently unsupported, technically incompatible, or outside the scope of available conversion tools. FormatOS may apply file size limits, rate limits, format restrictions, processing limits, or download controls to protect the service, maintain fair access, and prevent abuse.

You must not upload malware, viruses, spyware, ransomware, trojans, malicious scripts, exploits, harmful files, or files designed or intended to attack, compromise, damage, or disrupt systems, devices, networks, or services.

FormatOS may use automated or technical measures to detect suspicious files, unusual usage patterns, excessive or automated requests, abusive behavior, bot activity, spam, or harmful content. Files or users that trigger these measures may be blocked, rate-limited, removed, or restricted without prior notice.

You are responsible for keeping your own devices, browsers, and networks protected. You should scan files for malware or harmful content using your own security tools before uploading them to any online service, including FormatOS. You should not upload files obtained from untrusted, unknown, or suspicious sources.

FormatOS is not responsible for malware, harmful content, or security risks introduced through user-uploaded files, third-party services, or circumstances outside reasonable control.

You must only upload files that you have created yourself, that you own, or for which you hold the appropriate licence, permission, or legal authorization to process.

File conversion does not remove, waive, transfer, circumvent, or modify any copyright, ownership rights, licensing restrictions, digital rights management (DRM) restrictions, platform restrictions, or third-party rights that apply to a file. A converted output is subject to the same legal rights, obligations, and restrictions as the original file.

You are solely responsible for determining whether you have the legal right to convert, download, store, share, publish, use, or distribute any file or its converted output. FormatOS provides a technical conversion utility and does not provide legal advice or grant authorization for any specific use of a file.

FormatOS must not be used to infringe copyright, bypass access controls, evade DRM protections, circumvent paywall or platform restrictions, or distribute unauthorized, pirated, or restricted content. FormatOS may restrict or block activity that appears to violate copyright, intellectual property rights, applicable laws, or site policies.

File conversion is a technical process and may not always produce perfect, complete, or identical results. Output quality may vary depending on the source file's quality, structure, complexity, and format, as well as format limitations, file size, compression settings, font availability, embedded content, metadata, file encoding, and your browser's capabilities.

The following elements may change, degrade, be partially or fully lost, or behave differently in a converted output:

• Page layout and formatting
• Colors, contrast, and visual styling
• Fonts, typography, and text rendering
• Image and photograph quality
• Image resolution after resizing
• Transparency and alpha channels
• Document hierarchy and structure
• Tables, grids, and spreadsheet data
• Text extracted from scanned pages (OCR)
• Column structure in CSV, JSON, XML, or YAML data
• Character encoding and special characters
• Line breaks and whitespace in text
• Embedded objects and linked content
• File metadata and document properties
• EPUB structure, headings, and contents
• Bank statement rows and parsed amounts

Some converted files may not open correctly in every application, browser, operating system, or device. Some conversions may fail entirely due to file corruption, encryption, unusual structure, or format incompatibility. You should always carefully review converted files before using them for any professional, legal, financial, academic, creative, official, or business purpose.

FormatOS is not responsible for inaccurate, incomplete, corrupted, failed, delayed, incompatible, or unexpected conversion results.

Files may contain metadata — information embedded within or attached to a file that is not always visible as part of its main content. Metadata may include details such as author names, creation and modification timestamps, location or GPS data, camera and device information, document properties, revision history, embedded comments, hidden layers, embedded objects, track changes, or other technical properties.

Depending on the file type and conversion method used, metadata may be preserved, removed, changed, or in some cases exposed or made more accessible in the converted output. FormatOS does not guarantee that metadata will always be removed, preserved, or handled in a specific way.

If metadata matters to you — for example, if a file contains personal information, author details, location data, or private document history — you should inspect and manage your file's metadata before uploading it. You are responsible for removing sensitive metadata from files before uploading or sharing them, whether through FormatOS or any other service.

FormatOS may use third-party providers to operate the website and make the in-browser conversion tools available. These may include services for:

• Web hosting and static site delivery
• Security, bot protection, and threat detection
• Performance monitoring and reliability
• Analytics and usage statistics
• Advertising and ad measurement
• Contact form and communication handling
• Content delivery and caching
• Error logging and diagnostics
• Abuse detection and prevention
• Delivery of the code that runs conversions in your browser

These providers deliver the website and the tool code to your browser; the conversion itself then runs on your device, so your files are not sent to these providers as part of a conversion. They may still process limited data — such as usage information or technical identifiers — as needed to support the website. Each third-party provider operates under its own terms, privacy policies, cookie policies, and security practices.

FormatOS does not control every technical process, policy, or security measure used by third-party services and is not responsible for third-party errors, interruptions, data handling decisions, or content. Users should review the related legal pages for more information about how third-party services may interact with usage of the site.

FormatOS may display advertisements through third-party advertising partners or advertising networks. Advertising supports the ongoing operation, maintenance, and improvement of the website and its file conversion tools, enabling the service to remain available to users.

Advertising partners may use cookies, pixels, device identifiers, or similar technologies to serve, personalise, measure, and improve advertisements. These partners operate under their own privacy policies and applicable advertising standards. For more information, please review the Cookie Policy.

The display of advertising does not mean that FormatOS sells, shares, or provides access to your files or documents for advertising purposes. With the current tools, your files are processed in your browser and are not uploaded to FormatOS servers, so they are never available to advertising partners.

FormatOS does not control every advertisement, product claim, destination link, or offer shown through third-party advertising systems. The appearance of an advertisement does not constitute an endorsement by FormatOS of the advertiser or their products and services. You should independently review any advertised product or service before interacting with it.

This File Handling Policy explains FormatOS's general approach to file handling. It does not replace, supersede, or limit the Privacy Policy, Terms & Conditions, Disclaimer, or Cookie Policy. Those documents address other aspects of the service and apply alongside this policy.

Specific file handling behavior may depend on the conversion type, the browser or device you use, and the file format and size. Current public tools run entirely in your browser. If a future tool ever required temporary server-side processing, that tool's own page would clearly disclose it before you upload. Technical behavior may evolve as the website improves.

FormatOS may update its file handling practices over time. This policy describes the general approach in use at the time of the last update date shown at the top of this page.

FormatOS may update this File Handling Policy from time to time to reflect changes in technology, file processing methods, security practices, legal requirements, advertising arrangements, analytics, third-party infrastructure, or website functionality.

When updates are made, the "Last updated" date shown at the top of this page will be revised. Your continued use of FormatOS after an updated policy is published constitutes your acceptance of the revised version. If you do not agree with the updated policy, you should stop using the service.

We encourage you to review this page periodically, particularly if you regularly upload files or rely on the conversion tools for professional, legal, academic, or business purposes.