Privacy Policy
Last updated: November 14, 2026
Who we are
Selfroll is a free do-it-yourself payroll calculator for small S-corporation owners. Selfroll is operated by Civil Story. In this policy, "we," "us," and "our" mean Civil Story. "You" means anyone who visits the site or uses the app.
If you have questions about this policy, email us at civilstory@mail.grokbot.com.
The short version
- Your payroll data never leaves your browser.
- It is encrypted with a passphrase only you know. We cannot see it, and we cannot recover it if you lose your passphrase.
- There are no accounts and no analytics. We have no server that receives payroll data.
- Our hosting provider may keep standard server logs.
- Ads appear only on public pages (the homepage and guide pages). They never appear on app pages that show names, Social Security numbers, pay, or company data.
- On public pages, Google and its partners may use cookies to show and measure ads. You can accept or decline personalized ads.
What stays in your browser and how it's protected
Everything you enter into the Selfroll app stays on your device. This includes company details, employee names, Social Security numbers, pay rates, pay history, and tax settings.
Here is how it is protected:
- Encryption. Your data is encrypted with AES-GCM. The encryption key is derived from your passphrase using PBKDF2.
- Local storage only. The encrypted data is saved in your own browser's local storage (localStorage). It is not sent to us or to anyone else.
- Your passphrase is yours. We never receive your passphrase. If you lose it, we cannot unlock or recover your data.
- Plain-English input stays local. When you type payroll instructions in plain English, simple rules in your browser read them. Nothing is sent anywhere.
- Backups. You can export an encrypted backup file. That file is protected by the same passphrase. Where you store it is up to you.
Selfroll never holds, moves, or transmits money. It never connects to a bank. It never files anything with any government agency. It fills draft forms for you to review, sign, and file yourself.
What we don't collect
- No accounts. You do not sign up or log in. We do not collect your name, email address, or password to use the app.
- No analytics. We do not use analytics tools on the site.
- No payroll data on any server. We have no server that receives, stores, or processes your payroll data. We cannot see it.
- No scripts on app pages. The app pages load no ad or analytics scripts.
What the hosting provider may log
Selfroll is a static website hosted by a third-party hosting and content delivery provider (for example, Cloudflare Pages). Like most web hosts, the provider may keep standard server logs when you visit. These logs can include:
- Your IP address
- Your browser's user agent (browser type and version, operating system)
- The pages you requested and when
These logs are kept by the hosting provider under its own policies. They do not include the payroll data you enter in the app, because that data never leaves your browser.
Advertising and cookies on public pages
Selfroll is free because of ads. Ads appear only on public pages: the homepage and guide pages. Ads never appear inside the payroll app screens.
Google AdSense. We may use Google AdSense to show ads on public pages. Here is how it works:
- Third-party vendors, including Google, use cookies to serve ads based on your prior visits to this site and other sites.
- Google's use of advertising cookies lets it and its partners serve ads to you based on your visits to this site and/or other sites on the internet.
- Google and its partners may use cookies and similar identifiers to measure ads.
Opting out of personalized ads. You can:
- Opt out of personalized advertising from Google at https://adssettings.google.com
- Learn how Google uses information from sites that use its services at https://policies.google.com/technologies/partner-sites
- Opt out of some third-party vendors' use of cookies for personalized advertising at https://www.aboutads.info
Consent banner. When you visit a public page, a banner asks whether you accept or decline personalized ads. If you decline, only non-personalized ads are shown. Non-personalized ads may still use cookies for things like frequency capping, fraud prevention, and measurement, as described in Google's policies.
No ads in the app. App pages that show names, Social Security numbers, pay, or company data load no ad scripts and no analytics scripts.
Local storage items
Selfroll stores these items in your browser's local storage:
| Item | What it holds | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Encrypted payroll vault | Your company, employee, and payroll data, encrypted with your passphrase | So the app works and your data stays on your device |
| Terms agreement record | A record that you ticked "I agree" to the Terms and Privacy Policy | So you are not asked again on every visit |
| Ad-consent choice | Whether you accepted or declined personalized ads | So the banner remembers your choice |
Google and its partners may also set their own cookies on public pages, as described above.
Your choices
- Delete your data in the app. Use the delete data button in Settings to remove your payroll data from this browser.
- Clear browser storage. You can clear local storage and cookies for the site in your browser settings. This removes your encrypted vault, your terms agreement record, and your ad choice. Export a backup first if you want to keep your data.
- Change your ad choice. Click the "Ad choices" link in the site footer at any time to accept or decline personalized ads.
- Use the opt-out links. See the links in the advertising section above.
Before using the app, you must tick the "I agree" checkbox to accept the Terms and this Privacy Policy.
Emails you send us
If you email us at civilstory@mail.grokbot.com, we receive your email address and whatever you include in your message. We use it only to reply to you and handle your request.
Please do not send us Social Security numbers, pay details, or other sensitive payroll data by email. We do not need them to answer your questions.
Children
Selfroll is not directed to children under 13, and we do not knowingly collect personal information from children under 13. The app is a business tool and is not meant for use by anyone under 18.
State privacy rights
Some U.S. states give residents privacy rights, such as the right to know, delete, or opt out of the sale or sharing of personal information.
- We do not sell payroll data. We never receive your payroll data, so we cannot sell or share it.
- Ad cookies may count as "sharing." Under some state laws, letting ad partners use cookies on our public pages for personalized ads may count as "sharing" personal information. To opt out, decline personalized ads in the consent banner or through the "Ad choices" link in the footer. After that, only non-personalized ads are shown.
- Data we hold. Because payroll data stays in your browser, you control it directly. You can delete it at any time using the steps in "Your choices." For questions about emails you have sent us, contact us at the address below.
Security limits
We designed Selfroll so your payroll data stays encrypted on your own device. No system is perfectly secure, though. Please keep these limits in mind:
- Your device matters. If someone has access to your device or browser, or if your device has malware, your data could be at risk.
- Your passphrase matters. A weak passphrase is easier to guess. Use a strong one and keep it safe. We cannot reset or recover it.
- Lost data cannot be recovered by us. Clearing your browser, switching browsers or devices, or losing your passphrase can mean losing your data. Export encrypted backups regularly and store them somewhere safe.
- Third parties. We do not control the hosting provider, Google, or other ad partners. Their practices are covered by their own policies.
Changes to this policy
We may update this policy from time to time. When we do, we will change the "Last updated" date at the top of this page. If the changes are significant, we may ask you to review and agree again before using the app.
Contact
Selfroll is operated by Civil Story.
Email: civilstory@mail.grokbot.com