Content & Moderation Policy
Shelfgoal is a private, offline reading tool. It publishes nothing, hosts nothing and shares nothing between users. This page sets out what that means for content moderation, and the controls that do apply.
Nothing in Shelfgoal is published. There is no feed, profile, comment, review, message, listing or marketplace. Nothing a user creates or opens is visible to any other user, or to us. There is therefore no submission surface to moderate — not a moderation queue we have chosen not to staff.
1. Scope
This policy covers the Shelfgoal mobile app (app.shelfgoal.shelfgoal) and this website. It explains what content exists in the product, who can see it, and how content concerns are handled.
2. What content exists, and who can see it
| Content | Where it comes from | Who can see it |
|---|---|---|
| PDF book files | Chosen by the user from files already on their own device | Only that user, on that device |
| Notes, quotes, bookmarks | Written by the user | Only that user, on that device |
| Progress, sessions, goals, stats | Generated as the user reads | Only that user, on that device |
| App interface text and artwork | Written and designed by us | Everyone — this is the only content we publish |
3. There is no user-generated content surface
Concretely, Shelfgoal has none of the following:
- No public profiles or identities. The optional account is an email address and password only; it is never shown to another user, because there is no place to show it.
- No feed, timeline, comments, reviews, ratings visible to others, or chat.
- No sharing between users, no public links, no collaborative libraries.
- No marketplace, listings, classifieds or transactions between users.
- No uploads. The app does reach the internet for ads, the optional account and the store purchase, but it never transmits a book, a note or your reading history.
- No content catalog from us: the app ships with no books and offers no library, store or directory to download from. It cannot fetch a book.
A user opens a file that is already on their own device. That file is copied into the app’s private storage and read locally. It is not transmitted, hosted, indexed or distributed by us at any point, and no other person can obtain it through the app.
4. Why content moderation does not apply
Content moderation exists to review material before or after it reaches other people. Because nothing in Shelfgoal ever reaches another person, there is no publication event to review, no reports queue and no takedown mechanism that would have any effect — we could not remove a file from a user’s device even in principle, any more than a PDF reader or a photo-viewer app could.
This is a deliberate product decision, not an absence of process. The moment a feature is added that lets one user’s content reach another — sharing, sync, public shelves, reviews — the controls in section 8 will be implemented and this policy updated before that feature ships.
5. Controls that do apply
- File type is restricted. The app accepts PDF only. Other file types are rejected at import.
- Narrow file access. Books are picked through the system file picker, which grants access to the single chosen file. The app requests no broad storage, photo or media permission.
- The user controls their own library. Any book, note or session can be deleted at any time, and “Wipe all data” removes everything.
- Advertising is the only third-party content. The free version shows Google AdMob ads. Their content is Google’s to control, not ours, and it is subject to Google’s own ad policies — but they carry no user-generated material and open no path between one user and another. There is no sponsored placement sold by us, and no embedded web content anywhere else in the app.
- Age suitability. The app is rated for users aged 18 and over and is not directed to children, because it shows advertising and lets users import documents we cannot see. The app’s own interface contains no mature, violent or suggestive content. What a user chooses to read on their own device is outside our knowledge and, as with any document reader, outside our control.
6. Acceptable use
Users are responsible for the files they add. By using Shelfgoal you confirm that you own, have licensed, or are otherwise legally entitled to read each file you import. Do not use the app to store or read material you are not permitted to possess under the law that applies to you.
We have no ability to inspect, verify or enforce this, since we never receive the files. It remains the user’s obligation. See the Terms & Conditions for the full statement.
7. Copyright
Shelfgoal does not host, distribute, transmit, index or provide access to any copyrighted work. It reads files the user already has. There is consequently no hosted material for a rights holder to have removed.
If you believe content on this website infringes your rights, write to mustafasidhpuri13@gmail.com with the work concerned, the page it appears on, and your contact details. We will review it promptly and remove anything infringing.
8. If the product ever changes
Should Shelfgoal ever introduce a feature where content leaves one user’s device and reaches another, we will put the following in place before launch: published community standards, an in-product report mechanism on every piece of shared content, human review of reports within a stated turnaround, the ability to remove content and restrict accounts, and an appeals route. This page will be updated to describe them, with a new “last updated” date.
9. Reporting a concern
Anything about content, safety or this policy can go to mustafasidhpuri13@gmail.com. Include as much detail as you can. We aim to acknowledge reports within five working days.