Cookies and device storage
Version 1.4. Effective October 24, 2026.
Essential authentication
Private-beta platform sign-in uses its provider's essential authentication storage. Independent Novel Pillar sign-in uses a secure HttpOnly session cookie lasting up to seven days. Browser-bound email verification state expires after fifteen minutes. Google consent state expires after thirty minutes. Completed flows clear their state cookies. Signing out clears the Novel Pillar browser session; an unavailable remote revocation is reported honestly.
Recovery and offline use
The browser stores cloud-confirmed writing and unsaved drafts under the verified account identifier. The service worker caches only identity-free offline HTML and presentation assets, never authenticated API responses or private document HTML. A random, identity-free device-storage nonce asks other tabs to recheck their server session after account transitions. Device writing is a cache, not the cloud system of record or an encrypted vault. Use separate browser profiles when sharing a device with another account holder. Removing browser site data removes these recovery copies but does not delete cloud writing. Settings provides cloud deletion separately.
Workspace sizes
Sidebar width preferences contain only numeric panel sizes. They stay in this browser across sign-out so the layout fits this device. They contain no writing or account identifiers and are never sent to the workspace or Google Drive. Reset sidebar sizes in Settings removes them. Removing browser site data also removes them. If device storage is blocked, changed sizes can remain available only in the current tab.
Optional local editor download
Starting the local AI editor downloads public model files into browser caches. These files contain model weights and runtime assets, not your writing. They can occupy several gigabytes and remain across sign-out and shell updates to avoid repeated downloads. Use Remove local model download in the review panel to remove this model’s cached files while keeping writing recovery. Browser site-data controls also remove them. Clearing all site data also removes unsaved device recovery copies; confirm cloud saving or export your work first.
Optional tracking
Novel Pillar does not install advertising cookies, tracking pixels or nonessential analytics. No accept-all prompt or advertising consent is requested. Essential storage supports sign-in, security and writing recovery. Blocking it may prevent sign-in or offline recovery; connected writing and exports still work where the browser permits them.
Changes
1.4, October 24, 2026: documented device-only sidebar width preferences and their reset.
1.3, October 14, 2026: documented optional public AI-model caches and their separate lifetime.
1.2, October 14, 2026: documented cross-tab session notices and the device-cache confidentiality boundary.
1.1, October 12, 2026: Google consent has a thirty-minute window for its multi-screen authorization flow. Expired flows remain rejected.
1.0, October 8, 2026: documented essential sessions, authorization state and device recovery caches.