Client-Side vs Server-Side Email Extraction: Privacy and Speed

Follow the data, not the label

Client-side processing runs on your device, usually inside a browser tab. Server-side processing sends input to another computer for processing. A product can use both for different features, so the important question is what happens to the specific input you provide.

In Email Extractor, text and supported files are processed in your browser. Public webpage loading sends the entered URLs to our server so it can download the pages. Those two workflows have different data flows.

What happens to text and files

Selecting a supported file gives the app access to that file. Its browser code reads the appropriate format and scans readable content when you click Extract emails. It does not upload those file contents to our extraction server.

This does not mean the website makes no network requests: loading code and format-specific libraries can require a connection. Do not assume that opening the homepage once makes every format available offline.

Results can be saved in this browser's history. Original files are not saved in that history. Clearing browser data can remove saved results, and there is no account-based recovery. Local storage still matters on a shared or managed device.

What happens to public webpage URLs

The server downloads the public pages requested through Webpages. If you enable JavaScript loading, it can use a browser on the server to render content. It does not use your personal browsing cookies.

Only enter public URLs without passwords or private tokens. A server request is subject to the target site's access restrictions and may fail even when you can read the page in your own browser.

The optional extension provides another workflow: capture accessible page content from pages you open and import that capture. If you follow links, the browser also makes requests to those websites. Extension permissions and captured content should be reviewed separately from ordinary file extraction.

Privacy benefits and practical limits

Local file processing avoids sending the document to an extraction server. It does not automatically resolve workplace policies, retention duties or the permissions needed to reuse personal information. Downloaded results and browser history remain data you need to manage.

The file limits are 25 MB per file and 100 MB per batch. Scanned PDFs need text recognition first. These are product limits, not inherent rules that browsers can never perform OCR or that servers always support it.

Which approach is faster

Speed depends on file format, device resources, parsing work, network transfer and server capacity. Neither approach is always faster. Compare the same representative inputs and include upload/download time if a server is involved.

An account requirement, API key or usage cap does not prove where processing occurs. Read the feature-specific notice and privacy policy; network inspection can help verify what requests are made. See our privacy page for the product's stated handling.